What Are Some of the Different Fiber Optic Cable Jacket Ratings

There are several parts that make up a fiber optic cable; starting with the core, to the cladding, followed by the coating, the strength member and lastly the outer jacket. The outer jacket is the cover that gives protection and shielding, especially to the optical fibers. Whether it is meant to be indoor/outdoor, UV rated or armored, the jacket is what keeps the fiber protected and useful. Above all of these, the outer jacket is the first layer of protection to the fiber so it can withstand different conditions such as fire, moisture, chemicals, and stress during installations and maneuvering.

 

The National Electrical Code (NEC) has a classification system for optical fiber cables. The system specifies the requirements regarding how the fiber cables will endure under fire conditions. These requirements concentrate on how these cables can add a dangerous amount of fuel and smoke and transmit fire from one place to another.

 

 

Plenum

 

OFNP - Optical Fiber Non-conductive Plenum - refers to the specific fire code rating of cable that is flame resistant and emits the least toxic fumes or smoke when burned. Plenum rated cables have a higher fire rating and are for both commercial and residential use. They are considered the safest rated cable among jacket types. These cables are primarily used in ducts or pathways for heated and cooled return airflows. These spaces are usually above a ceiling or below a floor that serves as heated or cooled inhabited areas.

 

Plenum cables are purposely built with a jacket that gives off low amounts of smoke and that is flame retardant. Being able to deter the spread of flames and toxic fumes are the main uses for this jacket rating. The word plenum refers to the space in which air is circulated by a HVAC system. Drop ceilings and raised floors are perfect for the application. Plenum cables still use PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) in the construction of the plenum jacket but special additives are put into the jacket material in order to make it more flame retardant. The NEC defines plenum cables by the airspace they are put into. Plenum rated cables are often used in building construction, typically they are used as communication cables for the building’s computer and telephone networks. Use of plenum areas for cable does pose some hazard in the event of a fire. This is because there are fewer barriers to contain smoke and flames.

 

 

 

Riser

 

 

OFNR - Optical Fiber Non-conductive Riser - is constructed of PVC and will emit toxic fumes when burned. Riser cables are to be run only in non-plenum areas. Plenum can usually replace riser but riser cannot replace plenum. Riser rated cables are typically used in the riser areas of buildings and in vertical telecommunications infrastructures. They connect from one floor to another and are used within shafts in accordance with section 800.53(B) of the NEC (National Electrical Code). They typically have load bearing strength members since they need to be upright without placing added stress on the fiber.

 

OFNR cable is resistant to oxidation and degradation but still gives off heavy black smoke and toxic gases when it is burned. Yet it is perfectly fine to use as a patch cord or for single in-wall runs. If you want to use it in a building, the building must feature a contained ventilation system and have good fire exits. Location is extremely important for these types of cables.

 

 

 

LSZH – Low Smoke Zero Halogen

 

 

These types of cables are made with halogen free materials and although they still emit smoke it is a much safer alternative. This type of cable jacket has superior safety characteristics. This rating offers low smoke, low toxicity and low corrosion standards. Tunnels, enclosed rooms, aircraft, and other minimum-ventilation areas are prime spots for the use of LSZH cables because areas like these are more difficult to escape from quickly. There are many different types of LSZH jacketed fiber optic cables provided for many different uses. The primary use for these types of cables is to satisfy the need for safety and environmental protection. Hospitals, schools and airports are good examples of where these cables should be installed. Due to the amount of people and the serious need for the protection of those people and equipment from toxic matter and gases should a fire ever occur. These cables are especially popular outside the United States, specifically for plenum spaces. Although it may seem as if you can replace plenum with LSZH cables, that’s not really the case. The difference is that while there is a lower smoke rating for LSZH, plenum cables have higher fire spread rating.

 

 

 

Cable tray rated

 

 

Tray cables are designed for just that, installation in cable trays. Primarily they are used in industrial control systems, factories, wind turbines and other severe environments. They can be rated for use indoors, outdoors, and in corrosive areas, for hazardous locations or high electrical noise areas. This cable was first introduced in order to combat failures in power and communication applications. There are several different kinds of cables to choose from, these include: Tray Cable (TC), Power Limited Tray Cable (PLTC), Instrumentation Tray Cable (ITC), Exposed Run (ER), and Wind Turbine Tray Cable (WTTC). Effective in direct sunlight as well as underground, these types of cables are extremely versatile in their application. Although cable in tray is viewed as being exposed to a greater risk of mechanical damage and it can be a potential ignition source or fuel load in a fire scenario. Due to this the NEC has a specific requirement in order to ensure the safety and quality of these fiber runs.

