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All About High Power Isolators!!

Power isolators can be defined as one type of mechanical switch that is used to isolate a fraction of the electrical circuit when needed. High power isolator switches are mainly used for opening an electrical circuit in the condition where it is no-load and is not to be opened while current flows through the line. 

Generally, high power isolators are placed on the circuit breaker at both the ends, and thus circuit breaker repair works can be done easily that too without any risk. On the other hand, 1064nm High Power Isolators can be used in substations so as to allow isolation of tools such as transformers, circuit breakers, etc.

This kind of power isolation is furthermore needed in a number of instances including:

  • To prevent ground loops in various communication networks
  • To protect different industrial operators from high voltage problems
  • To enhance noise immunity in various operations
  • To protect costly processors and circuits from high voltage
  • To communicate with high side devices and tools in a power converter system

How do power isolators work?

The working of a power isolator is not that challenging and can be easily functioned in different ways including manual, semi-automatic, and fully automatic. Sometimes, they can also be used as switches that are closed and opened depending on the needs and demands of the operation. Plus, they are also used in a fixed position to keep the isolation in electrical transmission lines, grid stations, and transformers. 

What are the different types of power isolators?

Typically, power isolators can be divided into three types, namely:

  • Double break type isolator- this type of isolator has major loads of post insulators where the middle one has a flat male contact or a tubular that is turned straight by a short spin.
  • Single break type isolator- in this type of isolator, the contact is separated into two elements, the female as well as male contact.
  • Pantograph type isolator- this type of high power isolator allows for a current switchgear installation, and includes an operating and post insulator. 

What is the major purpose of using high power isolators?

The main purpose of high power isolators is to isolate one part of the circuit from the other. They are generally put on both the ends of the circuit breaker in a sequence that they make the replacement or repair of the circuit very easy and without any danger. It is not intended to be opened when current is flowing in the line.

How Does Birefringence Affect the Polarization in Optical Fibers?

Applications that involve the transmission of data and light guiding are highly benefitting from fiber optic cables as they can safely transmit data at a wide bandwidth over long distances. This is why they find huge demand in industries like medical, military, and networking. Since unpolarized light travels through optical fibers with considerable losses and distortions, especially over long distances, it is critical to use polarized light in fiber optic cables for data transfer. To solve this problem, in-line polarizers are used as they help in facilitating the strongest and cleanest output signal. 

In-Line Polarizers – An Ideal Solution to Minimize Losses and Distortions

In-line polarizers are small pieces of cable in fiber capable of polarizing the incoming light signals. These devices are called in-line polarizers because they are positioned in-line with the fiber. Fiber with polarization controlled capacity can produce output signals with optimum intensity and bandwidth without causing any hindrance in velocity. 

Birefringence – How is it related to polarization in fibers?

Birefringence is an important property of optical materials where the refractive index is dependent on the incoming light’s polarization. This property is most commonly found in nonlinear crystals and various optical fibers as well. Though fiber cores with perfectly circular shape are considered to be ideal, most fibers in practical suffer mechanical stresses caused by bending or handling. This results in shifted geometry and that further leads to polarization-mode distortion along the length of single and multimode fibers. As a result, one polarization mode travels at a different space than the other. 

But, the question is how can birefringence affect the performance of optical fibers? 

Pulses lengthened due to birefringence produce noisier and lower quality output light signals. Since different polarizations of light can be absorbed by different materials at different angles, it becomes necessary to have control over polarization, particularly in optics applications because light polarization affects the focus of laser beams and which, in turn, influences the cut-off wavelengths of fibers. So, controlled polarization is critical to prevent undesired back reflections. 

Factors to Consider While Buying In-Line Polarizers

  • Insertion Loss: When a fiber optic polarizer is introduced in a system, it certainly causes attenuation. A good in-line polarizer is the one that causes minimized resultant loss. 
  • Bandwidth: Since different bandwidths are used in different applications, you must choose an in-line polarizer and fiber that can accommodate desired bandwidth.
  • Size: Usually smaller in-line polarizers are preferred because of the space constraints. Besides, they also come with lower insertion loss. 
  • Extinction Ratio: It is the ratio of the transmission of the desired polarization to the transmission of undesired polarization. Thus, it is the best indicator of quality for an in-line polarizer. 

