Troubleshooting communications links between two or more Bit-Drivers.

Document: 10009

Category: General Information

Date Posted: 01/05/2000

Problem

I've just installed your product and I'm having problems getting the communication link to work. What is the best way to troubleshoot this?

Solution

There are several items you should check to insure the Bit-Drivers are connected properly.

Make sure the fiber optic cable is cross connected such that the transmit side from Bit-Driver A is connected to the receive side of Bit-Driver B. Also make sure the receive side of Bit-Driver A is connected to the transmit side of Bit-Driver B. If the fiber optic cable was purchased from S.I. Tech, the connectors are marked TR and REC. The TR should connect to the transmit side and the REC should connect to the receive side of the Bit-Drivers.
Some products support a certain dB loss on the fiber optic cable. Check to ensure the dB loss is within the limit specified on the product data sheet. If there is more loss than can be supported, the power output on the product may need to be adjusted. Call S.I. Tech for further assistance.
On the electrical side, if the Bit-Driver is connected to a cable, ensure the cable is properly connected to the terminal. It is important to have the pin-out of the cable correctly configured. Refer to the product data sheet for pin designations. A custom cable can be purchased from S.I. Tech if required.
If the Bit-Driver has a switch setting, such as DTE or DCE, make sure this setting is correct. The switch button must be depressed on the setting desired. For example, if the equipment is DTE, the Bit-Driver switch must be pressed down on DCE.
Ensure the proper fiber optic cable is used with the Bit-Driver. If single mode cable is used, use a single mode compatible Bit-Driver.
Regarding fiber optic equipment, you typically need 2 units for a link. Keep in mind S.I. Tech's Bit-Drivers may not talk to Honeywell's or HP's. Contact S.I. Tech for compatibility.

Back to Technical Support