 

When choosing a jacket rating it is important to understand the placement and application where the cables will be run. It is pivotal that the cables meet local code requirements for the installations as well. These ratings are designed to prevent hazards and reduce risks to human and environmental health. We put on a jacket to prevent uncertainties from happening to our body, such as a cold or the flu. Fiber optic cable jacketing is very similar in the sense that we apply a certain compound to prevent a dangerous mishap, or if it does happen in the environment of the application.

 

Winter is coming… be sure to put on the appropriate jacket! .

Why Do Scratches Appear After Using the Final Film?

Two of the most frequently asked questions from fiber optic cable assembly operations are:

 

“How do scratches appear?”

“How can we keep scratches to a minimum?”

 

When we receive these questions from a customer, we usually request a visual image of one or more scratches as well as geometry measurements of the connectors. With this information, we try to understand the mechanical parameters applied to the film and connector. This includes various aspects of the entire lapping film operation: the polisher, lapping films, time, pressure, rotation speed, stability, applied fluids, cleaning procedures, and so forth.

 

Why such a thorough investigation? Because scratches might relate to issues in earlier steps in the assembly process. For example, epoxy application, epoxy mixing and/or outgassing, the curing schedule, and encapsulated humidity are common – and surprising – root causes for seeing scratches with a final film. Also, the cleaning operation of the lapping films, connectors, and polishing fixture between polishing steps is often detected as a root cause for scratch generation. In fact, so-called “cross contamination” is common when rough lapping film debris isn’t thoroughly removed when starting with a finer grit abrasive film. (We recommend cost-effective silica carbide abrasive films for excess epoxy removal, followed by a finer grit abrasive film to establish a perfect geometry.)

 

Once we’ve established that the assembly house has a stable lapping film process, we look at the roughness and uniformity of the batch. The visual inspection should show uniform roughness at the typical 0.5-micron or 1-micron level. If the surface roughness isn’t uniform, it likely is caused by one of the example issues mentioned above.

 

Once a uniform batch of connectors or fibers is achieved, as a starting point, we introduce the final film under the same mechanical parameters as the last abrasive film. As the AngstromLap Ultimas Final Polishing Lapping Film deposits its silicon dioxide material on the fiber/ferrule surface, it performs an entirely different chemical reaction than the abrasive films. The silica deposition forms a “coating” over the surface, which offers superior reflection.

 

The four different versions of AngstromLap Ultimas Final Polish Lapping Film (Ultimas-P, Ultimas-U and two Ultimas Flock versions) can address multiple requirements and needs.

 

Here is a very brief overview of the different types of AngstromLap Ultimas Final Polish Lapping Films:

AngstromLap Ultimas-P Final Polish Lapping Film creates a positive fiber height for better physical contact and reflection values.

AngstromLap Ultimas-U Final Polish Lapping Film offers a slight undercut for higher connector matings.

 

AngstromLap Ultimas Flock Final Polish Lapping Film, designed for MTs, eliminates the core-dip on OM3-OM4 fibers and offers superior surface quality.

 

AngstromLap Ultimas Flock Final Polish Lapping Film, designed for large-core fibers (SMA connectors), offers a superior surface quality.

 

Again, when scratches appear after using the final film, this typically relates back to earlier operational steps. It’s important to isolate and correct problematic issues throughout the assembly process. At Fiber Optic Center, we developed the AngstromLap Final Polish Lapping Film and fine-tuned the polishing process for fiber optic connectors.

 

If you have questions about your polishing process, we encourage you to contact us. You can email your question to sales@fiber-mart.com – one of our technical experts will respond as soon as possible. Our goal is to help you make the best fiber optic cable assemblies in the world.

5 FACTS ABOUT YOUR FIBER OPTIC CABLE CONNECTION CLEANLINESS

by www.fiber-mart.com

Maintaining clean fiber optic cable connections is a vital part of any network installation, but proper cleaning is often overlooked. Check out the 5 facts below, and then make sure you think twice before making a connection without ensuring that your connector’s end faces are clean:

 

#1 - IMPROPER CLEANING OF FIBER OPTIC CABLE CONNECTIONS

Improper cleaning of fiber optic cable connections is the number one cause for network failures and contractor call-backs. USCONEC, a leader in providing passive components for high density optical interconnects, indicates that 80% of network owners and 98% of fiber optic cable installers cite contamination as the root cause of network failures. The use of dry cleaning tapes is recommended for single and multi-fiber ferrule connectors. Dry cleaning tape sticks and swabs, used with non volatile optical cleaning fluids, are acceptable for cleaning optical ports. Note that this recommendation does not include expanded beam lens (EBL) connectors or other connectors that may have anti-reflection coatings that require other special cleaning techniques.

