News and Product Updates

Innovative "Multiple-Master" Self-Healing Ring Makes Fiber Optic Communication Networks Virtually Fail-Proof

An innovative "Multiple-Master" Self-Healing Ring configuration that can recover link failures in several places in the ring is now available with the TC Communications 8/12 Channel Fiber Optic Multi-Drop Multiplexer. Starting list price is $2,150.

Intended for SCADA, Process Control and Traffic Control Fiber Optic Communications Systems, this new Self-Healing Ring scheme maximizes the reliability of standard "Single Master" systems because it can recover faults or failures in counter-rotating rings A & B in two or more different places (see attached figure).

Two or more Master units and at least two Remote (slave) units are required to form a Multiple Master Self-Healing Ring. The fiber optic signal travels clockwise in Primary Ring A and counterclockwise in Secondary Ring B. System integrity is maintained during a fault condition, typically a cable or device failure, by "wrapping" around the failure point(s).

The TC2800 Multi-Drop Fiber Optic Multiplexer provides two pair of fiber interfaces and interconnects up to 12 devices with independent RS-232 and/or RS-485 interfaces over single mode or multimode fiber optic cable. It supports asynchronous data rates up to 38.4 Kbps. A lower cost eight-channel version is also available. Anti-streaming is provided to insure normal system operation in the event of a node failure. Fiber optic connectors are ST; FC is optional. Electrical connectors are RJ-11 female. Power is 9 to 12VDC, optional 24VDC or 115 /230 VAC with an external power cube.