telecommunication Telecommunication is the transmission of information by various types of technologies over wire, radio, optical, or other electromagnetic systems. It has its origin in the desire of humans for communication over a distance greater than tha ...

, Open fiber control is a protocol to ensure that both ends of a

fiber optic cable A fiber-optic cable, also known as an optical-fiber cable, is an assembly similar to an electrical cable, but containing one or more optical fibers that are used to carry light. The optical fiber elements are typically individually coated with ...

are connected before

laser A laser is a device that emits light through a process of optical amplification based on the stimulated emission of electromagnetic radiation. The word "laser" is an acronym for "light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation". The firs ...

signals are transmitted in order to protect people from

eye Eyes are organs of the visual system. They provide living organisms with vision, the ability to receive and process visual detail, as well as enabling several photo response functions that are independent of vision. Eyes detect light and conv ...

damage. When a device is turned on, it sends out low powered light. If it does not receive light back, it assumes that the fiber is not connected. When it receives light, it assumes that both ends of the fiber are connected and it switches the laser to full power. If one of the devices stops receiving light, it will revert to the low power mode.Introduction to Storage Area Networks. Fourth Edition (July 2006)
IBM Redbook

References

Fiber optics {{Telecomm-stub