 

#2 - YOU CAN'T JUDGE FIBER OPTIC CLEANLINESS WITH THE NAKED EYE

Your fiber optics cable isn’t clean, even if it appears to be with a naked eye. A dust particle, as small as one micrometer, can block up to one percent of the transmitted light through the fiber optics cable connector. A speck of dust as small as nine micrometers is still too small to see without a microscope, but it can completely block the fiber optic cable’s core. Use a fiber optic microscope with a good connector optical stage capable of 200X magnification for multi-mode connectors and 400X for single mode connectors. Digitally record your photos for future reference.

 

#3 - FIBER OPTIC CONTAMINATION WILL (PROBABLY) OCCUR

It’s nearly impossible to prevent contamination of fiber optic cable connections, even with the dust caps that come installed on your fiber optic cords and connectors. Common sources of fiber optic contamination include oils and dust, packaging material, and other work site debris. Wet reagent-grade isopropyl alcohol can be used for more stubborn contaminates on the ferrule surfaces if necessary (see the table below). With Legrand's strict manufacturing processes, fiber optic cable assemblies may be clean right out of the bag, but we still recommend that you always clean and inspect the ferrules before plugging in.

 

#4 - PROPER PHYSICAL CONTACT OF FIBER OPTIC COMPONENTS IS CRITICAL

Fiber optic contamination prevents proper physical contact which can cause scratches and pitting defects that lead to permanent damage of your fiber optic cable. Physical Contact(PC), Ultra Physical Contact (UPC) and Angled Physical Contact (APC) connectors rely on proper physical contact to achieve a low loss, low reflection optical connection. If there is a film or debris that causes an air gap on the ferrule surface, the insertion loss of the connector increases, and so do the reflections.

 

#5 - DUST ATTRACTS DUST

Charged dust particles attract more particles. Because glass fibers are insulators, contaminated connector end faces will also continue to attract and accumulate more and more dust and debris. A clean fiber optic connector will appear pristine under the microscope and there will be no contaminants on the fiber’s surface, or damage to the core.

Fiber Optic Cable are usually used in two scenarios

Fiber Optic Cable are used in applications where the optical signal is too strong and needs to be reduced. For example, in a multi-wavelength fiber optic system, you need to equalize the optical channel strength so that all the channels have similar power levels. This means to reduce stronger channels’ powers to match lower power channels.

The attenuation level is fixed at 5 dB, which means it reduces the optical power by 5dB. This attenuator has a short piece of fiber with metal ion doping that provides the specified attenuation.

There are many different mechanisms to reduce the optical power, this picture shows another mechanism used in one type of variable attenuator. Here variable means the attenuation level can be adjusted, for example, it could be from 1 dB up to 20dB.

Fiber Optic Cable are usually used in two scenarios.

The first case is in fiber optic power level testing. Cable are used to temporarily add a calibrated amount of signal loss in order to test the power level margins in a fiber optic communication system.

In the second case, Cable are permanently installed in a fiber optic communication link to properly match transmitter and receiver optical signal levels.

Optical Cable are typically classified as fixed or variable Cable.

Fixed Cable have a fixed optical power reduction number, such as 1dB, 5dB, 10dB, etc.

Variable Cable’ attenuation level can be adjusted, such as from 0.5 dB to 20dB, or even 50dB. Some variable Cable have very fine resolution, such as 0.1dB, or even 0.01dB.

This slide shows many different optical attenuator designs.

The female to female fixed Cable work like a regular adapter. But instead of minimizing insertion loss, it purposely adds some attenuation.

The female to female variable Cable are adjustable by turning a nut in the middle. The nut adjusts the air gap in the middle to achieve different attenuation levels.

The male to female fixed Cable work as fiber connectors, you can just plug in your existing fiber connector to its female side.

The in-line patch cable type variable Cable work as regular patch cables, but your can adjust its attenuation level by turning the screw.

For precise testing purposes, engineers have also designed instrument type variable Cable. These instrument type Cable have high attenuation ranges, such as from 0.5 dB to 70dB. They also have very fine resolution, such as 0.01dB. This is critical for accurate testing.

How To Buy Bulk Fiber Optic Cable

The structure of Bulk fiber optical cables has many important characteristics. The fiber cable construction needs to provide protection from outside environment during its installation and throught the fiber cable’s working life time.

