FiberPlex Introduces Live Production Toolbox for Quick, Easy Fiber Optic Connectivity

	Central to the new toolbox is the WDM16 for combining 16 optical channels onto a single pair of single-mode fiber.

New this InfoComm, FiberPlex Technologies introduces a Live Production Toolbox with everything needed to easily connect remote cameras, microphones, and other equipment over fiber optic cable regardless of media type or data format.

The FiberPlex Production Toolbox helps overcome many of the challenges encountered in any given live production. "Fiber is really the only contender when it comes to transporting information like high-bandwidth 3G or 6G-UHD video, audio, lighting control, etc., because it is high capacity and noise-free from mile one to mile 99. The difficulty until now has been setting it up for different media formats. With this toolbox, we've literally made it easy to not only set up varying types of feeds, but also to change them out quickly as needed," said Kyle Rosenbloom with FiberPlex, a fiber optics equipment manufacturer.

Central to the toolbox is FiberPlex' WDM16 active wave division multiplexer combining 16 optical channels onto a single pair of single-mode fiber, each channel supporting aggregate data rates from 155MB to 3GB. The multiplexer automatically converts signals to the appropriate optical wavelength for transport purposes, taking the tedium out of fiber connectivity and opening up the use of optical links for on-demand, fast-paced applications such as live production. "Inevitably, unforeseen challenges crop up at the last minute during a live production or broadcast, and, many times, techs are left scratching their heads and running around like crazy looking for a solution. With the WDM16, all they have to do now is plug in another SFP module and they're good to go. We are making fiber connectivity a plug-and-play proposition," said Rosenbloom, explaining that the WDM16 allocates any audio, video, or other data feed to a specific wavelength on a full spectrum (like a rainbow of colors that cannot be seen by the human eye), and then combines all of those wavelengths together onto a single pair of fiber.

Hot-pluggable SFP (small form-factor pluggable) modules for the WDM16 come in a variety of formats for interoperability between SD-, HD-, and 3G-SDI as well as 10/100/1G Ethernet connectivity, MADI, varying wavelengths of multimode/single-mode optics, and single fiber BiDi (bidirectional). FiberPlex WDM16 frames also accept standard SFP modules from third-party providers.

Another must-have device in the Live Production Toolbox is FiberPlex' new FOI-6010, a universal hot-pluggable SFP/SFP+ frame for interoperability between media formats up to 10GB. The FOI-6010 can be used as a standalone unit for smaller applications needing just one or two fiber links, or for larger productions that require routing of multiple signals back to the WDM16 from, say, several camera and announcement locations around a sports stadium. Whether transporting standard definition or high definition (3G-SDI or newer 6G-UHD), Ethernet or various serial data formats, FiberPlex has it covered with this single powerful solution.

Rounding out the Production Toolbox is FiberPlex' LightViper digital audio management system to handle distributing audio throughout a venue. The LightViper system includes stagebox/mic pres; analog and digital AES-3 audio; a very high quality word clock; and either a fiber optic pass through or fiber optic splits on every device.

FiberPlex' Production Toolbox is intended for live broadcasts and music productions, as well as for webinars, video conferencing, or any other production, from small to large to extremely large. The Production Toolbox will be at FiberPlex booth 820 during InfoComm 2013, running June 12-14 in Orlando, Florida.