Black Box AC300A-RX, AC300A-TX manual Operating Pointers and Troubleshooting, Optical Fiber

AC300A-TX / AC300A-RX

OPERATING POINTERS AND TROUBLESHOOTING

Optical Fiber:

The AC300A-V/A operates with most multimode (MM) and single-mode (SM) opti- cal fibers. Be certain that the correct size fiber is being used for the particular trans- mitter/receiver combination.

Also be certain that the attenuation and bandwidth of the fiber optic cable being used is within the range of the system’s loss budget specifications.

Troubleshooting:

Multimode fiber optic cable contains an optical fiber with a light carrying “core” that is only .0025 inches (62.5 microns) in diameter. Single-mode fiber optic cable has an even smaller “core”, only 00032 to .0004 inches (8-10 microns). This is smaller than a human hair! As a result, any minute particles of dirt or dust can easily block the fiber from accepting or radiating light. Therefore, the key word is cleanliness. Always use the dust caps provided with all optical connectors whenever they are exposed to air. Also, it is a good idea to gently clean the tip of an optical connector with a lint-free cloth moistened with alcohol whenever dust is suspected.

The status of any of the indicator LEDs should provide the first clue as to the origin of any operation failure. Be certain that the input and output signal connections are proper. Due to the number of positions, it is possible that there may be wrong connec- tions.

Finally, although multimode and single mode devices may look the same, they will not operate properly together. Using the wrong device or fiber can easily add more attenu- ation than specified, resulting in poor overall performance.

If, after reviewing the above possibilities, the system is still not operating, please con- tact the Black Box Customer Service for further assistance

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