They must provide mechanical protection for all the fibers inside the cable, at the same time, the cable has to be pretty easy to handle. Most the time, non-netallic strength members are needed to fully take advantage of fiber’s dielectric property.

Bulk fiber optical cables will experience tensile stress, abrasion, cutting, flexing, bending, crushing during the installation and its operation life. These mechanical stresses introduce macrobending, microbending, light signal loss attenuation. Because of manufacturing imperfectness, small surface defects often exist in the optical fibres. So in the real world, fibres tend to break at the cracks that begin from these surface defects under heavy tensile tension.

Bulk Fiber Optic Cable Structural Elements

Fiber optical cables can be divided into several main types. However, the basic elements in a fiber cable are a central strength member, be it metallic or non-metallic, strength members, water barrier, a fiber housing (loose tube), and cable sheaths. Fiber Armored cables also have aluminum or steel armors for rodent protection for direct burial.

A central strength member sits at the center of the cable, made of fiberglass most of the time. This central strength member provides rigidity to the optic cable, preventing the bulk fiber cable from being bent too sharply. It also provides the core ablut which the cable is bulit up.

In additioin to the central strength member, another layer of fiber like strength member is also used. They are made of Aramid yarn, Nylon yard, fiber glass epoxy rod or even steel. Aramid yarn is also called Kevlar, it has a high breaking strain and about fiber times stronger than steel. They provide low weight and all-dielectric construction.

Tyes of Bulk Fiber Optic Cable

Bulk fiber optical cables can be categotized into several magor types. That includes aerial cable, underground cable, subaqueous cables and more.

More information about fiber cabling, please visit Fiber-MART.com. We provide Fiber optic adapter,fiber optic attenuator,fiber optic connector, and CAT5e/Cat6 Network Cables, Cat5e/Cat6 Patch Cables. We supply high quality low cost Cat5e/Cat6 Patch Cables, Cat5e and Cat6 UTP FTP Cable. Our Cat5e/Cat6 FTP UTP Patch Cables are suitable for all your data and networking requirements. We also provide 110 patch cable. Check them out today!

Tags: 110 patch cable, Bulk Fiber Optic Cable, fiber armored cables

The Benefits of Using OM1 When Setting Up Your Network

by www.fiber-mart.com

OM1 Cable with Orange Jacket

 

When using fiber optic cable, the information you are sending from one computer to another can get there faster. This is because you are sending the information throw glass. Glass has no restrictions and can allow what is sent to travel long distances and at higher bandwidths than conventional wire.

 

 

Of course, there are different types of fiber with data rates that differ, as well, not to mention the distance is also different. Some cables only allow for certain distances, while others can go much further. The base way to consider what type of cable you need is to know what type of network you are setting up.

 

In order to help you with picking the right cable, I have written a series of four blogs that will cover each type of fiber optic cable we carry, and give you the benefits, as well limitations of each type, so you can judge which one is best for you. The type of cables we sell include OM1, OM2, OM3, and OM4.

 

In this blog, I will discuss OM1, as this in the first of its kind we sell. As with any type of medium you use, there are variables to consider. These include the fiber transceiver, wavelength, cable type, core size of fiber (micron), and distance.

 

In general multi-mode, fiber optic cable can deliver up to 1 GB/s. This type of cable is good for up to 2 km. You will find its operating wavelength to be about 850nm and 1300nm. If you are using the wiring at distances of 100m, the bandwidth is unlimited.

 

With OM1, the data rate is 1GB at 850nm. It’s core size is 62.5 microns. This is why OM1 fiber optic cable is used when building tight space networks, as it can travel up to 300m.

 

OM1 cable easily supports applications ranging from Ethernet at 10 Mbit/s to 1 Gbit/s. OM1 has been know to support 10 Gigabit Ethernet at a length of 33 meters. Its core size were great to use with LED transmitters.  OM1 is best used to build short-haul networks, local area networks (LANs) and private networks. 

 

OM1 cable can be recognized by  its yellow jacket.

 

If you are interested in purchasing this cable, go to fiber-mart.com and order yours today.

How to Store Fiber Optic Cable

by www.fiber-mart.com

Cutting and splicing fiber optic cable takes a lot of time, interrupts service to downstream customers and, therefore, needs to be avoided. One way to avoid splicing is to include extra fiber cable in places along the lines, in case the company needs to change out a pole or make a road crossing. 

 

ETC Communications (ETC) in Ellijay, GA is a family owned company that has been in business for over 100 years. ETC uses fiber optic cable to provide telephone, cable TV, and high-speed Internet to about 17,000 customers in northern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee. They typically include 25 to 50 feet of spare cable approximately every fifth span. The question is…

 

HOW TO STORE THE EXTRA CABLE?