Do you also need in-line polarizers? Keep in mind the above four factors to decide which one is the best for your application. 

Top Features and Applications of In-line Polarizers

When it comes to data transmission and light guiding applications, you can rely on fiber optic cables. They play a vital role in constituting a complete network that is used for transmitting data over long distances at a wide range bandwidth. Fiber optic technology is considered to be ideal for medical, networking, military, electronics, communications, and various other applications.

Though light waves (polarized or unpolarized), can travel through optical fibers with ease, losses are experienced with unpolarized light. Unpolarized light waves travel with significant losses and distortions especially for long distances and this can be detrimental for transmitting information.

To avoid such issues, fiber optic polarizers are used because they can provide the strongest and cleanest output signal.

In this blog, we will explore what these fiber optic polarizers are, what features they have, and where these devices are used.

What is Fiber-Optic Polarizer?

Fiber optic polarizers are small pieces of cable placed in-line with fiber that helps in polarizing the incoming light wave/signal. Fiber with controlled polarization yields output with maximum intensity and bandwidth without disturbing the velocity.

The term that is quite popular with fiber optic technology is in-line polarizer.

In-line polarizers are specially designed to pass the light with specific polarization while blocking the orthogonal polarization. They help in the conversion of unpolarized light into polarized light with a high extinction ratio.

Generally, the standard configuration used for these polarizers is single-mode fiber for input and polarization-maintaining fiber for output.

Features of In-line Polarizers

The salient features that define high quality in-line polarizer are as follows:

  • Low insertion loss
  • Very small in size
  • High extinction ratio
  • Excellent reliability
  • High power handling ability
  • Very affordable
  • Superior performance

Available Versions of In-line Polarizers

The two versions of in-line polarizers are available in the market:

Pigtailed In-line Polarizer

This version of in-line polarizer comes with ~1 m long fiber pigtails with a 900 µm tube. The benefit of using pigtail in-line polarizers is that they are more economical and provide the user with added length for use in the fiber optic system.

Bulkhead In-line Polarizer

This in-line polarizer version is widely famous for being rugged. It does not have any pigtails. Since there are no pigtails, this makes polarizer handling easier. There is no need to worry about handling fragile fibers. Besides, it comes with the advantage of removing polarization disturbances caused by pigtails.

Applications of In-line Polarizers

  • Analysis of polarization
  • Monitoring and control of polarization
  • SNR (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) Monitoring
  • PMD (Polarization Mode Dispersion) Monitoring
  • PER (Polarization Extinction Ratio) Monitoring
  • Polarization interferometry
  • Spectrum filtering and control
  • Fiber laser mode-locking

If you also need in-line polarizer for your application or have any query related to it, contact a reputed online in-line polarizer supplier to ensure high quality or gain insights.

High power isolators: their major types, applications, and workings!!

Isolators are basically types of switching devices that work to make sure that a circuit is not totally triggered to perform the preservation. They are also recognizable just like isolation switches that isolate the circuits. These switches are very much used in the distribution of electrical power, industrial areas, etc. Besides, the high voltage type isolation such as 1064nm High Power Isolators are used in substations for allowing isolation of tools like circuit breakers, transformers, and so on.

Different types of high power isolators:

The high power isolators are majorly classified into three types:

  1. Single break type isolator:

In a single break type isolator, the arm contact is divided into two elements namely the male contact, and female contact. The arm contact moreover shifts from its place because of the post insulator rotation upon which these arm contacts are attached.

  1. Double break type isolator:

The double break type isolator typically consists of three loads of post insulators. The middle one holds a tubular or flat male contact that can further be turned straight by a quick spin of the middle post insulator. The spin can be done by a lever method at the bottom side of the post insulator and is related to the manual operation of the isolator.

  1. Pantograph type isolator:

The pantograph type high power isolator permits the current switchgear installation, and also requires the least space as compared to the above two. A pantograph isolator includes a post insulator and an operating insulator.

