The use of the bridge offers the connection of Ethernet and Fast Ethernet segments according to IEEE802.3u, doing speed adaption at the same time.

In the past it was often a problem to integrate old equipment or existing Ethernet segments into modern fiber based Fast Ethernet networks. With a copper/fiber media converter is is very easy to convert the media, but the speed adaption is not possible. This is the appliaction for the two port bridge, because this bridge is doing the speed adaption additional to the media conversion. This speed adaption is made for the speeds of 10 and 100 Mbit/s.

It is also possible to connect half and full duplex segments. Limitations concerning the maximum segment length of Ethernet (5 km) and Fast Ethernet (412 m) are eliminated with the full duplex mode. Due to this it is possible to extend hub based network structures in terms of their distance. Beside the multimode versions MICROSENS offers bridges with single mode interfaces and optimized optical parameters. With these single mode versions it is possible to cover distances from 15 km in the basic version up to 125 km in the extended version.

Main application of these single mode versions are Fiber To The Home (FTTH) projects. The end user can use services such as internet, video on demand and VoIP applications with a standard 10/100Base-TX copper port. The configuration of the copper ports is done automatically with the autonegotiation protocol or manually with the integrated DIP switches. The fiber port is set manually to full or half duplex mode.

The auto crossong feature of the twisted pair ports of the switch allows to use always standard 1:1 patch cables. The switch detects the configuration automatically and configures itself.