 

Option 1: Coiling

 

Extra cable can be coiled and attached to the pole. However, coiling can cause light loss. In a fiber optic cable, information is transmitted by light that travels through the glass fibers in the cable. Some light is lost when the cable is bent, especially when it is cold. “It does get cold here about four or five times a year,” says  Van Powell, Construction Manager for ETC,  “and when I say cold, I mean below 10°F. When it got below 18°F, we used to have excessive light loss in our long cable runs with lots of coils.” In addition to possible attenuation, coils stored on utility poles take up space and can be damaged by linemen climbing the pole. 

 

Option 2: “Snowshoes”

 

ETC uses “snowshoe” storage systems to store extra fiber on the line. Snowshoes allow for the slack to be stored out in the span, reducing likelihood of damage while eliminating additional charges for using pole space. ETC’s storage systems have a turning diameter of about 20 inches. Two units are installed at an appropriate distance and the cable is stretched between them. This greatly reduces the number of turns--from hundreds to two and solves the problem of light loss.

 

The Opti-Loop® Storage System Advantage

 

ETC has been using products from a couple of different vendors, and last fall, they gave the Hubbell Power Systems, Inc. (HPS) Opti-Loop®  storage systems a try. Powell explains, “There are probably 15 or 20 different companies that make similar systems and we’ve used different kinds in the past. Last year, Phil Peppers, ProCom Sales, brought us five sets of the Opti-Loop storage systems to try them. We put them up, and we like them.” While fiber optic snowshoes, in general, solve the problem, the Opti-Loop storage systems have an advantage: they are very easy to install. “There is a twisted aluminum support wire on the poles. That is what holds up the fiber optic cable. We bring in a bucket truck and attach each snowshoe to that cable with a bolt and clamp. The fiber optic cable is attached to the snowshoes with zip ties and along the support wire with lashers (little coils). It only takes about 15 minutes to mount the pair of snowshoes. The prices for the Opti-Loop storage system is competitive and they are easy and fast to install,” concludes Powell.

 

Fiber Optic Cable Basics- Cable Construction

by www.fiber-mart.com

Fiber optic cable has the ability to provide any business with safe, fast installations with higher bandwidth frequencies. In order to understand what fiber optic cable can do for your business or home, it's important to understand the basic construction.

 

Fiber optic cables are design is consisted of: core, cladding, coating and jacket.Core- this is the very center of the cable and the light is guided down through by light transmission. The core is a single strand of glass that is measured in microns (µm). The larger the core, the more light the cable can carry.

 

Sizes of the core: 

8μm (8.3 or 9μm) Single Mode

50μm - Mulit-mode

62.5μm - Multi-mode

Cladding- this is a thin layer of glass that surrounds the core and serves to contain the light within the core. The cladding has a different index of refraction than the core so the light waves that are re-directed back into the core allow for continuous light transmission within the fiber.

 

Size of the cladding:

125 µm.

Coating- This surrounds the cladding and acts as a protector for the glass. The coating is normally clear, but for all Outdoor cables the coating is color coded to help identify the individual fibers. This needs to be removed to connect the fiber to the connector or splice.

 

Size of coating:

250µm

Jacket- the cable jacket works along with the fibers to provide strength, signal integrity and overall protection of the fiber. There a variety of jacket materials that are used in the fiber cable construction. Environmental parameters that need to be considered upon installation are: temperature, chemical reaction, sunlight, mechanical and abrasion resistance. 

 

If you would like to learn more about the benefit to fiber optic cable compared to copper cables, click this link to be transferred to another blog post to view more. 

 

Fiber optic cable can be used for many applications such as: telecommunications, high bandwidth data, video signaling, long distance CCTV, communication between fire alarm panels and much more!

When to Use Fiber Optic Cable?

by www.fiber-mart.com

As fiber optic cable has become more affordable and data rates are growing, many project managers and IT professionals are starting to ask, "When should I use fiber optic cable?"

 

What type of project is it?

 

While working on a project its important to decipher whether it's a new or current renovation of a system already in place. If there is already copper in place, it may make the most sense to just update the copper components. But, depending on the length of the cable being run and the users, it could be more beneficial and cost effective to install fiber optic cable instead. Check out this blog post comparing the advantages of fiber optic cable over traditional copper.

 

Although it's important to abide by building code regulations, like the National Electric Code (NEC), its also important to evaluate the space in the which the project is taking place and the people that will be using it. If they'll be using it long-term and updating often, fiber optics might be the proper investment to use. 

