Compiled by Ryan Cliche
PCB-mounted BNC jack
Trompeter's UCBJ20F BNC jack connector is designed for high coaxial inter-connect density motherboard applications which require low return loss at higher frequencies over a wide bandwidth and temperature variation. Featuring 75-W performance, the jack features return loss values of -33 dB up through 1 GHz, according to company claims. The connector's vertical launch construction lets the signal be mated to the cable at 90° from the surface of the board.
TROMPETER ELECTRONICS
www.trompeter.com
T-1, screened twisted-pair cables
Quabbin Wire & Cable's P/N 9719 transmits a T-1 pulse, meeting American National Standards Institute specification T1.403, at distances up to 200 meters, according to company claims. This 2-pair cable uses 22-AWG conductors insulated with a 2-layer composite insulation. Each pair has an isolated tape shield and drain wire for improved termination. Designed to provide minimal T-1 signal distortion, the 100-Ω cable has 15-pf per foot capacitance and 71% velocity of propagation, according to company claims.
Meeting TIA/EIA 568B for screened twisted-pair (ScTP) Category 5e, European International Organization for Standardization, and EN 50173 Class D requirements, Quabbin Wire & Cable's DataMax ScTP cables are constructed with 26-AWG stranded copper, insulated with low-loss foamed dielectric, and shielded with an aluminum/polyester tape and tinned copper drain wire. The twisted pairs have 100-Ω nominal impedance and 13.0 pf per foot mutual capacitance. Its outer jacket is flame-retardant PVC and the cable itself has a CM fire rating for both the National Electrical Code (NEC) and Canadian Electrical Code (CEC).
QUABBIN WIRE & CABLE CO. INC.
www.quabbin.com
Media converter
MiLAN Technology's MIL-341x modular media converter for Ethernet and Fast Ethernet networks is a 2-port modular switch that converts 10/100 Base-TX to 100 Base-FX for extending network distances from 2 km to 100 km, according to company claims. It is managed and configurable in multiple connector options, including ST, SC, and MT-RJ. All modules support auto-negotiation for speed and duplex on a per port basis, plus up to 8,192 MAC addresses. With support for features such as VLAN tagging, package size throughput, and back pressure in half-duplex, the media converter is designed to convert legacy networks to higher speeds over greater distances.
MILAN TECHNOLOGY
www.milan.com
Optical-fiber test kits
Fotec's DT300 and DT3000 series kits, composed of the DS300, DM300, and DM3000 series, are designed for both multimode and singlemode fiber networks. The DS300 series Smart Sources encode wavelength information, which is recognized by the DM300 and DM3000 series power meters during testing. The meter records lost data including wavelength and saves it in a cable/fiber database that can store up to 500 tests in the meter before transferring the data to a PC. To improve testing times, the kits can measure loss on two fibers at once.
FOTEC INC.
www.fotec.com
Gigabit Ethernet adapters
Allied Telesyn's AT-2930 series Gigabit Ethernet adapters are designed for both copper and fiber networks. The AT-2930T is designed for upgrades to an existing copper LAN backbone. For designs that require the distance benefits of fiber, the AT-2930SX is designed to deliver Gigabit connectivity up to 2 km, according to company claims. Full-duplex control, plug-and-play auto-configuration, and a 48-kbit internal packet buffer memory are supported by 802.1Q VLAN tagging for up to 64 VLANs and 802.1P Layer 2 priority tagging. These have a lifetime warranty.
ALLIED TELESYN INTERNATIONAL CORP.
www.alliedtelesyn.com
LC multimode/singlemode connector
Designed and tested for compliance with Fiber Optic Connector Intermateability Standards (FOCIS10) and ANSI/TIA/ EIA-568, Corning Cable Systems' UniCam LC connector is designed like a mini pigtail, incorporating a fiber stub that is bonded into a ceramic ferrule and factory-polished. The opposite field fiber end is cleaved and placed into the alignment of the mechanical splice. A field fiber is mated to the fiber stub and the connector is cammed to complete the termination. This small form factor connector requires no epoxy or polishing.
