OMC adds new dust-proof FDH1M SMA bulkhead receptacle to range of advanced fibre optic connector systems
Robust design with integrated dust seal ensures signal integrity in materials processing applications and high dust environments
October 17, 2018…OMC, the pioneer in optoelectronics design & manufacture, has announced a new receptacle for its range of fibre optic receiver and transmitter diodes. On display for the first time on Stand L30 at the Electronics Design Show, the new FDH1M SMA housing with integrated dust seal is an enhanced version of OMC’s popular FDH1 SMA bulkhead housing and is designed to protect signal integrity in fibre optic links in dust or powder contaminated environments, such as materials processing plants.
The FDH1M housing is a rugged, all-metal design with square base flange, featuring mounting holes in each corner to bolt down to the bulkhead, securing it firmly and helping to resist vibration and strain. As well as being far more robust than plastic housings, the all-metal construction of the FDH1M also helps screen the active device against radio frequency interference.
Explains OMC’s Commercial Director, William Heath: “Fibre optic datalinks are often used in processing plants for applications such as transmitting data to and from equipment such as industrial weighing scales and control devices. In environments with airborne particulates, such as flour mills or spray shops, dust or powder particles can over time work their way inside optical connector systems, becoming trapped between the fibre end face and the transmitter or receiver device. This, over time, can attenuate the optical signal and cause the link to fail. We designed our new FDH1M receptacle to solve this problem; once the connector is inserted, the integral dust seal forms a barrier between the optical interface and the outside world, helping to eliminate particulate ingress.”
The new FDH1M SMA bulkhead receptacle is precision-machined and assembled in OMC’s purpose-built facility in the UK, and is available with a range of transmitter and receiver diodes aligned and housed within to form a dust-resistant transmitter or receiver module. The company’s engineering team has over 30 years of experience in the design of fibre optic datalinks and components, and specialises in tailoring their solutions to meet a customer’s bespoke requirements.