 

Who will the users be? What will they be doing?

 

Many large structures like university campuses, hotels and casinos are beginning to use fiber optic cables to support their number of employees and guests, number of devices and the amount of data that is being transferred across the facilities network.

 

With the growing rate of data, cloud services, videos, remote staff, videoconferencing, copper cable systems can only handle so much so quickly. Large facilities are now seeing the growing need for fiber optics to handle the data being transferred.

 

Have you conducted a building survey?

 

Important things to consider when looking to install fiber optic cable are:

 

What will the fiber be used for?

Will it all be inside or does it need to run between buildings?

Is there a lot of foot traffic and potential users?

Is wireless needed?

Do any areas need special attention?

How many connections are needed?

Because fiber can eliminate cross-talk and run greater distances than copper cable, answering these questions when working on a project can allow you to decide if copper or fiber will be needed.

 

What is Needed for the Future?

 

The fiber optic cable bandwidth will always be superior to copper cable systems. No matter how many new devices, data, etc, fiber will always be able to hold the proper connection. Understanding the space will be used in the future can show you what type of cable is needed.

Differences Between Wire and Cable

by www.fiber-mart.com

Although wire and cable are referred to as the same thing, they are different with separate characteristics. Both wire and cable are used in the communication and security world, and are designed to carry a message from one point to another. So what are the differences between the two?

 

Wire:

Wire is a single conductor with one or multiple strands of copper, they are low resistance and cost effective. A wire is the conductor that makes up a component of a cable. They are also measured by their diameter which is commonly referred to as gauge (AWG) size and insulated capacity. They are two types of wires: Solid and Stranded.

 

Solid wire: Single conductor that can be bare or insulated. This offers low resistance and are best used in higher frequency environments due to the design but are less flexible. 

 

Stranded wire: Composed of numerous wires wrapped together to offer a larger conductor. This offers greater flexibility and higher resistance. 

 

Cable:

A cable is a group of two or more insulated wires all wrapped into one jacket. Unlike wire, cable is designed with a "hot" wire carrying the current, neutral wire and a ground wire. They are classified by the number of wires it composed of and their gauge (AWG) sizes. 

 

Twisted pair cable:

A twisted pair cable is designed with two cables that are twisted together. The twisting helps to eliminate noise which is why it is used to carry signals. Twisted pair cable comes both shielded and unshielded. 

 

Coaxial cable: 

A coaxial cable has a single conductor in the center and is surrounded by a braided metal shield. Inside the cable 2 conductors are separated by an insulating dielectric. These cables are harder to install but used for networking devices such as TVs or cameras. 

 

Multi-Conductor cable:

A multi-conductor cable has two or more conductors inside of the jacket, they are insulated from each other, and can come in many variations. They are used to protect signal integrity by reducing noise and cross-talk.

 

Fiber Optic cable:

A fiber optic cable transmit signals through a bundle of glass threads. Fiber optic cable have a greater bandwidth than traditional copper cable so they are used for areas that receive high amounts of data. Click here to learn the different between copper vs fiber optic cable.  

Fiber optic cable work requires overnight closures of road

by www.fiber-mart.com

There will be overnight and early morning closures of Hurricane Ridge Road while crews install a fiber optic cable. The work is scheduled to start Monday and run through June 5.

 

Olympic National Park maintenance crews will work three weeks to install 12 miles of cable from Heart o’the Hills to Hurricane Ridge. The fiber optic cable will improve phone and digital communications from Hurricane Ridge, will improve the park’s two-way radio system and will reduce the park’s yearly utility costs by nearly $19,000, according to a park news release.

 

To accommodate the work, Hurricane Ridge Road will be open daily from 10 a.m. to sunset, and will remain fully open on weekends and Memorial Day, May 26.

 

Crews will work from 5 a.m.-3:30 p.m. daily; drivers should use caution and be alert for flaggers and workers along the road when it is open.

 

The Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center will be open daily throughout the work period, although some services may be limited on weekdays due to reduced electrical power. Full services will be offered weekends and Memorial Day.

 

Currently, phone and minimal data connections to Hurricane Ridge are provided through a microwave system which by today’s standards, is slow, unreliable and has limited capacity, park managers said. The new fiber optic cable will not only provide lower-cost communications, but will also supply reliable phone service to Hurricane Ridge and greatly increase bandwidth, allowing both park and concessioner staff to take advantage of technological advances.

