Upgrade Device

As technology evolves so does security and most people may think of additional lighting or adding a security camera system. For those with a high value location you many want to consider perimeter fencing.

Perimeter fencing does involve more then just putting a fence up. Patrolling and other traditional methods with sensors and instruments are often unreliable and expensive. Some systems even have so many false alarms causing distrust in the system.

For a more reliable perimeter fence you may want to employ a AFL fiber optic sensing cable. A fence mounted fiber optic sensing cable for vibration detection and a central sensing device analyzes both the magnitude and pattern of the vibration signatures.

* Responsive: Low false positive rate due to noise generated by environmental factors

* Reliable: High reliability for detection of intrusion events (extremely low frequency of false negitive)

* Accurate: Plus or minus 2.5% accuracy of intrusion event locations over continuous fence line lengths of up to 5 kilometers

* Flexible: Stand alone system of integrated with pan-tilt cameras and other technologies like infrared systems  


This fiber optic system works by using optical power from a laser diode (LD in diagram) is split by the optical coupler and is diffused through an optical fiber ring in two counter directional paths.


When vibration is applied to the fiber, the strength of the interference light fluctuates due to the change in the refractive index in the region of the cable vibration. The emitted light arrives at a vibration point with some difference in time of flight. After passing the vibration point, two counter directional light packets are combined to cause interference. The light interference is detected by a photo diode (PD). Under static conditions (no vibration) the interference light strength is stable.

Here's a quick look at the components of the AFL perimeter fence system.



If this is an option that may work for your location feel free to contact specialist Jeff Jamieson with AFL at 864-486-7115

Questions? Don't hesitate to leave them below.

Thanks!

"By Mercy Salinas"

Now let's look at the 12 strand.



Now the 24 strand!



As you can tell, regardless of the fiber optic strand count the construction is the same. If you need more than 24 strands for an outdoor application you might have to use a loose-tube cable then install fan out kits, that sucks.

"By Mercy Salinas"

Yes, fiber optic cable has two different sizes of buffer over the cladding. In one of my recent videos I do a comparison, 62.5 is the core size for both and the video dives into why have two sizes.



Comment below! Thanks!

"By Mercy Salinas"

Testing fiber optic cable can be intimidating if you've never done it before, but we've decided to open a fiber test kit and figure out how to measure db loss just for you.



Looks easy because it is. For more cool videos follow our YouTube Channel .

"By Mercy Salinas"

The standard of HD-SDI, 3G HD-SDI and so on has put more stress on broadcasting cables than ever and certain locations of these arenas are removing their coaxial cable system and replacing it with fiber optic cable to meet the high bandwidth demands and distance demands that these signals have to travel.

As you know Corning has a few different types of 12 strand fiber optic cables. Right now we're going to get to know Corning part number 012K8F-31130-29 much better.

This number is part of the FREEDM ONE design. It's flame retardant, UV resistant and the indoor/outdoor rating allows for aerial, duct and direct burial applications with no need for a transition splice when entering the building.

The tight-buffered construction facilitates easier termination for low fiber count applications in your local area network and eliminates the need for fan out kits. Color coded to the TIA-598 standard for easy identification.

The small diameter and bend radius of the cable also allows for easy installation in space constrained areas while the innovative water blocking technology is ideal for outside plant applications. The all dielectric cable construction requires no grounding or bonding and the jacket is rugged, durable and easy to strip.

Let's get a better look at this cable from our YouTube Channel



Now that you know Corning part number 012K8F-31130-29 is more than a 12 strand, tight buffered, riser rated, 62.5 multimode cable, I think your ready to pull that fiber.

"By Mercy Salinas"

Here we go again, changing things when a traditional LC connector worked just fine, or did it? Over the past couple of years the convenience of a small footprint by the LC connector has been evolving due to manufactures battling for your data center dollars. Let's quickly go over the different types of connectors.

1) LC Traditional Duplex - This has been the most popular LC duplex connector since the dawn of time. A simple yet effective design by tightly holding 2 individual strands of terminated LC simplex connectors. A small clip is used to hold the connectors together and also offers a press down tab to easily remove the connectors from the port. Can you remove the small clip? Sure, but it's a chore and you'll destroy it.



2)  LC AFOP Duplex - The AFOP LC duplex has almost everything in common as your LC traditional duplex but the connectors are easily removed and reattached. If your in a busy closet you might have to move single a strand around, especially in an emergency or maybe reverse the polarity. A small clip is used to hold the connectors together, also offers a press down tab to easily remove the connectors from the port and has openings on the sides to allow you to separate the connectors and put them back together.



3) LC Generic UNIBOOT - The LC connector portion of the UNIBOOT is similar to the LC traditional duplex connector, but the main difference is that you have 2 strands of fiber now in one jacket. Since your now saving space in your cable raceway you can add more cables in the same size raceway or save on cost by installing a smaller raceway. This is an excellent choice for high density applications.



4) LC SANWA UNIBOOT - This connector is named after the the manufacture SANWA and truthfully after playing with this connector vs. the generic UNIBOOT I can't tell the difference, until I grabbed an additional tool that cracks this connector open. After opening it you can reverse the polarity easily! Check the video out. I've also seen this connector specified on many Verizon projects.





5) LC UNIVERSAL - This connector is a proprietary connector. Accepts the traditional size LC connector but also accepts the "MINI LC" for small footprint mini SFP (mSFP) ports. I thought the LC connector was small enough already but space is money. Currently these "High Density MINI LC" connectors are commonly installed and designed to work with Brocade's FC8-64 high density 64 port blade.




You'll probably want to save this post somewhere, I wrote it so I have it saved. If you check the rest of this blog out it's hard to keep track of everything going on out there, I can't remember it all. Don't forget to follow me on GOOGLE PLUS thanks!

