RBN launches a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer

Fiber Optics Weekly Update, June 7, 2002

RBN, a designer and developer of optical transport and switching products, announced the RBNi 8200, a reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) for use in central offices, remote terminals and enterprise environments. A significant feature to the RBNi 8200 is that it is outside plant hardened, allowing it to be deployed in a wide variety of environments. Using low-cost CWDM, its multi-protocol enables the integration to transport voice, video and data. With its simplicity of design, the product allows for flexibility of use, has a small form factor, low power usage and low cost of ownership. The RBNi 8200's design also enables lower cost broadband services to business and residential users.

It extends the life of existing equipment and allows incremental expansion in areas of fiber exhaust, delivering up to four channels of protected OC-48 using a single fiber or eight channels of protected OC-48 using a fiber pair. The RBNi 8200 has notable port density with up to four ports of protected OC-48 able to be dropped in a 1RU of space.

Incorporating Plug and Play WDM technology, the RBNi 8200 has very simple design rules, a simple installation procedure and a very low requirement for spares holding. These are all essential requirements of aWDM system designed for the very edge of optical networks.