 

For years, park communications, webcam images and weather data have been restricted by the limited capacity of the microwave system, which cost the park approximately $12,000 per year in lease fees. The new cable also will allow relocation of a key component of the park’s two-way radio system from a leased site outside the park to Hurricane Ridge, saving another $6,600 annually..

All That Fiber Optic Cable Under Your Feet Can Hear You Walking

by www.fiber-mart.com

The National Security Agency most likely did not listen to you trudge to work this morning over a series of underground microphones. For all we know, the agency isn’t keeping its ears to the ground, as it were. But it could if it wanted to.

 

It would be the most ambitious use of what’s known as distributed acoustic sensing. Put simply, DAS systems exploit the very same fiber infrastructure that enables our day-to-day communications. But unlike the sensors and cameras baked into our phones and our computers, both tangible manifestations of the specter of surveillance, the largely untapped power (and potential abuse) of DAS is buried deep underground, virtually unseen. To think, a simple hardware add-on to existing fiber lines can have entire swaths of the telecom grid listening around the clock for anything considered physically out of the ordinary.

 

This is actually going on right now, albeit by a handful of private campanies specializing in both civilian and law enforcement applications of DAS technologies on land and at sea. So we should not get ahead of ourselves in presuming that Keith “I Don’t Know A Better Way to Do It” Alexander or any other NSA hacks have their ears to the ground. Indeed, of all that’s come to light from the ongoing NSA scandal, perhaps the most chilling revelation lies in the agency’s ability to eavesdrop on conversations by turning even your powered-down phone into a microphone. A sprawling network of NAS-DAS listening posts, with microphones positioned every ten meters along a fiber stretch, is probably still a pipe dream.

 

But the potential for an entity like the NSA to listen to you trudge to work over a series of underground mics is there. Everything is in place. Using DAS technology, the NSA might add a truly staggering number of listening devices to its global dragnet. The fiber optic cables criss-crossing the Earth, forming the central nervous system of telecommunications as we know them today, from email to texts to phone calls, are not simply the strings through which the NSA can listen to your conversations after flipping your powered-off phone into a microphone. The fiber optic cables criss-crossing the Earth are themselves a giant array of microphones, just laying in wait.

Components of fiber optic cable

by www.fiber-mart.com

The components of fiber optic cables include the core, cladding, strength members, buffer, and jacket. Some types of cable also have a copper conductor that provides power to repeaters, concentrators, and other components.

 

The core of the cable is made of one or more glass or plastic fibers, and it provides the pathway through which the transmitted light can flow. Plastic is more flexible than glass; consequently, plastic is cheaper and easier to manufacture, but it doesn’t work very well over long distances. The diameter of a core will measure from two to several hundred microns. A micron is about 1/25,000 of an inch. For networking considerations you should use core sizes of 60 to 100 microns. Most networking cables have two core fibers, which allow the cables to transmit in both directions at once.

 

The core and cladding are manufactured as a single unit. The cladding is usually made from plastic, and it provides a refractive surface. Light that strikes this surface is reflected back into the core and continues its journey. The cladding has a lower refraction index, which means that it reflects light instead of absorbing light.

 

The buffer consists of one or more layers of plastic. It surrounds the cladding and core. The buffer strengthens the cable and prevents damage to the core.

 

The strength members are strands of very tough material, such as fiberglass, steel, or Kevlar. They provide extra strength for the cable.

 

The jacket (which can be either plenum or nonplenum) is the outer covering or shield of the cable.

 

Fiber-optic cable comes in two forms: single-mode and multi-mode. Single-mode cable is so narrow that light can travel through it only in a single path. This type of cable is extremely expensive and very difficult to work with. Multi-mode cable has a wider core diameter, which gives light beams the freedom to travel several paths. Unfortunately, this multi-path configuration allows for the possibility of signal distortion at the receiving end.

Fiber Optic Cables Are The First Option For Data Transmission

by www.fiber-mart.com

Fiber Optical Cable has brought a revolution to the data transmission system. As the earlier Electrical Wire System was difficult to manage and was sometimes also hazardous to life. With the emergence of Fiber Optical Cable, data transmission is no more an irksome job. It is now simplified, providing much more convenient than ever imagined.

 

Following Are The Reasons For Choosing Optical Cables For Network Cabling:

 

Safe To Use: Fiber Cable is far better than copper cable from the safety point of view. Copper and Aluminum Wire are good conductors of electricity and carry electric current. But when their outer insulated coating gets damaged, one can experience electric shock that can be dangerous to life. In this regard, Fiber Cables are safer to use because they do not transmit current but rather light waves.

