From data and voice to security and video conferencing, many of today’s IT infrastructure services rely on fiber optics to transmit information faster, farther, and in greater amounts than ever before. So fiber optics are more and more popularity in our internet. This post will try to answer some of the basic questions about fiber optic cable.
What Is Fiber Optic Cable?
A fiber optic cable is a network cable that contains strands of glass fibers inside an insulated casing. These cables are designed for long distance and very high bandwidth (gigabit speed) network communications.
Single Mode vs. Multimode Fiber Optic Cable
Single mode fiber gives you a higher transmission rate and up to 50 times more distance than multimode, but it also costs more. Single-mode fiber has a much smaller core than multimode fiber-typically 5 to 10 microns. Only a single lightwave can be transmitted at a given time. The small core and single lightwave virtually eliminate any distortion that could result from overlapping light pulses, providing the least signal attenuation and the highest transmission speeds of any fiber cable type.
Multimode fiber gives you high bandwidth at high speeds over long distances. Lightwave is dispersed into numerous paths, or modes, as they travel through the cable’s core. Typical multimode fiber core diameters are 50, 62.5, and 100 micrometers. However, in long cable runs (greater than 3000 feet (914.4 ml), multiple paths of light can cause signal distortion at the receiving end, resulting in an unclear and incomplete data transmission. For example, you can try to compare the single mode duplex fiber vs multimode duplex fiber optic cable, and well know they are different.
The Relationship between Fiber Optic Cable and Fiber Patch Cord
A fiber patch cord is a fiber optic cable capped at either end with connectors that allow it to be rapidly and conveniently connected to CATV, an optical switch or other telecommunication equipment. Its thick layer of protection is used to connect the optical transmitter, receiver, and the terminal box. This is known as “interconnect-style cabling”.
What Types of Connectors Should be Used for Fiber Optic Cable?
There are a number of connector styles on the market including LC, FC, MT-RJ, ST, and SC. There are also MT/MTP style connectors that will accommodate up to 12 strands of fiber and take up far less space than other connectors. This connector is intended for use with indoor loose tube no-gel cable constructions. However, the most popular connectors are SC, which pushes in then click when seated, and ST, also known as bayonet style, that is pushed in and twisted to lock. That should be a consideration when making product selections.
What kind of jacket rating and type do you require?
Fiber cable jackets come in many styles. As an example, fiber can be Indoor only, Outdoor only, Indoor/Outdoor, Tactical and it can also have Plenum or Riser ratings.
Jacket color is relatively standardized.
a) Multimode = Orange
b) 50/125um 10G = Aqua
c) Single Mode = Yellow
d) Indoor/Outdoor or Outdoor = Black
e) Custom jacket colors are also available for indoor fiber cables
Conclusion
Whether you are working in a residential or commercial environment. FiberStore offers a wide variety of fiber cables, and other fiber optic cables related products, such as fiber patch cable, fiber optic connector, fiber transceiver. No matter how complex or simple your installation needs are, we have the expertise to provide you with the right products and information for both your fiber optic cable, custom fiber optic assembly and fiber optic connector needs. If you wanna customize your fiber optic products, pls give us a call, our Tel is +86 (755) 8300 3611 or sent your detail requirement email to sales@fs.com. Thank you!