Selection and Use of OptICal Modules in Soft and Hard Board Factory

PCB manufacturers, PCB designers and PCBA manufacturers will explain the selection and use tips of optical modules in the soft and hard combination board factory

The optical module is composed of optoElectronic devices, functional circuits and optical interfaces. The optoelectronic devices include two parts: transmitting and receiving. The optical module can convert electrical signals to optical signals at the sending end through photoelectric conversion, and then convert optical signals to electrical signals at the receiving end after transmission through optical fibers. Any optical module has the function of receiving and transmitting two parts, which can perform photoelectric conversion and electro-optical conversion. In this way, optical modules can not be separated from devices at both ends of the network. Nowadays, there are tens of thousands of devices in a data center. To realize the interconnection of these devices, optical modules are indispensable. Nowadays, the optical modules of the soft and hard combination board factory have become a MARKet segment of the data center.

With the wide range of optical modules, more and more customers begin to pay attention to the stability and reliability of the modules themselves. There are three popular optical modules in the market: original optical modules, second-hand optical modules and compatible optical modules. As we all know, the price of original optical modules is very high, and many manufacturers can only flinch. As for the second-hand optical module, although its price is relatively low, its quality cannot be guaranteed, and packet loss often occurs after six months of use. Therefore, many manufacturers have turned their attention to compatible optical modules. Indeed, the performance of the compatible optical module is almost the same as that of the original optical module in use, and the price is several times cheaper than that of the original optical module, which is also the reason why the compatible optical module is so popular. However, there are many good and bad products in the market, and many businesses have made it difficult to select optical modules because of shoddy goods. Now let's talk about the selection of optical modules in detail.

First of all, how can we distinguish between new optical modules and second-hand optical modules? As we mentioned above, packet loss often occurs after a second hand optical module has been used for half a year, which is caused by unstable optical power and decreased optical sensitivity. If we have an optical power meter, we can take it out and measure it to see whether its optical power is consistent with the parameters in the data book. If the access is too large, it is a second-hand light module.

Then observe the after-sale use of the optical module. The service life of a normal optical module is 5 years. It is difficult to see whether the optical module is good or bad in the first year, but it can be seen in the second or third year.

Secondly, the compatibility between the optical module and the device should be considered. Before purchasing, consumers need to communicate with suppliers about which brand of equipment they need to use.

Finally, we also need to see how the temperature adaptability of the optical module is. The temperature generated by the optical module itself during operation is not high, but its general working environment is in the computer room or on the switch. Too high or too low temperature will affect its optical power, optical sensitivity and other parameters. Generally, the temperature range of the optical module used is 0~70 ° C. If it is in extremely cold or hot environment, the industrial grade optical module - 40~85 ° C shall be used.

If the function of the optical module fails during use, do not worry, but carefully check and analyze the specific reasons. Generally, there are two types of optical module functional failures, namely transmitter failure and receiver failure. The most common reasons are as follows:

The optical port of the optical module is exposed to the environment, and the optical port is polluted by dust;

The end face of the optical fiber connector used has been polluted, and the optical port of the optical module has been polluted for the second time;

The end face of optical connector with pigtail is improperly used, and the end face is scratched;

Use poor quality fiber optic connectors.

Therefore, after the correct selection of optical modules, attention should be paid to the cleaning and protection of optical modules in normal use. After normal use, it is recommended to plug the dust plug when not in use. Because if the optical contact is not clean, the signal quality may be affected, which may lead to LINK problems and bit error problems. PCB manufacturers, PCB designers and PCBA manufacturers will explain the selection and use tips of optical modules in the soft and hard combination board factory.