Association for

Passive Optical LAN

Powering Considerations For

Passive Optical LAN
May 24, 2017
 Agenda
 Dave Cunningham, APOLAN Board Chairman
 Dave will provide a quick update on Association for Passive Optical LAN and act as moderator for the
duration of webinar.
 Cemil Canturk, Senior Marketing Manager, Nokia
 Cemil will cover powering considerations for the electronics in a POL - in particular the ONTs.
 Kevin Borders, Vice President of Marketing, Alpha Technologies
 Kevin will educate us on the different powering techniques for both local and remote options.
 Scott Fitzgerald, Senior Engineer and Manager of Product Management,
Optical Cable Corporation
 Scott will elaborate how to best design the optical distribution network infrastructure for the most
efficient powering results.
 Q&A

www.apolanglobal.org
 Association for
Passive Optical LAN
Update

Dave Cunningham
APOLAN Board Chair

www.apolanglobal.org
What is APOLAN purpose?

The Association for Passive Optical LAN is a

non-profit organization composed of
manufacturers, distributors, integrators, and
consulting companies who are actively involved
in the Passive Optical LAN marketplace.

Mission:
The Association for Passive Optical LAN
advocates the education and global adoption of
passive optical networks for the local area
network marketplace.

www.apolanglobal.org
Who are the members?

www.apolanglobal.org
What’s new in 2017?

 New member companies joining

 International committee growth in Europe and AsiaPAC
 Growing social media community
o Follow us on Twitter @APOLANglobal and LinkedIn

 Email newsletter educating +1000

 Published articles, webinars and news releases monthly
 Online readership reaching over +2,000,000
 +300 professionals trained gaining BICSI CEC

www.apolanglobal.org
 What’s is Passive Optical LAN?
Traditional LAN Passive Optical LAN
Local Centralized
Provisioning & Provisioning
Management & Management
OLT
Campus Aggregation

Up to
Building Aggregation 30km/18mi
Distance Passive Distance
Network
Limited –
Communication Closet 300x
Greater
MMF – 550m
Reach
Copper – 100m
Building
Automation Wireless

End User Security

Video Surveillance

www.apolanglobal.org
 ONT powering
considerations

Cemil Cantürk
APOLAN Marketing Committee Member
Nokia Sr Marketing Manager Passive Optical LAN
www.apolanglobal.org
Local powering of ONT via AC power

Centralized Single Mode Fiber

management 1
platform
Wi-fi VoIP
Access telephony
2

Alarm CCTV
system

High IPTV
Speed
Up to 20km Internet
32

OLT ONT
Wide Area Network Centralized Access node Passive splitter End User equipment Endpoint devices
Key facts

Cabling Single Mode Fiber

Power ONT connected to AC power

Distance Unaffected. Reach: 20km

Services Data, Voice, HD cameras, Wi-Fi backhaul

Local powering of ONT with battery backup

Centralized Single Mode Fiber

management 1
platform BBU
Wi-fi VoIP
Access telephony
2
BBU
Alarm CCTV
system

High IPTV
Speed
Up to 20km Internet
32
BBU

OLT ONT
Wide Area Network Centralized Access node Passive splitter End User equipment Endpoint devices
Key facts

Cabling Single Mode Fiber

Power BBU AC connected to ONT

Distance Unaffected. Reach: 20km

Services Data, Voice, HD cameras, Wi-Fi backhaul

Local powering of ONT

Pros Cons
• True passive & fiber infrastructure • Limits ONT location placement

• No failure points in the midspan • BBU is external to ONT

• Reach unaffected (20km) • Lifespan of batteries 5 to 7 years (Li-on)

• BBU where required

Remote powering of ONT

Hybrid
Centralized Fiber + copper cable
management Fiber 1
platform
Wi-fi VoIP
Access telephony
2

Alarm CCTV
system

High IPTV
Speed
Internet
32

Co-located or combined
OLT passive splitter & ONT
Wide Area Network Centralized Access node power distribution End User equipment Endpoint devices
Key facts

Cabling Fiber (data) + copper (power)

Power for 32 ONT 19” rack mountable power distribution (32 x R-J45)

