Fiber Optic Cable Buying Guide

What is a fiber optic cable and how does it work?

Fiber optic cables send digital data at the speed of light ... because they work by transmitting light through flexible, optically pure glass or plastic fibers .

Each fiber optic thread is about the width of a human hair. The fibers are arranged in bundles called optical cables - light is transmitted through this core. An outer optical material called plating surrounds the core and reflects light into the core.

Because fiber cables can transmit over long distances, they are ideal for networking, telecommunications, and storage applications in cable cabinets, distribution frames, gateways, central offices, and data centers.

What are the different types of fiber optic cables?

There are two basic types of optical cable used for data and communications, singlemode and multimode. The differences in principle are the size of the core and the distance signals can be transported. The fiber cable is measured by the core and the diameter of its plating in micrometers (µm).

The multimode fiber has a relatively wide core size of either 62.5 μm or 50 μm. It normally transmits infrared light from light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Generally, multimode cable is used for short or medium distance communication, such as inside a building or on a small campus. Typical multimode fiber ties are suitable for distances under 2000 meters.

Multimode fibers are identified by the name OM (optical module) given in the ISO / IEC 11801 standard: Dark Fiber

OM1

Fiber with launch bandwidth (OFL), 200/500 MHz-km, with a bandwidth at 850 / 1300nm (usually 62.5 / 125 µm fiber)

OM2

Fiber with OFL bandwidth of 500/500 MHz-km at 850 / 1300nm (usually 50/125 µm fiber)

OM3

50 um laser optimized fiber with an efficient bandwidth of 2000 MHz-km (EMB, also known as laser bandwidth), designed for 10 Gbps transmission

OM4

50 um laser optimized fiber with an EMB bandwidth of 4700 MHz-km designed for 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps transmission

OM5

50 µm fiber optimized with OM5 laser with 4700 MHz-km EMB designed for 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps and 100 Gbps. Designed to support shortwave division multiplexing (SWDM) technology.

Singlemode fiber has a narrower core size of 8.3 µm. It transmits infrared light from lasers and provides twice the bandwidth rate of the multimode cable and can provide a distance of 50 times the multimode. On the flip side, it costs more than the multimode cable. The singlemode duplex cable is commonly used in long-term network connections.

How far can a fiber optic cable carry a signal?

The distance limit depends on the cable style, the wavelength and the network itself. The usual ranges are about 984 ft for the 10 Gbps multimode cable and up to almost 25 miles for the singlemode cable. If a longer duration is required, optical amplifiers or repeaters are used to ensure signal integrity over the entire distance.

the fiber optic cable is a network cable that contains strands of fiberglass inside an insulated housing. They are designed for high performance data networks and telecommunications.

Compared to wired cables, fiber optic cables provide higher bandwidth and can transmit data over longer distances. Fiber optic cables support much of the world's Internet, cable television, and telephone systems.