What are the Specific Performances of the Photoelectric Media Conversion Chip?

The chip of the industrial-grade fiber optic transceiver is the core of the entire device, and it and some hardware devices determine whether the performance and life of the industrial-grade fiber optic transceiver meet the requirements. So, what are the specific performances of the photoelectric media conversion chip?

1. Network management function

Network management can not only improve network efficiency, but also guarantee network reliability. However, the manpower and material resources required to develop fiber optic transceivers with network management functions far exceed similar products without network management, mainly in four aspects: hardware investment, software investment, debugging work, and personnel input.

In order to realize the network management function of the fiber optic transceiver, it is necessary to configure a network management information processing unit on the circuit board of the transceiver to process the network management information, through which the management interface of the media conversion chip is used to obtain the management information, and the management information is shared with the common data on the network data channel. Fiber optic transceivers with network management functions have more types and quantities of components than similar products without network management. Correspondingly, the wiring is complicated and the development cycle is long.

​(1) Software investment

In addition to hardware wiring, software programming is more important in the research and development of industrial-grade optical fiber transceivers with network management functions. The development workload of the network management software is relatively large, including the graphical user interface, the embedded system of the network management module, and the network management information processing unit on the transceiver circuit board. Among them, the embedded system of the network management module is particularly complex, and the threshold for research and development is relatively high, requiring the use of embedded operating systems, such as VxWorks, linux, etc. Need to complete complex software work such as SNMP agent, telnet, web, etc.

(2) Debugging work

The debugging work of industrial-grade fiber optic transceivers with network management functions includes two parts: software debugging and hardware debugging. During the debugging process, any factor in circuit board layout, component performance, component soldering, PCB board quality, environmental conditions, and software programming will affect the performance of the Ethernet fiber optic transceiver. Debugging personnel must have comprehensive quality and fully consider various factors of transceiver failure.

(3) In terms of personnel input

The design of ordinary Ethernet fiber optic transceivers can be completed by only one hardware engineer. The design of Ethernet fiber optic transceivers with network management functions not only requires hardware engineers to complete the circuit board wiring, but also requires many software engineers to complete the programming of network management, and requires the close cooperation of software and hardware designers.

2. Compatibility

OEMC should support IEEE802, CISCO ISL and other common network communication standards to ensure good compatibility of fiber optic transceivers.

3. Environmental requirements

a. Voltage

The input and output voltage, and the operating voltage of OEMC are mostly 5 volts or 3.3 volts, but the operating voltage of another important device on the Ethernet fiber optic transceiver—the optical transceiver module is mostly 5 volts. If the working voltages of the two are inconsistent, the complexity of PCB board wiring will be increased.

b. Working temperature

When choosing the working temperature of OEMC, developers need to start from the most unfavorable conditions and leave room for it. For example, the highest temperature in summer can reach 40°C, and the inside of the fiber optic transceiver chassis is heated due to various components, especially OEMC. Therefore, the upper limit of the operating temperature of the Ethernet fiber optic transceiver should generally not be lower than 50°C.