The workings of power isolators:

Working with an electrical isolator is very easy and it can be operated in different ways such as semi-automatic, fully-automatic, and manually operated. They are also sometimes used as switches that can be closed and opened based on the requirements and demands. However, many times, electrical isolators are also used in a fixed position permanently so as to keep the isolation such as in transformers, electrical transmission lines, and grid stations.

Major applications of an isolator:

The primary applications of the isolator include the following:

  • Isolators are safeguarded with a locking system on the external side, or with a lock to stop accidental utilization.
  • In substations: Isolators are also used in substations when a fault occurs, and further cuts out a portion of a substation.
  • In high voltage devices: The application also involves high voltage devices like transformers.
  • Signal isolation: It can also be used for the isolation of signals.

Hence, this is all about an overview of the electrical or high power isolators. Moreover, they can be operated with the use of a motorized mechanism and also by hand. The latter option happens to be very inexpensive as compared to the motorized arrangements.

CWDM Mux/Demux: Increase the Fiber Optic Network Capacity with These 4 Steps

Do you need to enhance the capacity of a fiber optic network without adding more fibers? If yes, CWDM Mux/Demux is the device you are looking for. To help you learn more about this, let’s discuss what it is and how to install it.

What does CWDM Mux/Demux mean?

CWDM is the acronym for Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing. This technology is specially developed to boost the fiber optic network capacity without requiring any additional components.

In a CWDM system, Mux/Demux is the most significant module as it helps in increasing the current fiber cable capacity by transmitting multiple wavelengths, up to 18 separate signals over a single fiber. This module is a passive device and easy to use. It can be availed in a variety of wavelength combinations, generally from 1270 nm to 1610 nm (20nm spacing).

Depending on different applications, it can be designed and manufactured into different channels. For instance, to multiplex 4 different wavelengths onto one fiber, a typical 4 channel Mux/Demux module is used. This will allow you to transmit four different data over the same fiber at the same time.

In case, you are using a CWDM multiplexer at the starting point of your network, you have to use a CWDM demultiplexer at the opposite end in order to separate the multiplexed wavelength or data so that they can be redirected to the correct receivers.

So, CWDM Mux/Demux is basically a module that can be used as a multiplexer or demultiplexer at either end of the fiber cable span. However, you still need to use it in pairs.

Things to Consider While Installing a CWDM Mux/Demux Module 

A typical CWDM Mux/Demux system consists of a local unit, CWDM Mux/Demux module, and a remote unit. The local and remote units refer to two different switches.

Before installing the module, a chassis needs to be installed first to hold the module. Then, CWDM SFP transceivers should be installed to connect the CWDM Mux/Demux module to a switch and after that transceivers should be connected to the module by using single-mode patch cables.

 To build a CWDM Mux/Demux System, we need a rack-mount chassis, CWDM SFP transceiver, and single-mode fiber cables.

Four Basic Installation Steps of CWDM Mux/Demux System

Step 1: Install the Rack-mount Chassis

Mount the chassis in a standard 19-inch cabinet or rack. During the mounting procedure, keep in mind that the chassis should be positioned in the same rack or adjacent rack to your system. This way, you can easily connect all the cables between the Mux/Demux modules and transceivers in the system with ease.

Step 2: Install the Mux/Demux Module

First, align the module with the chassis shelf and gently push the module in the shelf cavity. Then, secure the module with captive screws.

Step 3: Connect Mux/Demux to Switch

Insert the CWDM SFP transceiver into the switch. Once inserted, connect the transceiver to the Mux/Demux module with single-mode patch cable.

Note: The wavelength of the Mux/Demux module and transceivers should be the same because each transceiver will function at the designated port and data always transmit between devices that have the same wavelength. To make the connection, you can use color code of the transceiver.

Step 4: Connect the Mux/Demux Pairs

After using CWDM multiplexer at one end of the network, install CWDM demultiplexer at another end. Your last step would be to connect this pair. If you are using duplex Mux/Demux, you should make the connection by using a pair of single-mode patch fiber. However, for simplex Mux/Demux, only one single-mode patch fiber is sufficient.

Once you go through all these steps, your CWDM Mux/Demux system will be successfully installed.