Distance (PDU – ONT) Max 150m or 500ft (0.823 mm² or 18 Wire Gauge)

Services Data, Voice, HD cameras, Wi-Fi backhaul

Remote powering of ONT

Pros Cons
• Centrally located UPS • Reduces value proposition of an all passive fiber network

• Eliminates the need for local power sources • Cabling infrastructure/footprint is significant higher and
more expensive
• Legacy copper cabling can be (re-)used to power ONTs -
where available • Not many power distribution units on market

• Allows to place endpoint devices exactly where they are • Uncertainty on meeting local electrical codes
needed
Summary

Local powering of ONT Remote powering of ONT

• True passive & fiber infrastructure • POL value proposition reduced

• No failure points in midspan ;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;; • Endpoint devices placed exactly where they are needed

• Indoor applications • Applications where there´s no local power available

Summary

ONT + battery backup combined passive splitter & power distribution unit

passive splitter + power distribution unit

 Overview of Local and
Remote Line Power

Kevin Borders
Alpha Technologies
Vice President of Marketing
www.apolanglobal.org
Local Power Review

AC wall warts UPS Battery Backup

• Traditional solution
• Requires AC outlet at every ONT
• High priority circuits require battery backup per ONT
• Maintenance of batteries required for life of the installation
• Power connections are accessible to the public
Remote Line Power Overview

• Power supplied from centralized source (e.g., -48Vdc rectifier)

• Current-limiting DC-DC converter transforms 48Vdc into NEC Class 2-
compatible power source to ensure safety & fire prevention
• Copper pairs (e.g., 18AWG) carry power directly to ONTs
Remote Line Powered POL: How It Works

• Current limiting panels distribute current over copper cable to multiple ONTs
• Panels include circuitry to limit the total power per circuit to 100VA & -57Vdc
NEC Class 2 Circuits
• Considered safe from a fire initiation
standpoint and provide acceptable NEC Class 2 Summary
protection from electrical shock Voltage must be <60Vdc
• Can be installed using conventional (Safety Extra Low
surface-mounted cable (no conduit, Voltage limit)
MC or armored cable) Power limited to 100W
• Do not require the authorization per circuit
of a certified electrical personnel Power limit must be
(permitting and licensing) maintained even when
primary protection fails
• Defined in Article 725 of the NEC
 How Far Can It Reach?

• 6Vdc allowable voltage drop in cable

to meet PoE+ standard at ONT
• 1Vdc drop across ONT
Design Option: Distributed DC Plants

Pros
• All
cabling will be
NEC Class 2 compliant
• Installation cost
• Equipment cost
Cons
• Spacemust be found for
power equipment in IDFs
• Batteries will be in IDFs
• Additional AC circuits
Design Option: Centralized DC Plants
Pros
• Single DC plant and
batteries to maintain
• Less
space per floor for
power equipment
Cons
• Cabling cost to run Class 1
circuits to each Zone
• Conduit
• Electrician
• Large AWG cable
• Plant
and Battery larger
to power converter
Summary
• Local and remote line power are both viable options for powering POL
• Remote line power utilizes telco design techniques originally developed for
powering broadband, FTTH and DAS
• Cost advantages vary depending on site characteristics
• Distributed or centralized architecture decision driven by the facility, location of
equipment rooms, and access to MDF
• Remote line power can economically provide battery backup for all circuits and
improve overall network reliability
 Powered POL Infrastructure
Considerations

Scott Fitzgerald
Optical Cable Corporation

www.apolanglobal.org
 Infrastructure Considerations
Designing the best optical distribution network
infrastructure to deliver the most efficient powering.

Key considerations:

• Wire size & Voltage Drop

• Fiber Count & Type
• Buffered Fiber or Subunits
• Flame Ratings
• Fiber and Wire Management
• ONT Connections

www.apolanglobal.org
 Wire Size
Copper wires current carrying capacity is a function of
cross-sectional area.

Local governing agencies will determine what size

wires are appropriate for certain current levels.

For example, In the U.S., wire size is measured in

AWG, and the National Electrical Code defines the
maximum current for each AWG of wire.

