Media Converter

What is an industrial media converter?

Industrial media converters are designed to expand the local industrial copper wire Ethernet network with an additional fiber optic network. Our product portfolio consists of both managed and unmanaged industrial media converters, multi-mode to multi-mode and multi-mode to single mode.

The advantage of media converters

Many industrial applications that are used in the industrial automation sector, only have to make a single-point connectivity with remotely deployed Ethernet-based devices. Considering the connection distance of such devices, this cannot be achieved with a traditional Ethernet cable.

With a regular Ethernet connection, a connection of up to 100 meters can be realized. Previously, multiple repeaters were used to extend this distance every 100 meters. Today, therefore, more and more Ethernet-to-fiber media converters are used in the automation sector to collect and monitor remote field equipment data.

A major advantage of Ethernet-to-fiber media converters is that one can receive data on a long distance, through a fiber optic connection. Fiber optic cables are able to cover a distance of 120 km.

Unmanaged industrial media converters

AbiGo4U offers a wide range of solutions in the field of unmanaged media converters, ranging from fiber to fiber, fiber to Ethernet and multi-mode to single mode media converters.

Managed industrial media converters

Our managed media converters offer a fiber connectivity solution, combined with additional network monitoring options, fault detection and remote configuration functionalities for a fiber to fiber, fiber to Ethernet & multi-mode to single mode connection.

Ruggedized & compact

These industrial media converters are compact and very robust. These devices can offer an Ethernet to fiber connection under the harshest industrial environmental conditions.

PoE media converters

PoE media converters combine power and data transfer via one cable. This solution offers users a copper to fiber optic connection, while equipment is simultaneously powered via PoE. For example, IP cameras, VoIP telephones and wireless access points can be simultaneously supplied with power and internet.

Points for attention

There are a number of points to consider when selecting the right media converter.

Data rate

An industrial sensor or meter has a limited data rate, which is lower than 1 MB. A 100MB media converter is sufficient for such an application. In the event that a user for example will use high resolution cameras with a 100mb data rate, a gigabit media converter is needed.

Fiber Mode

Most regular media converters offer a multi-mode solution for a distance of 2 km, or a single-mode solution for a distance of 15 km.

Wavelength

A higher wavelength also affects the range. With an 850 nm transceiver you can, for example, bridge 550 meters. A transceiver with a wavelength of 1320 nm has a much larger range (2 km to 40 km).

100MB fiber

A 100Fx fiber connector commonly has an SC or ST interface. 100MB transceivers start with distance possibilities starting from 2 km.

Gigabit fiber

The most commonly used standard today is an SFP (small form-factor pluggable transceiver) with an LC type interface.

Power consumption

A standard 100MB or gigabit media converter normally uses > 5 W of power. With a PoE media converter, however, this consumption depends on the number of connected PDs (Powered Devices). If a PoE media converter itself consumes 5 W and a PoE camera consumes 7 W, a power supply of at least 12 W is required.

Advice

If you have any questions regarding the latest industrial PoE media converters, then please contact us. Every day, more than 15 of our experts are ready to assist you with your enquiry. We are happy to help you put together the industrial configuration that fits your PoE needs.