SKU: SANM
The SelfAlign Series of optical fiber switch is based on a patent pending self-groove alignment mechanism without the need for AR coating and lenses. It offers unparallel advantages of very low loss of about 1dB for any array size, and low cost, amicable to any fiber core size, and broad wavelength operation from 300nm-2300nm. The SelfAlign Series of optical fiber switch is compliant with the Telcordia 1209 and 1221 reliability standards. The driving circuit is embedded in the package and is connected through RS232, RS485, or RJ45 interface.
The SelfAlign optical fiber switch is suitable for multiple channel signal monitoring and wavelength management in NxN, MxN and NxM (N,M≤48) configurations.
Charles Parker –
I bought this device as a tool to manage a set of devices communicating with non-standard packets via fiber optic cable, fifteen in all. I spent a long time looking for a product like this and was continually being directed to companies that manufacture standard fiber optic network switches. Perhaps some of them are capable of being configurated to ignore packets, but I was never able to make a network switch work with my non-standard devices.
I got the Dual 1×16 channel, 850 nm, 50/125 fiber, LC connector, 900 um loose tube, USB control configuration. I wasn’t sure what my setup was going to look like so I opted for the longer 1 meter leads for each of the fibers. I wish I had requested shorter leads, as ~40 1m cables can be tedious to manage (16x A+B for dual channel, 2x A+B spares, and 1x A+B output). I ended up cutting some flexible PET tubing to bundle common leads and protect them from sharp bending. I also opted for the standalone package rather than a rack mount package for the sake of speed. I requested an expedited order for an additional fee which cut the lead time in half. Agiltron was able to meet that expedited shipping date within a day or two of the target date which made the fee absolutely worth the cost for me.
The switch was well packaged and arrived in good condition with quality control test results included. There was some confusion with the command set that was included but my contact at Agiltron, Tony Wang, was prompt with his support and guidance in both ordering and operating the switch. The issues I had were quickly resolved. The documentation could use some improvement especially for users that aren’t very familiar with computers, but I think that’s to be expected for a niche product like this. The USB->DB9 cable for RS232 communications between the host PC and the switch that was included in the shipment had some issues with the host PC (running Windows 7) occasionally dropping the connection (maybe once a day), but that was easily solved by using another cable I had lying around with a different driver. The connection is now stable and I have it all working. The switch came with a GUI to control the switch but it also supports issuing serial commands from the users interface of choice. I’m using python with the pyserial module and a simple API I wrote.
Overall my experience has been very positive. This had been a vexing problem for me that was efficiently solved with this switch. The ordering process, setup, and use of the switch have all been as simple as one could hope and the customer service has been quick and efficient. Two thumbs up.