The SX-2FX-x is 2-ch fiber protection switch is a continuing expansion of Meridian’s fiber transport products to provide improved fiber network security. This A/B protection switch card provides automatic or manual switching between two active fibers. When a loss of optical signal is detected, it will automatically switch to the alternate path in less than 10msec. In addition, the user can override the switch to manually select one of the fiber paths. The switch is typically used at the receiving or head-end side to automatically switch the transmission path to the redundant fiber in the event a main fiber break. Upon detecting a signal loss, the switch will automatically switch to a known good fiber. The switching threshold can be set by the user to maximize the optical power budget available in the network. This switch has a number of front panel indicators to indicate the status each of the input fibers as well as the switch position. This switch is latching so it will retain its state during a loss of electrical power. An internal microcontroller ensures that the switch does not switch to the opposite state on a power-up. This switch can also be used with bi-directional information such as camera PTZ control and video conferencing systems.