 

Withstand Rough Conditions: Fiber Cable is capable of resisting tough conditions that co-axial or any other such cable cannot do. The reason is that other cables are usually made up of one or the other metal and are prone to corrosion, while Fiber Cable is covered with protective plastic coating with glass inside and transmits light impulses in spite of electric current, which make it resistant towards corrosion.

 

Long Distance Data Transmission: There cannot be any comparison in terms of data carrying capacity of Fiber Optical Cable and Copper Cable. Fiber Cable can transmit signals 50 times longer than Copper Cable.

 

Moreover, signal loss rate of Fiber Optical Wire is also very less, and thus does not need any kind of reminder in transmitting the signals at same pace. Fiber Cable has higher bandwidth that is amount of data communication resources available or consumed – this is the reason how Fiber Cable can transmit data at longer distances.

 

Duplex OM3 10G 50/125 Multimode Fiber Optic Patch Cable

 

Easy Installation: Ethernet Cable is long and thin with intact cables inside. It is also light in weight which makes its installation at almost every place easier as compared to other wires.

 

No Electrical Interference: Fiber Optical Cable neither carries electric current nor need earthing. Therefore, it does not get affected by the electrical interferences. Fiber Cable is immune to moisture and lighting, which makes it ideal to be fitted inside the soil or an area where there is high Electromagnetic Interference (EMI).

 

Durable and Long Lasting: Fiber Optical Cable is durable and lasts longer than any other cable such as Co-Axial Cable, Copper Cable, etc. It is perfect for network cabling.

 

Data Security: Extra security can be provided with Fiber Optical Cable as it can be tapped easily and data transmitted through it remains secure, while in case of the Copper Cable there is no surety of data security and any loss of data cannot be obtained back.

 

There are various types of optical fiber cables available on the market, including 250um Bare Fiber, 900um Tight Buffer Fiber, Large Core Glass Fiber, Simplex Fiber Cable, Duplex Fiber Optic Cable, OM4 OM3 10G Fiber Cable, Indoor Distribution Cable, Indoor & Outdoor Cable, Outdoor Loose Tube Cable, Fiber Breakout Cable, Ribbon Fiber Cable, LSZH Fiber Optic Cable, Armored Fiber Optic Cable, FTTH Fiber Optic Cable, Figure 8 Aerial Cable, Plastic Optical Fiber, PM fiber & Special Fiber, etc. They are used for different applications, one must do a thorough research before buying fiber cables for network cabling.

Fiber Optic Cable are usually used in two scenarios

by www.fiber-mart.com

Fiber Optic Cable are used in applications where the optical signal is too strong and needs to be reduced. For example, in a multi-wavelength fiber optic system, you need to equalize the optical channel strength so that all the channels have similar power levels. This means to reduce stronger channels’ powers to match lower power channels.

 

The attenuation level is fixed at 5 dB, which means it reduces the optical power by 5dB. This attenuator has a short piece of fiber with metal ion doping that provides the specified attenuation.

 

There are many different mechanisms to reduce the optical power, this picture shows another mechanism used in one type of variable attenuator. Here variable means the attenuation level can be adjusted, for example, it could be from 1 dB up to 20dB.

 

Fiber Optic Cable are usually used in two scenarios.

 

The first case is in fiber optic power level testing. Cable are used to temporarily add a calibrated amount of signal loss in order to test the power level margins in a fiber optic communication system.

 

In the second case, Cable are permanently installed in a fiber optic communication link to properly match transmitter and receiver optical signal levels.

 

Optical Cable are typically classified as fixed or variable Cable.

 

Fixed Cable have a fixed optical power reduction number, such as 1dB, 5dB, 10dB, etc.

 

Variable Cable’ attenuation level can be adjusted, such as from 0.5 dB to 20dB, or even 50dB. Some variable Cable have very fine resolution, such as 0.1dB, or even 0.01dB.

 

This slide shows many different optical attenuator designs.

 

The female to female fixed Cable work like a regular adapter. But instead of minimizing insertion loss, it purposely adds some attenuation.

 

The female to female variable Cable are adjustable by turning a nut in the middle. The nut adjusts the air gap in the middle to achieve different attenuation levels.

 

The male to female fixed Cable work as fiber connectors, you can just plug in your existing fiber connector to its female side.

 

The in-line patch cable type variable Cable work as regular patch cables, but your can adjust its attenuation level by turning the screw.

 

For precise testing purposes, engineers have also designed instrument type variable Cable. These instrument type Cable have high attenuation ranges, such as from 0.5 dB to 70dB. They also have very fine resolution, such as 0.01dB. This is critical for accurate testing.