Media converter are Ethernet transmission conversion units that convert electrical signals and optical signals to each other, so they are also called photoelectric converters. The main purpose of using Media converter is to extend the transmission distance of the signal. Since the twisted pair wires used in our daily life, that is, network cables, have a very limited transmission distance, if the transmission needs to reach more than several kilometers, the twisted pair wires Such a long-distance transmission cannot be satisfied, so optical fiber is needed for transmission. At this time, we need to use Media converter to extend the transmission distance, so it belongs to the transmission relay.

The principle of the optical module is similar to that of the Media converter. They both play the role of photoelectric conversion, but the optical module needs to be connected to a switch with an optical port for use, and the transceiver is used to extend the switch with a network port. Their The function is actually to extend the transmission distance of the signal.

As we know that the size of the optical module is small, while the size of the Media converter is relatively large. If it is densely wired, the Media converter that takes up too much space is obviously not suitable, and a small size optical module should be used for transmission.

The optical module is active device, while the Media converter is an passive device with a built-in power supply or an external power supply. Therefore, it can be used directly with a power supply when it is in use, while the optical module requires It can be used only when it is connected to the switch that has been activated.

Optical modules are more expensive than Media converter, but their performance is much more stable and less prone to damage, but Media converter are different. We also need to consider factors such as power supply and network cables, and its loss is higher than that of optical modules.

In addition, the application scenarios of the two are also different. Optical modules are mainly used in data centers, backbone networks of optical fiber networks, etc., while Media converter are usually used in access layer applications of broadband metropolitan area networks.

The above are some differences between Media converter and Optical modules introduced by ETU-LINK. If you want to know more about the application and knowledge of optical modules and Media converter, you can refer to previous articles.