Need to Use High Power Isolators and Their Different Types

High power isolator plays an important role in industrial control systems. Also known as a signal isolator, it basically isolates, input, output, and the working power from each other. Therefore, it is mainly installed in those equipment and systems that require electrical isolation. In other words, an isolator is a mechanical switching device that allows the isolation of the input and output of the device in the open position. To meet the varied requirements of different applications, it is available in different specifications such as 1064nm High Power Isolator, 1080nm High Power Isolator, 1030nm high power isolator, 980nm high power isolator, and so on.

In this post, you will learn about the need of isolators and their types.

Reason to Use Isolators

Isolators are mechanical switches that are used to separate the part of electrical power. They can open a circuit under no load. The main purpose of using isolators in systems is to isolate one portion of the circuit from the other which is not intended to be opened while current is flowing. They are generally used on both ends of the break so that repair or replacement can be done without any danger.

Reasons for Interference in the System

There are several reasons which make the systems unstable such as:

  • Weak signal transmission in automation instrumentation, control systems, and actuators
  • Use of Small (millivolt, microampere) to large signals (thousands of volts, hundreds of amperes)
  • Signal systems with low frequency to high-frequency pulse

In addition to this, anti-electromagnetic interference is also an important factor. The presence of a potential difference between instruments and equipment between signal interference points leads to the formation of ground loops caused during signal transmission in the distortion process.

So, the problem of ground loop must be solved in the process of system signal processing to ensure the stable and reliable operation of the system.

Possible Solutions to Ground Loop Problem

According to theory and practical analysis, there are three solutions to the ground loop problem including all site equipment grounding, creation of the same electrical potential of two junctions and signal isolation method.

Among all of them, signal isolation is the most suitable and practical solution as it can break the loop without interfering with the normal transmission of the process signal. Thus, it can be used to completely solve the ground loop problem.

Types of Isolators

There are different types of isolators based on the requirement of the system.

  • Single-break Isolator – in which arm contact is separated into two elements
  • Double-break Isolator – consists of three loads of post insulators
  • Pantograph Isolator – permits current switchgear installation and requires the least space

However, according to the power system location, they can be categorized into three types, for instance:

  • Bus Side isolator – which is connected by the major bus
  • Line Side Isolator – which stays connected by a feeder in line side
  • Transfer Bus Side Isolator – which stays connected by the major bus of a transformer

If you are in need of any type of isolator including 1064nm high power isolator, 1080nm high power isolator, or isolators in other customized specifications, ensure that you contact a high power isolator manufacturer online that has a strong presence and reputation in the market.

Polarization Maintaining Tap Coupler: Features & Major Applications

The polarization maintaining (PM) tap coupler basically provides optical signal splitting with tap ratio while also preserving the exact state of polarization. By combining the PM collimators and thin-film filter technology, the polarization maintaining coupler features high return loss, low insertion loss, environmental stability, and high extinction ratio.

The PM tap coupler splits the light coming from the input PM fiber into two outputs PM fibers. The polarization state further can be aligned with the fast axis or the slow axis of the polarization maintaining fibers. The stainless steel and rugged tap coupler are mainly designed for stability as well as high optical performance. The device with split ratios from 1 to 50% is now available so you can utilize it accordingly to your needs.

Some major applications of polarization maintaining tap coupler:

There are various applications of PM tap coupler, among which the major ones include:

  • Monitoring signal in polarization maintaining fiber systems
  • Fiber sensors
  • Helps in power-sharing of polarization-sensitive devices and systems
  • Polarization maintaining interferometers
  • Fiber optic devices and instruments
  • Coherent detection

Polarization maintaining tap couplers are made of separate crystals of lights and the output port of lights emitted is different from the polarization filter coupler. The coupling ratio is more accurate, while it can also handle high power as compared to the PM filter couplers.

On the other hand, the PM couplers can also be used to split high power linearly polarized light into different paths and that too without disturbing the state of polarization (SOP). Furthermore, it can even be used as a power tap for monitoring the signal power in the PM fiber system that functions without perturbing the linear state of polarization (SOP) of light in the polarization maintaining fiber.

