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Optical Flex Circuits

FlexPlane Optical Flex Circuits provide versatile, high-density routing on a flexible substrate, and Routed Ribbon Solutions offer cable management and mitigate airflow challenges for low-profile Network interface cards (NICs), switch fabric modules, complex shuffling and backplane applications.

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Product Highlights

Mode:Routing:Connector Type:
Singlemode, Multimode, HybridStandard, 3DMTP, HBMT, MXC, LC, SC

Features and Benefits

Optical Circuit Solutions

Entire circuit 100% tested for insertion loss and continuity: 
• Ensures correct pin-out prior to shipment
• Singlemode, multimode and hybrid versions: Provide a variety of options

Compatible with mass and discrete-fiber terminations:
Ensures customized solutions

Routed Ribbon Solutions

Automated fiber routing platform: 
Accurate, repeatable patterns, and scalable, high-volume capacity

Multiple interconnect options: 
Complement onboard optical engines and supports optical backplanes

Efficient solutions for high-fiber system: 
Organized fiber management and efficient front panel patching (i.e., shuffling)

Diverse substrate size, shape, packaging and fiber routing: 
Small footprint, compact density with a low-profile packaging for increased airflow

 

On-Board Fiber Mangement with Routed Ribbon

Routed ribbon reduces ribbon fiber height in stacked areas and curves: 
Improves fiber management airflow on the board

Routed ribbon interconnects and modules: 
Eases circuit pack assembly and opens up PCB real estate. Allows ribbon shuffling and breaks from single or multiple MT ferrules

Tight tolerance shapes and terminations: 
Provides a pre-routed solution. Eliminates the need to add slack management areas on the card revive

Simple or complex shuffle designs: 
Fibers within ribbons can be shuffled or ribbons can be blended together for small compact products with complex interconnect patterns

Overview

As telecommunications and networking technology advances, systems increasingly call for optical backplanes with high-fiber counts and cross-connect systems. Molex's FlexPlane Optical Backplane Circuitry provides a manageable means of fiber routing from card-to-card or shelf-to-shelf. Designed for versatility, standard FlexPlane Circuitry provides high-density routing on a flexible, flame-resistant substrate.

As applications grow more demanding, available real estate on PCBs shrinks and adequate airflow becomes a vital part of design requirements. 3D FlexPlane Optical Backplane Circuits provide almost a 50% substrate size reduction compared to standard FlexPlane Circuitry. 3D FlexPlane routes the fiber on multiple stacked substrates to achieve a compact routing area while the standard routes flex circuits on a single substrate.

Telecommunication and networking modules often need to be quickly replaced on backplanes without disrupting the entire system. System architects also need design flexibility to meet the particular demands of each application. Blind Mate MTP (BMTP), High Density Blind Mate MT (HBMT ), Blind Mate LC (BLC ) and Blind Mate SC (BSC ) Optical Backplane Connector Systems can be used to connect FlexPlane Optical Flex Circuits to individual cards in a shelf. Available in any routing scheme, fiber can be routed point-to-point, in a shuffle or in a logical pattern to meet specific requirements. Direct or fusion-spliced terminations are available.

Applications by Industry

Routers and switches
Servers
Switches

This is not a definitive list of applications for this product. It represents some of the more common uses.

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