How to Make Optical Modules Meet Industrial Standards?

In the ever-evolving landscape of technological advancements, the deployment of industrial-grade optical modules has emerged as a critical solution to address the challenges posed by varying operating temperatures. This article delves into the significance of industrial-grade optical modules, exploring their engineering, practical applications, and the key considerations in meeting industrial temperature standards.

What Is an Industrial Transceiver?

An industrial transceiver is a device for industrial communication, transmitting and receiving digital or analog signals. Made with high-temperature-resistant semiconductor lasers, it operates in extreme temperatures. It requires temperature compensation software to regulate steady operating current for optical modules. Industrial modules, with a wide temperature range (-40 °C to 85 °C), are crucial for industrial automation and IoT, ensuring reliable communication.

''Also Check- The Definitive Guide to Industrial Transceiver

Component Selection

Choose high-quality components capable of stable operation within a wide temperature range, including lasers, photodetectors, and integrated circuit (IC) chips. These components should ensure stable performance from -40°C to 85°C.

Temperature Compensation

For industrial optical modules operating at sub-zero temperatures, internal circuits may need to adjust the laser's working current to compensate for fluctuations in optical output power caused by temperature changes, maintaining stable light output.

Physical Cooling

Under high-temperature operation, optical modules must have an effective thermal design. Physical cooling methods, such as heat sinks, thermal silicone, fans, or other cooling modes, should be used to quickly disperse the heat generated by the laser.

Packaging and Enclosure

Employ packaging technology and enclosure materials suitable for industrial applications, such as metal packaging or enclosures with high resistance to temperature and chemical corrosion, to ensure stable operation in harsh environments.

Testing and Certification

The modules should undergo a series of rigorous testing procedures, such as high and low-temperature testing, thermal shock testing, and long-term stability testing, to verify whether they meet the industrial temperature standards. Additionally, certification by relevant industrial standards, such as IEC and CE, might be required.

Temperature Cycling

Through temperature cycling tests, ensure that the optical modules can withstand temperature fluctuations in industrial environments without experiencing damage or performance degradation.

Practical Applications of Industrial-Grade Optical Modules

5G Base Station System Interconnection

The surge in 5G-driven base stations is transforming RAN deployment. Modern RANs are denser and designed for high-bandwidth and low-latency applications. Unlike traditional setups, many access deployments lack temperature-controlled cabinets, facing temperature extremes from +65°C in summer to -40°C in winter. Outdoor deployment with standard optics risks network failures, posing challenges in debugging issues under specific temperature ranges.

Given 5G's crucial role in critical business services, any interruptions or downtime are unacceptable for end users. In such cases, deploying industrial optical modules is essential. FS offers 25G optical modules for 5G Wireless, designed to operate seamlessly across a wider temperature range than standard optics, effectively preventing network failures related to optics malfunction.

Intelligent Transportation

Industrial-grade optical equipment is crucial for intelligent transportation applications. Municipal authorities currently face challenges with aging and disjointed network solutions in mass transit systems, impacting safety on highways and intersections. A transportation renaissance is needed, involving smart traffic lights, machine vision, sensors, and real-time data processing. I-Temp optical equipment is essential for reliable connections between industrial Ethernet switches in harsh environmental conditions.

Utility Grid Modernization

To improve power system performance and sustainability, the public utility power industry is undergoing modernization. Implementing predictive maintenance for power generation and transmission equipment is crucial for achieving reliability.

In operational settings, network equipment is often in metal enclosures without temperature control, posing challenges for maintaining optimal optical connection temperatures. Without forced cooling, optical devices must function in conditions where casing temperatures range from -40°C to 85°C. Deploying without specialized industrial temperature optical devices could risk the safety and stability of utility grids. Utility companies, committed to reliable network operation, find adopting industrial temperature optical devices essential. FS offers 25G industrial temperature optical transceiver modules, such as the SFP28-25GER-31-I, to address these applications.

Conclusion

By addressing factors like component selection, temperature compensation, physical cooling, and testing, industrial-grade optical modules exhibit outstanding performance in extreme conditions. They play a vital role in 5G base station systems, intelligent transportation, and utility grid modernization. Deploying these modules ensures stable and reliable network performance across diverse temperature ranges, laying a solid foundation for technological innovation and critical infrastructure development.