Rosenberger OSI enables longer reach for data center cables

German manufacturer Rosenberger-OSI GmbH & Co. OHG has launched PreCONNECT PURE, a new system for fiber-optic cabling in data centers that the company asserts exceeds current accepted quality standards.

PreCONNECT PURE is an end-to-end system that comprises trunk cables, patch cords, SMAP-G2 panels, and racks. The fiber-optic cables are available in multimode fiber and singlemode fiber versions.

Rosenberger-OSI says the values it allows for insertion loss in the cables and for the quality of the end faces are more demanding than such relevant standards as IEC 61300-3-34 und IEC 61755-5 Ed. 1.0 CD. This performance enables the fiber cables to include more fiber-optic connector couplings and reach longer distances. For example, PreCONNECT PURE 50 µm multimode in a 16G FibreChannel OM4 channel supports twice as many connections and for channels that are up to 15 m longer, according to the company.

Furthermore, the interface design prevents damage or contamination of the fiber end faces during customization and installation of the cables, the company continues. This ensures that faulty installation doesn’t compromise the product quality guaranteed by the manufacturer. Compared to conventional systems, this enables savings in terms of time and cost of up to 15%, as there is no need for any on-site acceptance tests or cleaning, Rosenberger asserts.

Rosenberger specifies PreCONNECT PURE using the application limit value, which quantifies the level of insertion loss that the connections will not exceed (assuming that connectors and couplers are from a single manufacturer are used and that the connectors are free of damage, clean, and professionally installed.) The measuring procedure for the application limit value is standardized according to IEC 61300-3-34.

The highest grade of application limit values for 50 µm multimode connections specified by the IEC 61755-5 Ed. 1.0 CD standard is called Cm. To reach this grade, insertion loss (IL) may not exceed 0.6 dB for at least 97% of the channels, with a permissible mean insertion loss of 0.35 dB. PreCONNECT PURE is specified by Rosenberger OSI with a maximum insertion loss of 0.4 dB for 100% of the channels and a mean insertion loss of 0.15 dB.

IEC 61755-5 Ed. 1.0 CD also sets a standard for the return loss (RL), which must reach at least 20 dB. For PreCONNECT PURE, Rosenberger OSI guarantees a return loss of at least 40 dB.

Limit values for the optical quality of the polished end faces of connectors are defined in the IEC 61300-3-35 standard. According to this standard, the core of a multimode cable may have up to four defects, none of which may be bigger than 5 µm. In PreCONNECT PURE, no defects are allowed, Rosenberger says. The permissible maximum size of scratches is defined by the standard as 3 µm while the manufacturers’ own standard allows scratches of up to 2 µm in size. For other zones of the cable, the PreCONNECT PURE standard is also more stringent than the international standards, the company says.

Rosenberger says PreCONNECT PURE quality standard is currently undergoing certification by an independent accredited testing laboratory.

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