BACKGROUND:
Yes, more of the hardware from fiber optic "patch bay" rack mounted equipment which visited my "operating table" recently and has had the most interesting parts extracted with a view to being repurposed instead of being buried in the earth.
Why do I bother with these "operations"?
I don't view old equipment using the lens that if it is old or not suitable for it's original purpose, that it is destined for landfill ... far from it.
I look at all equipment from the point of view of sustainability - "perhaps I can salvage something (that is functioning) from this gear and the extracted "organs" could be repurposed in other equipment ... besides that, it is fun (for me at least) and sometimes I find little surprises inside those steel rack cabinets!
What is all this about sustainability Russ?
Sustainability far more than NOT burying waste material back into the earth but consciously recognising the energy expended to create the item through it's various "stages" in life, beginning with the raw materials being extracted from the earth, processed, finished and then fitted into equipment - every single step used energy which is referred to as embodied energy.
To give an approximate representation of how much energy was used in the WHOLE production process of an item, I have created what I refer to as the Ee (Embodied Energy) value, measured in Mj
The Ee value is an approximation only and usually measured in Mj.
Coming up with an Ee value is an attempt to take into account the energy used for extracting and processing of the raw materials, manufacturing of the component, distribution of the component(s) and final assembly of the component. In fact the measurement of Ee can become extremely complicated and technical, many tertiary institutions are involved in this specialised field of science.
I have used various reliable sources online to arrive at approximate Ee values, these are approximations and the sole purpose is to raise awareness of the extraordinary energy consumed in the creation of various electronic components and hardware - it may give you cause to think twice before wasting all that energy and burying it in the ground, with the possible side-effects of poisoning the environment due to leeching.
HERE is a page I have created which gives some tables and more detailed information about specific Ee values for different materials plus a link which you can use as a starting point to investigate Ee for yourself.
I am attempting to open other people's (innovators and those who think "outside the box") eyes to the possibilities of these various components I have extracted from old and largely obsolete equipment (in it's original form) ... look beyond their original design purpose and other possibilities can often come to light.
Keep in mind that although the cable is referred to as optical fiber, it is optimised for Infrared frequencies (1330 or 1550nm wavelength) but I know we did some experimentation a long while back using this type of cable to guide visible light (400 ~ 700nm) and it does work, sort of!
So, let's get down to brass tacks about these components ...
OPTICAL FIBER - Hardware "Bits & Pieces"
Country of origin is indicated below, the cable manufacturer is known but not sure about the termination enclosure
Two primary hardware components are being offered ... the fiber dual enclosure and the fiber optic cable with SC plug terminations
The primary components being offered are a dual 12 Way Termination Box (FIBERNET Australia), a length of 12 strand Single Mode Fiber Cable (USA), & SC Terminated Multi-Coloured Pigtails
The following information described these components ...
FIBERNET Optical Fiber Termination Enclosure
Most of the coding on the enclosure didn't mean a lot except the reference to a US Patent number 5,473,724. Looking up this patent code shows that the patent was applied for by an Australian company, FIBERNET RESEARCH way back in 1995. This is the patent granting date, not when the enclosure was manufactured and based upon the fiber cable age (and when we decommissioned the equipment), these components date from around 2015.
Although there are no indications of which country actually manufactured this product, it does appear to be a Dinky Di Australian design/invention (credited to Bruce L. Board, Brian Murrihy, and Edward Wilson). These days it appears that Fibernet Research (registered in Victoria originally) is no longer an operating company and not connected with others of a similar name in Australia.
This enclosure is designed for the management of optical fibers by maintaining the recommended bend radii to prevent signal loss or worse case, physical damage to the fiber plus correct support for fiber splices.
Arranged as a two tier enclosure, each tier can cater for up to 12 strands and is easy to access internally as it uses snap fit locks on one side of the enclosure which are not difficult to operate.
Currently a 12 strand optical fiber cable enters this enclosure and all 12 strands have been spliced with pigtails terminated in SC connectors.
Removal of the existing fibre cabling is not difficult so that the enclosure can be made unpopulated and ready for different fiber cable terminations or use as required by the user - innovation!
LS CABLE & SYSTEM - Fiber Cable
The 12 strand optical fiber cable is single mode, with a 9 micron glass core, and it was manufactured by LS Cable & System, USA facilities. Originally the company was Korean based and called Korea Cable but around 2011 the company acquired an American manufacturer (Superior Essex) and they renamed to LS Cable & System - this was not because of superior manufacturing techniques but to more easily gain access to the large American market.
Full part number for this cable (taken off the sheath) is OSA-FSM-1210R SM12C
Internally, the delicate optical fiber strands are interwoven with a "fibreglass like" material
This entry cable is a total of 1.5 metres in length, with 1.2 metres being fully sheathed and the remaining 0.3 metres having had the sheath removed (this section was internal to the rack equipment)
Multi-coloured fiber optic pigtails
Twelve of these have been spliced onto the cable (within the termination box) and these pigtails are terminated with SC Plugs (these were originally inserted into the front panel of the patch panel and the mounting hardware is included)
These pigtails look to be at least 1 metre length each, I just didn't want to unwind the cable that is multi-wrapped inside the termination box and measure them accurately.
COSMETIC CONDITION:
USED
Clean - this includes the fiber optic cable, termination box and the SC connectors
NO damage to any component
NO damage to any of the fiber cabling or the pigtails i.e no kinks or strand damage
I have now carefully rolled up the entry cable to ensure no kinking and placed the termination box and pigtails (also secured to prevent damage) within a completely sealed pack that is now awaiting a person who is looking to experiment in the world of optical fiber or perhaps for use with another completely unrelated project.
