As a passive component, splice boxes secure the investment in the existing fiber optic cabling and simplify the replacement of active components.The tested parameters are of great importance for safe and long-term operation, even under extreme conditions.19-inch splice boxes from the FDX 20 series combine these properties and fit perfectly into 19-inch installations.Figure 1: 4.8 zettabytes of data – that’s how much data is to be transferred between data centers and end devices in 2022.(Image: Phoenix Contact)4.8 times 1021 - that's a number with 21 zeros.This figure predicts global data traffic in 2022: 4.8 zettabytes.According to a Cisco forecast, this volume of data will be exchanged between mobile and stationary end devices via IP protocol in just two years.It doesn't take much imagination to imagine that 4.8 zettabytes will bring the Internet of Things to its knees without widespread broadband expansion.Figure 1: 4.8 zettabytes of data – that’s how much data is to be transferred between data centers and end devices in 2022.Phoenix ContactFigure 2: Splice boxes distribute the loose tube cables of the backbone to installed active components such as switches or converters.Phoenix ContactFiber optic loose tube cables are an efficient way of bundling a large number of fiber optic cables and thus consumers in the field.In 19-inch installations, these bundles are split up and continued in the form of individual fiber optic connections.Phoenix Contact offers a user-friendly complete solution including a 19-inch splice box for a high temperature range.Image 3: Extensive laboratory tests document the quality of the fiber optic components used.Phoenix ContactFigure 4: Ready-to-splice, assembled pigtails make connection and assembly easier – the picture shows a particularly compact splice box from Phoenix Contact.Phoenix ContactFigure 5: Phoenix Contact offers a wide range of suitable fiber optic patch cables.Phoenix ContactIn order to be able to send data back and forth between the continents at high speed, the first transatlantic fiber optic cable was put into operation as early as 1988.In the course of broadband expansion from the mid-1990s, more long-distance routes were added.The end of the fiber optic transmission paths was also getting closer and closer to the "end devices" such as data centers, industrial plants or private PCs - i.e. towards the so-called "last mile".For the transmitted data, the transmission paths across continents, countries and municipalities mean a long journey full of couplings, branches and bundling.The requirements for the security and reliability of the transmission paths are correspondingly high.Speed, immunity to interference and reliability are basic requirements for industrial and semi-industrial data transmission.Transmitting data packets via fiber optic cables (FO) offers numerous advantages.The cables and lines are up to 90% lighter and thinner than copper cables and still allow greater transmission distances and speeds.The different fiber types – POF, PCF, GOF – as well as fiber categories OM1 to OM4 and OS2 enable cabling concepts tailored to specific requirements.Whether for short, medium or long distances, whether for speeds of less than 100 Mbit/s or up to 40 Gbit/s - or whether within bus or Ethernet structures: for practically every requirement in industrial and semi-industrial automation, there is a suitable fiber optic cable.Even when used under harsh conditions, such as in wind farms, the fiber optic cables reliably do their job.So-called splice distributors or splice boxes serve as the transfer point between the passive fiber optic backbone cabling and the active components with the corresponding fiber optic interfaces.At the same time, these boxes form the end of the fiber optic installation cables – mostly loose tube cables (Figure 2).In data centers, for example, the cables with different numbers of fibers converge in the main connection room and are fanned out there into several connections for the active components such as switches and routers.The advantage of this type of cabling is obvious: If a device on the active side - for example a switch - is replaced or additionally installed, the system operator does not have to replace the established infrastructure cabling at the same time.The loose tube cables are usually retained and continue to ensure interference-free data transmission in the backbone.Only the much shorter and cheaper patch cords between the splice box and the active component need to be replaced.This means that the investment volume for the backbone – such as lines, routes and distributors – usually remains the same.The new active device can also be put into operation more quickly, since the patch cables that may need to be replaced are directly accessible in the control cabinet.The most common for this application are still 19-inch cabinets, in which both the splice boxes and the active components are installed in a clear and easy-to-maintain manner.The 19-inch format offers enough space for the splicing and cabling work and allows the minimum bending radii specified for fiber optic cables to be observed (Figure 3).Phoenix Contact FDX 20 series splice boxes have a pull-out and removable drawer with quick release.In this way, the frame can be pre-installed in the intended position in the 19-inch cabinet and the drawer with the pigtails can be conveniently spliced ​​at a work table.Pigtails are short pieces of fiber optic cable that are pre-assembled with a fiber optic connector on one side.Since the drawer is depth-adjustable, the splice box can also be adapted to different cabinet depths, so that the connected patch cables are not kinked or damaged when the door is closed.The colored pigtails of the pre-assembled splice boxes, which are of a comfortable length, are already connected to the respective screwed front connections.Therefore only the open fiber ends have to be connected to the fibers of the loose tube cable.This minimizes possible sources of error and reduces the commissioning time in the field.The two pre-assembled cable glands offer a secure hold for a wide range of cable diameters thanks to their generously dimensioned clamping range of 7 to 12 mm (image 4).19-inch installations are not only used in data centers, but also, for example, in process engineering systems or in wind farms.Depending on the area of ​​application and geographical region, the ambient temperature there can fluctuate between extreme minus and plus temperatures.This is a challenge even for the actually quite robust 19-inch technology.The splice boxes are therefore deliberately designed for a wide temperature range from -40 to +85 °C in order to cover different areas of application as far as possible.Versions with 12 or 24 LC, SC or ST duplex connections are available for different applications or connected active components.Thanks to the standardized connector faces for fiber categories OM1 to OM4 and OS2, the splice boxes also offer a high level of flexibility and investment security on the active side (Figure 5).I agree to being informed by all-electronics via email about magazines, online offers, products, events and downloads from the industry media network.I also agree to the evaluation of my use of the newsletter to optimize the product range.I can revoke this consent at any time with effect for the future by unsubscribing from the newsletter.I have read and acknowledged the data protection information.By registering, I accept the terms of use of the portals in the industry media network.I have taken note of the data protection declaration.With the NISE 53, Spectra presents a high-performance, fanless box PC that is equipped with the latest generation of the Intel Celeron J series and the Atom x6000 series (Elkhart Lake).Read more...Against the background of the geopolitical and global economic situation, mechanical and plant engineering got off relatively lightly: exports rose by a nominal 2.3% in the first half of the year compared to the previous year.Read more...A data analysis forms the basis for both sustainability strategies and maintaining competitiveness.A new solution portfolio is available for evaluating the data in order to generate machine learning models without any programming.Read more...HEGLA GmbH & Co. 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