CORNING CABLE SYSTEMS
www.corningcablesystems.com
Fast Ethernet media converter
Red Hawk/CDT's Fast Ethernet media converter has a "plug-and-play" feature so there are no user settings to configure. It connects remote sites up to 2 km apart on multimode fiber. LED status indicators show network condition at a glance from the top or side. Also, you may choose from ST or SC fiber connectors.
RED HAWK/CDT
www.red-hawk.com
Rack-mountable adapter
In a bulkhead application, Senko Advanced Components' Switchable Adapter lets you switch to another adapter interface to eliminate the need for hybrid cable assemblies in most cases. You can select the insert according to connector type and fix it to the adapter base. Also, the adapter lets you clean and maintain both connectors on each side of the bulkhead, as well as the adapter sleeve. It is available in FC/PC to FC/PC, FC/APC to FC/APC, FC/PC to SC/PC, FC/APC to SC/APC, FC/APC to ST/APC, and FC/PC to ST/PC.
SENKO ADVANCED COMPONENTS INC.
www.senko.com
Wire wrap/unwrap set
OK Industries' DFB series dual-function bit/sleeve set combines both the wrap and unwrap functions into one set. The bit is machined for wrapping in the clockwise direction, but also includes the removal mechanism that is used to unwrap when operated counterclockwise. The sleeve assembly includes a retractable sleeve, which is coated with an insulated material that provides 1,000-V dielectric strength to prevent pin-to-pin shortening. You can switch back and forth between wrap and unwrap mode by retracting or extending the retractable sleeve and flipping the switch on a wrap/unwrap power tool.
OK INDUSTRIES INC.
www.okindustries.com
Heat distribution unit for enclosures
APW's ProAir heat exchangers are Underwriters Laboratories Inc.-listed and rated National Electrical Manufacturers Association 12 per UL 50. Its modified heat pipe core is designed to provide heat exchange that prevents excessive heat rise inside the cabinet/enclosure. A closed loop design lets unclean, ambient air circulate separately from the clean enclosure air to maintain the integrity of the enclosure. Its slim profile allows for mounting to applications with limited space requirements, and it can be mounted to any internal or external surface of the enclosure.
APW LTD.
www.apw.com
System design software
DataTel's RackTools V. 2.0, which is compatible with Microsoft Visio 2002, lets you create elevation drawings of racks and enclosures using the company's product line. It lets you "drag-and-drop" components into systems drawings to make proposal and layout drawings. Visio shapes for networking equipment can also be included, making it possible to create drawings of configured racks and enclosures. A free copy of the software is available on the application Web site www.racktools.com.
DATATEL
www.datatelracks.com
Small office/residential enclosure
Designed for small office and residential environments, ICC's Compact Distribution Center (CDC) comes configured with all modules required to distribute voice, data, video, and security services from a single unit. Options include a 5-port 10Base-T hub and an 8-port 10/100Base-T switching hub, which are used for networking data services. Automatic optimization of network connections is designed to improve performance of the 8-port switching hub.
ICC
www.icc.com
Category 6 tester
Fluke Networks' DSP-4300 Digital CableAnalyzer is verified by Underwriters Laboratories Inc. and ETL SEMKO to meet specification requirements for Category 5e and Category 6 with Level III accuracy. The tester features on-board memory, a cable ID download capability, Category 6 channel adapters, and permanent link adapters. With optional fiber adapters, you can certify Gigabit Ethernet, singlemode, and multimode fiber links. It also comes with CableManager software, letting you edit, view, print, save, and archive test results, as well as store both copper and fiber test results in a single database.
FLUKE NETWORKS
www.flukenetworks.com
Wireless LAN NIC
Itronix's 802.11b-compliant Cisco Aironet 350 network-interface cards (NICs) deliver 11-Mbits/sec data transmission for the company's GoBook mobile computer line. It is designed for high-volume downloads, as a complement to lower-bandwidth wide-area wireless data solutions for downloading and synchronization of large databases or applications when in the office. Also, this solution uses a vehicle-mounted station to integrate satellite and terrestrial data communications, which are then relayed to the handheld device via an 802.11b wireless LAN.
ITRONIX CORP.
www.itronix.com