Making the Fiber-To-IP Video Connection

By Jim McLaughlin

Fiber optics have had a role in video transmission for many years, but that role is changing with the transition to digital. Fiber optics are now able to send massive amounts of digital information across vast distances, securely and immune to electromagnetic interference. Fiber optic cables work alongside other connectivity media in the digital age, often providing the "backbone" of high-speed digital networks that deliver the bandwidth essential to video and security applications.

Fiber optics have several advantages over other digital video transmission media, the most obvious being the ability to send data over longer distances than Cat-5 cabling. The IEEE 802.3ab standard limits each segment of a gigabit Ethernet over copper wiring to a distance of 100 meters (about 110 yards). Alternatively, gigabit Ethernet transmission over fiber optics can extend to dozens of miles. IEEE standards specify gigabit Ethernets using various cable fiber types and wavelengths of light that extend to distances up to 70 km (43 miles).

Fiber optic cabling also provides better quality transmission with no electromagnetic interference. The core of fiber optic cable is glass instead of metal, which makes it immune to lightning strikes, short circuits, "cross talk" or other electrical problems. It is lightweight, stable within a wide temperature range and has a long service life. Fiber is also less easily tapped in to or interfered with, which makes it a more secure means of transmitting data over long distances.

Furthermore, fiber optic cable offers extremely high bandwidth, which is becoming more critical with each new video technology breakthrough. Developing fiber technology continues to increase the amount of data that can be transmitted by a single fiber, further boosting the data capacity of an existing fiber optic infrastructure.

Large numbers of network cameras, expansive systems that cover wide geographic areas and advanced processing to help users manage hundreds of video feeds all point to the need for networking systems to tie the components together into a functioning whole. With the need for additional bandwidth, 10 gigabit networks are becoming more common, for which the IEEE specification relies predominantly on fiber optics. As bandwidth needs and distance requirements increase, the role of fiber optics is a given. But even beyond fiber-based systems, the array of available products has expanded to encompass IP-based networking technologies that extend the capabilities of modern digital video systems.

Today's security professionals need expertise that extends beyond a specific product type. Fortunately, companies have evolved with transmission technologies and are expanding their expertise in solutions that address the specific communication methods employed in IP networks. Network switches, com room supervisory appliances and event management software systems have joined fiber optic media converters to ensure reliable, mission critical transmission solutions. Networks that work together dependably and observably are essential to the future of the security industry. By catering to the specific needs of security and digital video surveillance, they can empower integrators and users to make the all-important fiber-to-IP video connection.

About the Author:
Jim McLaughlin is vice president of product development for American Fibertek, Inc. Find out more at www.americanfibertek.com

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