In other countries, wire size may be measured in mm2,

and your country’s local electrical laws will need to be
followed.

www.apolanglobal.org
 Voltage Drop
As we’ve already discussed, your power distribution
network must be able to provide the proper operating
voltage to the ONT’s, which likely means no more than
a 6VDC voltage drop over the length of the cable.

Voltage drop is a function of wire size and current draw.

Smaller wires have higher resistance (ohms per meter)
and will experience higher voltage drops compared to
larger wires.

Power to POE devices connected to ONT’s must be

considered in these voltage drop calculations! POE
power draw can greatly exceed the power draw of the
ONT alone.

www.apolanglobal.org
 Fiber Count & Type
Passive Optical Networks only require a single fiber to
carry bi-directional data.

However, the incremental material cost to include a

second fiber in the cable is small compared to the labor
cost to replace cables that have failed.

Many variations of single-mode are available on the

market. G.657.A1, G.657.A2, and G.657.B3 are all
available.

The extra bend-insensitivity of G.657.B3 fiber may not

be needed as the overall cable can’t bend tight enough
to exceed G.657.A1!

www.apolanglobal.org
Buffered Fiber or Subunits
Two cable designs:

One common design (left), has 900um

buffered fiber cabled with copper conductors
under a single jacket.

An alternate design (right), has 900um

buffered fibers, contained within 2.0mm
subunits, and the subunits are cabled with
copper conductors under a single jacket.

Aramid provides installation tensile strength.

Provides better
Smaller OD
protection for the fibers

www.apolanglobal.org
 Flame Ratings
Your local governing agencies will determine what
flame ratings are required for hybrid copper/fiber cables
that are permanently installed in structures.

For example, in the U.S., Riser and Plenum are two

grades of flame ratings that are required when a cable
may be subjected to a building fire.

Based on where Powered POL cables are most likely

to run, U.S. installations will primarily use Plenum rated
cables.

Your local building codes will need to be followed.

www.apolanglobal.org
 Fiber and Wire Management
Once back at the splitter location, you will have many
fibers and wires that need to be properly terminated
and managed.

There are many products on the market to help with

copper wire management in addition to the fiber
management and optical splitters.

There are many more products coming to market soon

to better help you manage your fibers and wires.

For example, each 32-way splitter to ONT’s will have

64 wires and 32 or 64 fibers that need to be organized,
managed, and not damaged.

www.apolanglobal.org
 ONT Connections (Fiber)
Most ONT’s use an SC/APC connector for the fiber
connection.

The SC/APC connectors you use must be compatible

with which fiber subunit (900um or 2.0mm) your cable
contains.

900um is best suited for protected environments, such

as ONT’s inside wall cabinets or wall boxes.

2.0mm is best suited for exposed environments, or for

making patch cords to go between wall plates and a
desk-mounted ONT.

www.apolanglobal.org
 ONT Connections (Copper)
Some ONT’s use a Phoenix-style connector, with
individual screw-down terminals for each wire. This
makes installation quick and easy using simple tools.

Some ONT’s need a 5.5/2.1 mm coaxial DC plug to be

terminated onto the end of the copper wires. This may
require a specialized crimper or soldering iron.

Other power connection options exist. It is important

that you figure this out early in the planning phase of
designing your network and ensure your infrastructure
is compatible with your hardware.

Similarly, many types of power connections exist at the

power distribution hub!

www.apolanglobal.org
 Summary
Designing a remotely powered Passive Optical LAN Infrastructure requires a
lot of detailed up-front planning and consideration.

Factors to consider when specifying infrastructure:

• Wire size
• Copper connections
• Fiber count
• Fiber type
• Fiber connections
• Flame ratings
• Wire and Fiber management

When remotely powering your ONT’s, the voltage drop on the power
conductors will limit your maximum cable length more than the fiber optics
will!

www.apolanglobal.org
Questions?
Powering Considerations For
Passive Optical LAN

 Cemil Canturk
 ONT powering considerations
 Kevin Borders
 Powering systems considerations
 Scott Fitzgerald
 Infrastructure powering considerations

If you have any questions, please send email to:

contact@apolanglobal.org

www.apolanglobal.org