"By Mercy Salinas"

We recently sold some fiber optic cable for something that I just heard about for the first time in my life, a solar power tower. Solar power seems to be a hot topic so I figured I'd look into how these towers work.


This tower project was in Tonopah Nevada and is know as the Crescent Dunes Solar Energy Project, it's designed to power up to 75,000 homes during peak electricity periods supplying 500,000 megawatt hours annually of clean, renewable electricity. A loan for $737 million from the Department of Energy was approved and private capital was raised for the company handling the project, Solar Reserve. Let's see what they have to say about the construction of their project.



So it was an amazing amount of work to build and cost a ton of money but how does it work? Let's see what the U.S. Department of Energy has to say.



This is cool stuff but where does the fiber come in? There are multiple buildings and this place is huge, it covers 1,600 acres so fiber optic cable could be anywhere. The fiber sold for this project was a singlemode 12 strand armored cable that ran from the warehouse to the communications building. Here's a better look at this fiber from our YouTube channel.



Shipping this fiber was interesting when it came to the address, I was told to just put 10 miles north of hwy 95 they can't miss it! Here's the view from an airplane above, you can't miss it from anywhere.

  

It's cool seeing solar continue to grow, I am a little bummed out that the fiber purchased from me was not involved in the cool part of this project. I have been looking into fiber optic cable for solar panels and wind turbine applications, looks like fiber is more involved in those types of solar applications.

Update 5/28/2013

I just got back from an excellent adventure in Las Vegas with the wife and something caught my eye in the middle of the desert, just south of Whiskey Pete's in Primm Nevada.


A large solar power project! This project is called the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System and is currently the largest solar plant under construction in the world!






Here's some construction footage from Bright Source.



What are we doing in the middle of the desert?













Apparently building solar power plants everywhere.

"By Mercy Salinas"

"Secrets are over. ... We are facing the most powerful weapon that has ever existed, which is communication," Castro told Mexican daily La Jornada in an August 2010 interview in which he hailed the coming cable.



It has been almost 2 years and unfortunately the Cuban people are still waiting for faster internet. The current network is still in the 90’s. At 3-5 kilobytes per second dial up transfer speeds a 500 megabyte video file would take between 28 and 46 hours from Itunes. People are swapping digital pictures on memory sticks rather than sending it as an e-mail attachment, what a nightmare.

The cable was strung from Venezuela with the help of key ally Hugo Chavez.



Government officials said from the start that the bandwidth boon would be prioritized for hospitals, universities and other usage deemed in service of the common good; the legions of Cubans with little or no access to the Internet from their homes would have to wait.

Why has this 70 million dollar project stalled? The project was carried out by Alcatel-Lucent of France for the state telecommunications companies of Venezuela and Cuba. A senior French official told the Associated Press that Alcatel had upheld its part of the contract and whatever problems exist must be on land with the network it was meant to be attached to. "The cable must be connected to something or it won't work," said the official, who also spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss the politically sensitive project.

Jorge Arreaza, Venezuela’s science and technology minister, said that “a few months ago we signed all the remaining protocols, all the necessary security measures with the Cuban government. It’s absolutely operational. It will depend on the Cuban government what it uses it for. Of course that’s their sovereign matter, but we know that the undersea cable is in full operation,’’ Arreaza told reporters.

Its been over a year since the system was supposed to have gone online, Cuba’s government has not recently mentioned the cable. The Internet on the island remains the slowest in the Western Hemisphere. Perhaps Mr. Castro is not prepare to unleash the most powerful weapon that has ever existed.

Comment below. Thanks!

Over the past 15 years of providing fiber optic cabling solutions for contractors, data centers, government end users and everyone under the sun my favorite cable construction type is still the tight buffered construction style with an indoor/outdoor rating.


The indoor/outdoor rating allows you to pull outdoor to anywhere indoor and vise versa. Outdoor specific cables are not allowed to be pulled into a building more than 50 feet via the National Electric Code. If a fire breaks out indoors and outside plant cables are burned, very toxic fumes are released and we all know smoke inhalation is the number one killer in fires.

Here's our indoor/outdoor fiber optic cable product video from our YouTube Channel




The video example is of AFL part number KR0066531001

If your equipment is far from the cable entrance point into the building you'll benefit from the indoor/outdoor rating by not having to invest in wall mount or rack mount fiber enclosures when you make your transition when compared to having to use an outdoor cable then an indoor cable to meet that NEC requirement. (We also have videos on wall and rackmount fiber enclosures on our YouTube Channel).

Size is also one of my favorite things about a tight buffered cable. If you compare a 6 strand tight buffered cable to a 6 strand loose tube the diameter is smaller giving you more room in a innerduct for more cables or for purchasing a smaller innerduct saving you on cost.


The flexibility of this cable will also allow you to dress it into your telecom closet or around your equipment easily helping to preserve a clean and neat look.

The weight of this cable is light allowing you to easily move from location to location. A 6 strand 1000ft cable with the reel weights around 24 pounds. This lighter cable and reel also save you on shipping cost.

From a fiber optic termination point of view a tight buffer cable requires no fan out kits. These kits are a requirement when installing a loose tube fiber, these kits add cost on the materials end and the labor end when terminating a loose tube fiber.

The combination of all of the mentions above also make this a preferred choice when doing a preterminated fiber cable. Our preterminated fiber cables cables are length and fiber glass type specified by the user. Very installer friendly fiber cable to start with and an excellent alternative to an expensive fiber termination tool kit investment if you plan on terminating fiber once in a while.


So there's my two cents. If you have an upcoming project and you want to talk it over don't hesitate to call me. I'm at 888-797-3697 extension 232 or if you have a comment leave it below.

Thanks!

"By Mercy Salinas"