all assembly happening in the MultiDyne Fibre Lab , customers now have the option of purchasing all components of a complete fibre transport solution directly from MultiDyne , through its global dealer network , or simply purchasing new opticalCON cables to upgrade existing fibre systems .

In addition to joining the Neutrik COCA network , MultiDyne has also received training and approval to assemble Lemo tactical fibre cables inhouse . “ As we already have many Lemo connectors integrated into our fibre transport and conversion products , offering Lemo cables is another attractive accessory for our customers ,” explains Jachetta , who is keen to highlight that while the company ’ s slogan is ‘ Fibre First ’, MultiDyne , at its core , is a transport company .

Predicting that IP will almost exclusively travel on fibre to support higher data rates , he says : “ As the industry transitions to IP , we are in a strong position to help customers making that transition as 10G IP will move over fibre .”

However , MultiDyne does

expect different applications to make the transition to IP at different times . For example , news acquisition will be among the last applications to fully migrate to IP , suggests Jachetta . “ However , we are prepared to make IP solutions integrate into the base of our Silverback CameraBack systems ,” he adds . “ This becomes almost a conversion point in a hybrid baseband / IP world .”

MultiDyne also offers rugged field fibre transport systems such as BullDog or LightBox , which can serve as network appliances for multi-point IP transport , in addition to its curent point-to-point missions for fibre transport .

“[ IP ] is an evolution that we are well prepared to adapt to moving forward , and an opportunity for broadcasters for whom we can offer guidance and support as they make the decision ,” says Jachetta .

And while the transition to IP is ongoing , there is still support for SDI , including as a transmission platform for 4K / UHD . 12G-SDI , says Canare , a manufacturer of cables and connectors , has the ability to transmit eight times the

amount of bandwidth in HD-SDI ( 2K , 1080i ) and four times the bandwidth in 3G-SDI ( 2K , 1080p ).

The standard , Canare adds , also specifies cables , connectors and return losses of cables used for transmission — that is , coaxial cables with characteristic impedance of 75Ω , connectors of 75Ω BNC ( Bayonet Neill-Concelman ), and return loss of 4dB or more in the entire transmission path .

The company also sees strong market demand for conventional coaxial cables and BNC connectors able to transmit over distances up to 100m even in bandwidth for 12G-SDI signals . Previously , Canare offered the L-5CFB coaxial cable , which is capable of transmitting HD-SDI and 3G-SDI signals over 100m . However , the distance over which the L-5CFB can transmit 12G-SDI signals is limited to around 68m , prompting Canare to develop the L-5.5CUHD .

The new coaxial cable is capable of transmitting 12G-SDI signals over distances of 100m or more , while having the same 7.7mm diameter as the L-5CFB . According to Canare , many us-

ers have the misconception that the obvious solution to increase transmission distance , while reducing attenuation , is to make the cable thicker . Dispelling this notion , Canare says , other paramaters are more important . These include characteristic impedance , cut-off frequency and mechanical strength , among others , which the L-5.5CUHD is built to address .

The company claims that the L-5.5CUHD has the lowest attenuation among coaxial cables of the same size available in the market , while two other coaxial cables of different thickness will also be available in the same series as the L-5.5CUHD .

Canare cites research which shows that there is a high demand for cables that are thin and easier to use in short-distance transmission mainly on racks and can be connected to DIN1.0 / 2.3 connectors ; and for cables that allow transmission over long distances of more than 100m .

This led to the development of the L . 3.3CUHD and L-8CUHD cables . The L-3.3CUHD is a thin , short-distance transmission cable

with a small external diameter of only 5.5mm , which is intended to transmit 12G-SDI signals over distances of 60m . The L-8CUHD , on the other hand , is a long-distance transmission cable with an external diameter of 11.1mm , which is designed to transmit 12G-SDI signals over distances of 140m .

However , Canare cautions that even if the performance of coaxial cables is improved , degradation will still occur at the entrance and exit of signals if the connectors on their edges do not match each other . To ensure this does not happen , Canare has developed dedicated BNC plugs and receptacle connectors that allow 12GHz signals to be transmitted .

For instance , Canare ’ s BCN plug offers a return loss of 15dB @ 12GHz , 26dB @ 3GHz and 20dB @ 6GHz . It offers the same features as Canare ’ s BNC connectors , such as a long sleeve shape and an insulator lock mechanism . The BNC plug ’ s structure , Canare explains , was designed to minimise changes in the inner diameter that may occur due to deflection of the outer contact .