Blog

For many telecommunications and networking infrastructure, cables are generally chosen for their throughput, frequency, longevity, ruggedness, ease-of-installation, power handling, and for other electrical or mechanical parameters. These are not the only considerations, however, when telecommunications and networking cables are used in medical, food, or other applications where harmful bacteria and other pathogens may take the cables for a ride and dangerously expose patients or otherwise contaminate the surrounding environments and objects. There are strict codes in virtually every country for maintaining a clean environment that is optimally free of bacteria and other dangerous microbes where rigorous testing is used to ensure a high standard of cleanliness.... Read more

A small cell is just a cellular radio access point with lower RF power output, range, footprint, and size than the typical homogenous macrocell. Small cell is also a blanket term for a wide range of cell types that are smaller than traditional macrocells.... Read more

Power over Ethernet (POE) has been a huge boon in factory automation, building automation, security, and a host of new applications made more cost effective by delivering ethernet connectivity as well as power to edge devices. POE (IEEE 802.3af) was first standardized in 2003 and has grown explosively in the past many years. This growth has also come with an evolution to the original standard, and the creation of a few varieties of POE, namely POE, POE+ (IEEE 802.3at-2009), and POE++ (IEEE 802.3bt-2013). These standards have also been reclassified as Type 1, Type 2, Type 3, and Type 4, to better capture the specifications and capabilities of each type of POE.... Read more

Passive coarse wavelength division multiplexing (CWDM) is a method of multiplexing (mux) and de-multiplexing (demux) optical signals over fiber optic transmission cables. It is considered a cost effective method for scaling connections over existing fiber infrastructure for point-to-point (P2P) or point-to-multipoint (P2M) connections for add/drop or fiber ring applications. Both passive CWDM cassettes and barrel filters are useful in a wide range of applications that benefit from the aggregation and separation of fiber channels. These applications include telecommunications, R&D< test lab, research and mil/aero installations, among other applications that require extensions of existing fiber infrastructure.... Read more

Internet connected devices with advanced sensor and control features are becoming increasingly common in industrial applications. The rise of the Industrial Internet-of-Things (IIoT) is being driven by the availability of more capable wired and wireless connectivity technologies and the need for manufacturers to enhance efficiency, reliability, and productivity through automation. The results of these trends are increased focus of edge-computing and more advanced sensor/control technologies integrated into industrial processes. Realizing a dramatic increase in density of connectivity devices naturally results in the increase in interconnect. Though industrial wireless networks can offset some of interconnect challenges, industrial wireless networks generally need some type of physical connection and wireless is not serviceable in all industrial environments.... Read more

5G services are beginning to rollout at a dizzying pace, which is likely many times that of the original 4G rollout. Most major carriers in the US, and several other countries, have deployed low-band (sub-1 GHz), mid-band (sub-6 GHz), and high-band (millimeter-wave frequencies beyond 6 GHz) services. Along with these services is a wide range of consumer 5G handsets that can make use of the new mid-band frequencies, as well as select models capable of using low-band and high-band frequencies. Though the user experience for consumer 5G is not significantly different at this stage, the wheels are in motion for 5G to fully develop beyond the initial rushed consumer use case.... Read more

PROFINET is one of the world’s leading Industrial Ethernet-based communication solutions widely used in industrial automation applications. The modifications to the Ethernet standard used by PROFINET enable deterministic communication and ensure real-time data transmission even in harsh operating conditions.... Read more

An Inside (and Outside) Look at Fiber Active Optical Cables... Read more

The Full Spectrum of Wireless Communications Protocols and Standards... Read more

The IIoT and Manufacturing... Read more