PESA has a new 64×64 series fibre optic routing switcher with an optional backplane design on the market that uses MiniCube Miniature Form Pluggable (MFP) transmitter technology to save space and use less power.
Offering up to 64×64 high-speed fibre optic ports, PESA’s Jaguar 3 is billed as the first routing switcher to incorporate MFP technology for compact fibre optic switching. Two shared backplanes allow I/O ports in groups of 32 for either 75Ohm BNC or MFP LC fibre. The Jaguar 3 can route all SMPTE and ITU standard serial digital video signals, and it supports embedded audio and other ancillary data for SDI, HD-SDI, and DVB/ASI broadcast sources. For digital cinema, the Jaguar 3 can easily be configured to support SMPTE S372 for dual-link HD-SDI.
With the MFP optional fibre backplane, HD signals can be transmitted up to 10km. Data rates from 50Mbps up to 3Gbps are supported. All inputs are auto-equalized, while outputs are auto-sensed and re-clocked to the appropriate transport stream. For non-standard formats, re-clockers can be bypassed to allow any data rate up to 3Gbps. Two independent reference inputs allow easy selection of sync using either black burst or tri-level sync source.
“Although 3G-SDI fibre optic switching has been around for years, MFP technology brings a whole new concept to frame packaging,” explained Dan Holland, PESA vice president of product marketing. “With PESA’s new Jaguar 3 64×64 MFP fibre matrix switcher option, offering coax and/or fibre connectivity becomes much less complex, which allows us to provide a better performing matrix at a much more competitive price point.”
With MFP modules, both vertical and right-angle pluggable cages are available, resulting in a 50% smaller footprint. With vertical mount cages, hot-pluggable fibre connections can be loaded in the same backplane space as a standard BNC port, which simplifies product packaging and increases product performance. Plus, MFP video transceivers use up to 40% less power than traditional video optical transceivers.
The 2RU Jaguar 3 frame features front load, hot-swappable card sets and includes slots for optional redundant power supply/control modules. It can be configured to support a variety of control interfaces, including Ethernet, RS-232, or PESA’s PERC2000 control system. It also includes PESA’s CATTRAX software, which provides a network interface for diagnostics, set-up, and switching by multiple users. For pushbutton control, the Jaguar 3 offers three styles of local or remote panels.