Features of polarization maintaining tap coupler:

Some of the major features of PM tap couplers include:

  • Low insertion loss
  • Compact inline package device
  • High stability power
  • Can handle high energy and power
  • The optimum optical performance in a different environment
  • Excellent credibility
  • High extinction ratio
  • Accurate tap ratio
  • Accurate coupling ratio

So, these are a few primary features and applications of polarization maintaining tap couplers that you must be aware of. Besides, if you have the requirement of this device or any other type of PM coupler with tailored specifications then you may simply talk to PM coupler manufacturers and get the best assistance for the same. Just be sure to consult the right manufacturer so you can be confident that you are investing your money and time on the right device and at the right place.

Use and Working of High Power Faraday Rotators and Isolators

Faraday rotators and isolators are commonly used in telecommunication, electronics, and other industries. However, you may have noticed that there are many companies which offer high power Faraday rotators and isolators. Just due to the addition of two words “high” and “power”, most people wonder whether they are different from the typical ones, what these components are, when they are used and how they work. If you are one of them who are curious to know all such things, you have landed at the right place as here we have discussed answers to all these questions.

By definition, high power Faraday rotators and isolators are similar to the typical ones. While rotators are magneto-optic devices which are used to rotate the polarization state with the use of Faraday Effect, isolators are the components which transmit light in a specific direction and block the light traveling in the opposite direction.

When High Power Faraday Rotators and Isolators are Used

At high power, there is a high possibility of damage or disruption in the operation of the laser system through optical feedback. Thus, a high power faraday isolator is inserted in the system to reduce this feedback. Since they are based on Faraday Effect and are passive, unidirectional and nonreciprocal devices that employ the phenomenon of magneto-optic rotation, they can isolate the source and protect the laser oscillator from reflections in an optical system. In brief, they act as optical diodes that allow the propagation of light in only one direction.

Construction and Working of High Power Faraday Rotators and Isolators

Faraday isolators consist of a Faraday rotator, two polarizers, and a body to encapsulate the parts. On the other hand, the Faraday rotator is made of magneto-optically active optical material which is placed inside a permanent magnet.

Let’s consider an example of a Faraday optical isolator in which the magneto-optical rod is cut from glass that is polished to the flatness of λ/10 and has a parallelism better than 10 arc seconds. It is coated for anti-reflection with a residual reflection of <0.2% each side in the range of about 765-835 nm.

The polarizers are made from an air-spaced material such as Glan prism made of calcite. The entrance and exit faces of polarizers are coated with anti-reflection material with a residual reflection range of <0.3%. Polarizer transmittance is more than 98%. So, in this case, this will provide a total transmittance of better than 85% for the isolator.

The unpolarized or polarized laser light is entered through input polarizer and linearly polarized to 0 degree. Next, the linearly polarized light will enter through Faraday rotator rod and the plane of polarization will rotate as the light propagates along the rod axis. The Faraday rotator is tuned for rotating the plane of polarization to 45 degrees. Then, the light passes through the output polarizer whose transmission axis is also at 45 degrees.

Any light that reflected back re-enters the isolator through output polarizer and becomes polarized at 45 degrees. This light then passes through Faraday rotator which produces another 45 degrees of rotation to make the light polarized at 90 degrees or horizontally before being stopped or blocked by the polarizer, still at 0 degrees.

Thus, the laser light is isolated from its reflections. This is how high power Faraday rotator and isolator work together.

What are Faraday Rotators and Isolators and where are they used?

When it comes to transmission of light signals, the “Polarization State” is one of the important characteristics that you need to focus on and Faraday rotators and isolators are those devices which help engineers to take care of it. So, today, we have decided to share the basic information about these crucial devices and their applications.

Faraday Rotator and Its Applications

It is a magneto-optic device which employs Faraday Effect to rotate the polarization state. In this device, the light is transferred through a transparent medium which is exposed to the magnetic field. The direction of magnetic field lines is approximately the same or the opposite as the direction of the beam.

