Corning Cable Systems (www.corningcablesystems.com) has introduced a family of free-space optics products (FSO), intended for campus networks that need connectivity where optical-fiber links are not feasible.
The LANscape Solutions for Free-Space Optics "is the ideal alternative for local area networks and storage area networks requiring connectivity from 1.5 Mbits/sec to 2.5 Gbits/sec, allowing data and voice traffic to be transported through the air," the company said in a release announcing the product-line introduction. "Just like optical-fiber transmission, FSO is protocol-agnostic, offering seamless integration with existing networks."
The products are available in three sets: FreeLink 1.0, FreeLink 2.0, and FreeLink 3.0. Each setup includes two linkheads mounted within line-of-sight of each other on rooftops or behind windows, whereby data and voice traffic can be transferred.
FreeLink 1.0 is a single-beam product designed for shorter-range, rapid deployment and redeployment of networks from 1.5 to 155 Mbits/sec, up to 510 meters. FreeLink 2.0 is capable of transmission speeds up to 1.25 Gbits/sec, to distances of 600 meters. And FreeLink 3.0 is a four-beam product offering speeds up to 2.5 Gbits/sec to 1,000 meters, for OC-48 connections, and up to 155 Mbits/sec to 4,000 meters, for OC-3 connections.
All of Corning Cable Systems' FSO products are certified in accordance with IEC Class I and 1M, as well as the Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) Class 1, IIIa and IIIb standards, the company says. The systems use license-free spectrum.
