FIBER CHANNEL HUB OVERVIEW
Fiber Channel Arbitrated Loop, (FC -AL) hub is specifically designed to be a cost effective entry point into high availability, gigabit storage networking. The Bitstrip TW incorporates several active features, such as Gadzoox' Reflex intelligent port bypass and per port data regeneration, which ensure reliable, trouble free, plug and play operation as well as a high degree of data integrity.

When integrated with Gadzoox' family of fully managed Fiber Channel hubs, switches and gateways, the Bitstrip TW active hub becomes part of an enterprise architecture for high performance server to storage connectivity known as the Storage Area Network (SAN). The SAN is rapidly becoming the model for gigabit storage connectivity for applications like remote backup and server mirroring, data warehousing, video editing, and digital pre-press.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
The Bitstrip TW is a 9-port FC-AL active hub, which uses a DB-9 connector for each port allowing native connection to copper cabling. The Bitstrip TW also supports optics on all 9 ports through the use of external DB-9 to optics Media Interface Adapters (MIAs). MIAs are hot-pluggable and field upgradable, providing hub users with maximum flexibility in mixing copper and optical connections in their Fiber Channel systems. Power is automatically supplied on a per port basis to each connected MIA.

The Reflex feature, an intelligent port detection an bypass capability, dynamically reconfigures the arbitrated loop network to preserve communication between all operating devices. Using Reflex, the Bitstrip TW manages movement of nodes on and off the network, constantly monitoring nodes for failure, cable disconnection or network reconfiguration. Non-operating nodes are automatically bypassed, newly communicating nodes are automatically entered onto the loop. All loop reconfiguration is handled by the Bitstrip TW without disrupting communication on the remainder of the network. In the absence of the Bitstrip TW, the physical loop would need to be recabled on the addition or removal of a node, bringing the network down and disrupting communications.

The Bitstrip TW can be cascaded to other FC-AL hubs for the expansion of the loop. Port expansion is supported to the FC-AL limit of 126 nodes. Any port may be used for cascading.

SIGNAL INTEGRITY
The Bitstrip TW implements the most complete suite of intelligent data detection tests to ensure the highest availability of the Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop. This test suite includes:

•  VALID 8B/10B DATA DETECTION
  
  
•  OSCILLATION DETECTION
  
  
•  OPEN CABLE DETECTION
  
  

These three tests allow the Bitstrip TW to differentiate between valid Fibre Channel data and erroneous data, preventing corruption on the loop. Multiple detection circuits ensure that nodes will be bypassed only on real line failures, allowing transient events such as bit failures to be handled by the Fibre Channel frame level protocol. In the event that a node is bypassed, front panel LEDs provide convenient indication.

Technical Specifications
BIT RATE: 1.0625 GIGABIT/ SEC, 8B/ 10B ENCODED DATA RATE: 100 MBYTE/ SEC, EACH DIRECTION STANDARDS SUPPORT: FIBRE CHANNEL ARBITRATED LOOP PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS: H) 1.7IN/ 221MM D) 5.7IN/145MM WEIGHT: NET-3LBS SHIPPING-3.3LBS LED INDICATORS: 1 AMBER/PORT-LED ON INDICATED PORT BYPASS 1 GREEN-LED ON INDICATES POWER ON		ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIFICATIONS: OPERATING TEMPERATURE: 10°C TO +40°C STORAGE TEMPERATURE: -30°C TO 60°C OPERATING HUMIDITY: 90% MAXIMUM RELATIVE HUMDITY ELECTRICAL SPECIFICATIONS: AC VOLTAGE: 100-240 VAC. POWER: 2A, 50-60 HZ ELECTROMAGNETIC SPECIFICATIONS: FCC PART 15 CLASS A, EN55022A AGENCY APPROVALS: UL 1950, CSA 950, EN60950 (IEC950),VCCI,CE MARK