If light is linearly polarized in some direction, this direction is continuously rotated while passing through the medium. When a linearly polarized beam is passed through a Faraday rotator and back again after reflecting in a mirror, the polarization changes of the two passes add up instead of canceling. This non-reciprocal behavior of Faraday rotator is what makes it distinct from other arrangements such as waveplates and polarizers.

Applications:

High power Faraday rotators are widely used in laser technology. Some of its major applications are:

  • One of the most common applications of Faraday rotators is in Faraday isolators for protection of lasers and amplifiers against back-reflected light. In this application, the rotation angle should be close to 45 degrees in a particular spectral region. Highly uniform polarization rotation is required for attaining high attenuation for back-reflected light.
  • A Faraday rotator is also used in a ring laser resonator for introducing round-trip losses that depend on the direction and, thereby, enforce unidirectional operation. Since only a very small difference of loss is enough most times, a Faraday rotator will be helpful to facilitate a small rotation angle.
  • It can be used for Faraday mirrors which help in achieving a polarization direction that is orthogonal to that of the input beam even if the polarization state is not preserved by the amplifier. It works better than using a Faraday isolator, an amplifier, and an ordinary mirror.
  • It is also used in interferometers because polarization state changes through the fiber are canceled out on the return trip.

Faraday Isolator and Its Applications

A Faraday isolator is typically an optic isolator which transmits light in a certain direction while blocking light in the opposite direction. They are variants of optical circulators having at least three ports and based on Faraday rotators.

Types:

Polarization Sensitive Faraday Isolators

It is the simplest one because it functions only when the input beam has a fixed direction of linear polarization.

Polarization Insensitive Faraday Isolators

This Faraday isolator is a device which works for arbitrary polarization of the input beam and therefore, it is widely used in fiber optics as many fibers don’t maintain polarization.

Applications:

  • They are sometimes used for protecting laser or amplifier against back-reflected light. Some amplifier chains contain several isolators between different stages not only for protection purposes but also for amplified spontaneous emission.
  • The polarizing property of a polarization-dependent isolator can be used within a laser resonator for enforcing linear polarization state or for mode locking with a nonlinear polarization rotation.

So, both high power Faraday rotators and isolators play a significant role in electronics and telecommunication industry.

Make the work easier with Optical Fused Coupler

Optical fused coupler is the most common and used technology in the IT sector to make the work easy for all. It is the invention in the department which works on the wavelength with the help of some scientific formulas. The fused coupler is used to transmit light waves in multiple paths with the help of the two or more inputs. It helps to complete the task simultaneously for more than one place with proper delivery of the waves. It is safe to use and never give any shock to the person. The working module of the fused coupler is straightforward which makes it easy for technicians to use.

The optical fused coupler works by partially removing the cladding from two or more fibers and bringing them in the close proximity. Once we remove the cladding and connect the fibers, the light couples from one fiber to another. The problem arises when there is a need to control the flow of the light waves. It is easy in the case of optical fused coupler because the remaining thickness of the cladding and the length of the region of proximity control the situation. The operation of the coupler is simple but going in details it depends upon the multimode and single mode of the fibers.

Details about the Multimode and single mode fibers in the optical fused couplers

Multimode fiber- The working module of the multimode fiber is large as the higher-order modes leaks into the cladding and in the core of the other fiber. The degree of the work and result depends upon the coupling zone and not on the wavelength.

Single mode fibers- The working module in the single mode fibers is the cyclic because it starts from one end and finishes on the same. The work starts from the one where the light enters in one fiber and gradually transfers completely to the other and bounces back. The overall module depends upon the coupler design and wavelength.

The designing and efficiency of the optical fused couplers depends upon the fibers and their working module. They functioning of the equipment is so great that it reduces the workload of the person and makes it easy along with many in and out benefits.

Benefits of the optical fused couplers

  • The use of the coupler is no more restricted to the electrical field; people are using the tool in many other departments like medical and household.
  • It is reliable to use due to its manufacturing pattern. It is safe for people of all age and easy to use. It never gives shock in any situation.
  • The stability of the coupler is very high as it is protective due to the cladding and fiber used in the manufacturing.
  • It works more with less input and delivers the best result for the people.

The technological advancements are for the benefit and comfort of the people and the optical fused coupler is one of them.