Panduit contributes to development of 40G/100G Ethernet standard

TINLEY PARK, USA: Panduit, a world-class developer and provider of Unified Physical Infrastructure (UPI) based solutions, is in full agreement with the IEEE’s inclusion of OM4 fiber optic cabling as physical layer option within the IEEE802.3ba, 40/100G Ethernet standard. Panduit is proud to have been a key contributor in the development of this recently ratified standard.

The 802.3ba study group was formed, in December 2007, to develop a standard to support 40Gig and 100Gig Ethernet data rates. The draft standard only specified OM3 fiber and a maximum reach of 100 meters. Through extensive research, Panduit determined that next generation OM4 fiber would substantially extend the distance the standard could reach to 150 meters, thereby supporting a larger percentage of links within a data center.

In order to provide users with this additional design flexibility and performance, Dr. Rick Pimpinella, Distinguished Engineer in Panduit Laboratories and a voting member of the 802.3 committee, submitted technical comment #217 against the draft standard to include OM4 fiber.

The comment stated: “Based on growing customer demand for high performance multimode fiber, OM4 should be included as a fiber type option for 40/100Gig.” Panduit obtained support from key industry leaders ranging from equipment manufacturers to optical module providers, and the proposal to include OM4 fiber was presented to the IEEE task force and adopted without opposition.

The benefits of OM4 fiber are higher network reliability due to the increased link margins and increased design flexibility allowing links with a reach of 150 meters.

With OM4 optical fiber addressing an additional 60% of the links in the core-to-distribution channels and in the access-to-distribution channels compared to OM3, Panduit is confident this will lead to faster market acceptance of 40G/100G Ethernet and OM4 fiber.

As virtualization, consolidation, and convergence initiatives continue to grow more pervasive, so do the demands placed on the physical infrastructure. Next-generation networking architectures deliver enhanced performance characteristics and capabilities to help reduce the risks associated with availability, reliability, and agility.

Panduit’s OM4 Fiber Optic cable and connectivity solutions deliver unmatched performance and reliability through cutting-edge fiber technology and comprehensive pre-testing. These fiber systems are part of Panduit’s comprehensive High Speed Data Transport (HSDT) Solutions for optimized physical infrastructure, supporting technology requirements and business needs.