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Catalyst 2900 Series XL and Catalyst 3500 Series XL Software Configuration Guide
78-6511-08
Chapter 1 Overview
Where to Go To Next
Long-Distance, High-Bandwidth Transport Configuration
Figure 1-7
shows a configuration for transporting 8 Gigabits of data over a single fiber-optic cable. The
Catalyst switches have Coarse Wave Division Multiplexer (CWDM) fiber-optic GBIC modules
installed. Depending on the CWDM GBIC module, data is sent at wavelengths from 1470 nm to 1610
nm. The higher the wavelength, the farther the transmission can travel. A common wavelength used for
long-distance transmissions is 1550 nm.
The CWDM GBIC modules connect to CWDM optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) modules over
distances of up to 393,701 feet (74.5 miles or 120 km). The CWDM OADM modules combine (or
multiplex) the different CWDM wavelengths, allowing them to travel simultaneously on the same
fiber-optic cable. The CWDM OADM modules on the receiving end separate (or demultiplex) the
different wavelengths.
Using CWDM technology with the switches translates to farther data transmission and an increased
bandwidth capacity (up to 8 Gbps) on a single fiber-optic cable.
For more information about the CWDM GBIC modules and CWDM OADM modules, refer to the
Installation Note for the CWDM Passive Optical System.
Figure 1-7
Long-Distance, High-Bandwidth Transport Configuration
Where to Go To Next
Before configuring the switch, review these sections for start up information:
•
Chapter 2, “Getting Started with CMS”
•
Chapter 3, “Getting Started with the CLI”
•
Chapter 4, “General Switch Administration”
74089
Catalyst 2900 XL,
Catalyst 2950,
Catalyst 3500 XL, and
Catalyst 3550 switches
Access layer
Catalyst 4000
multilayer
switches
Aggregation layer
Eight
1-Gbps
connections
8 Gbps
CWDM
OADM
modules
CWDM
OADM
modules
