April 27, 2005 Lisle, IL -- Amphenol Fiber Optic Products calls its mode conditioning (MC) plug a compact, flexible alternative to mode conditioning patch cords.
The company says that, by using existing patch cords, the plug eliminates the need to buy individual cords for specific applications.

According to the company, the singlemode launch characteristics of long wavelength (1300-nm) transceiver modules typically used in 1000BaseLX systems are what necessitate mode conditioning. The company says launching these VCSEL-based transceivers directly into multimode fiber can generate multiple signals, causing confusion at the receiver, especially in lengths greater than 300 meters.

According to the company, by precisely fusion splicing singlemode fiber to multimode fiber within its MC plug, light from the transceiver launched into the multimode fiber is offset from the center of the singlemode fiber, simulating a typical LED launch while eliminating the potential problems caused by multiple signals.