Converters and Connectivity

Many IT users still work in an environment using legacy equipment typically characterized by lower speed data rates and specialized data communications protocols. RAD is one of the few vendors in the market today offering connectivity products for these devices.

RAD’s packet switching family includes packet assemblers/disassemblers (PADs) and multiprotocol packet switches. All are designed to the latest ITU specifications and ANSI recommendations. They support various protocols, including HDLC, async, SLIP, PPP, IP, and ISDN. The products can be used to transport Frame Relay and X.25 over IP or to construct high performance, private X.25/Frame Relay networks or efficient extensions of public X.25/ Frame Relay networks. In addition, RAD offers a wide range of interchangeable interfaces, such as built-in CSU/DSUs and ISDN BRI terminal adapters.

For backup and special access purposes, the async channel can connect to a GPRS modem, to transmit data where wireline is not available, or for backup purposes.

RAD’s remote connectivity solutions offer a range of products that provide users with the desired transparent connectivity and their corporate network managers with the flexibility to choose the WAN services, port quantities and security features that best suit their applications.

With the explosive growth of Internet/intranet applications, corporations are looking for simpler, more cost-effective ways of extending Ethernet LANs and point-to-point connectivity in the corporate workplace. This is especially true for campus/factory environments. The wide portfolio of products with versatile WAN interfaces, LAN features and capabilities provides unique solutions for extending the corporate network to the entire workplace over both private and public infrastructures.

Management of networking devices over increasingly complex, heterogeneous environments has created challenges for carriers and corporate network managers, as well as for vendors of communications equipment. RAD’s unique combination of routing technology and modem and E1/T1 technologies provides comprehensive support of Ethernet and IP to answer customers’ remote management needs. Plugging devices such as the TinyBridge into the Ethernet management port of any network device, for example, allows immediate remote management access over any available WAN service. This enables transparent management of the remote networking device, as if it were connected locally to the local network.

RAD’s wide range of converters provides conversion between different interfaces. Depending on the application, the conversion may involve one or more of the following:

• Electrical: converting the signal levels

• Physical: providing a different connector type

• Functional: converting the functional operation of the signals

• Speed: converting from one data rate to another

Distance and bandwidth are determined by fiber type and light source.

 

Fiber type – There are two types of fiber optic strands: multimode and single mode. Multimode fiber allows propagation of light along various paths, resulting in high attenuation, while single mode fiber allows a single transmission path, which results in lower attenuation and higher speeds.

 

Light source – Signal attenuation in fiber optics also depends on wavelength. Low attenuation occurs at three different wavelengths: 850 nm, 1310 nm and 1550 nm.

 

RAD's fiber converters support connectivity over these different fiber types and light sources.