News and Product Updates

Fiber Mode Converters Compatible with SimplexGrinnell & Notifier Fire Alarm Systems

Three popular TC Communications Model TC3020 series fiber optic mode converters have been certified compatible with fire alarm system products from two fire and life safety industry leaders, SimplexGrinnell and Notifier.

Because fire alarm devices communicate in bursty data mode often equipped with multimode fiber optic cable, the TC3020 fiber mode converter is used to convert and transport to single mode fiber and back to multimode fiber.

The fire alarm devices typically have dual multimode interfaces for east and west fiber connections to remote devices. TC3020s are installed between the fire panels, providing multimode to single mode conversion and vice-versa.

Compatible with Burst Data applications, the TC3020 low speed Fiber Optic Mode Converter Series are typically used to cross-connect different fiber types, regenerate optical signals and/or extend transmission distances. The TC3020 Series consists of three models that support data rates from 30 bps to 10 Mbps:

• The TC3021 supports data rates from 30 bps to 1 Mbps, requires units at both ends and converts multimode to single mode, then back to multimode. (It does not convert single mode to multimode or vice versa).
• The TC3022 supports data rates from 1 Mbps to 10 Mbps, requires only one unit and converts from multimode to single mode, or vice versa.
• The TC3023 supports data rates from 1.2 Kbps to 5 Mbps, requires units at both ends and converts multimode to single mode, then back to multimode. (It does not convert single mode to multimode or vice versa).