Fiber optic cable

Fiber optic is a type of transmission media which is used to transfer data

/information from one point to anthor point
A fiber optic cable defined in IEEE 802.8 is cable that contains optical fibers
(usually glass) coated in plastic that are used to send data by pulses of light.
The coating helps protect the fibers from heat, cold, electromagnetic
interference from other types of wiring, as well as some protection from
ultraviolet rays from the sun. Fiber optics allow for a much faster data
transmission than standard copper wires, because they have a much higher
bandwidth. They are common amongst corporate networks or world-wide
networks, such as Internet backbones, because of the capabilities of the cable.

Fiber optics are also commonly used in telecommunication services such as

internet, television and telephones. As an example, companies such as Verizon
and Google use fiber optics in their Verizon FIOS and Google Fiber services,
providing gigabit internet speeds to users.
All fiber optic cable types are comprised of a core that transmits light, generally either glass or
plastic, a cladding which reflects that light to prevent loss, and surrounded by sheathing meant
to protect the core and cladding from damage. The thickness of these layers can vary,
depending on where the cable will be placed and what kind of performance is needed.
 Advantages of fiber optic

1. Greater Bandwidth
Copper cables were originally designed for voice transmission and have a limited bandwidth.
Fiber optic cables provide more bandwidth
2. Faster Speeds
Fiber optic cables have a core that carries light to transmit data. This allows fiber optic cables to
carry signals at speeds that are only about 31 percent slower than the speed of light—faster than
Cat5 or Cat6 copper cables. There is also less signal degradation with fiber cables .
3. Longer Distances
Fiber optic cables can carry signals much farther than the typical 328-foot limitation for copper
cables. For example, some 10 Gbps singlemode fiber cables can carry signals almost 25
miles/40km. The actual distance depends on the type of cable, the wavelength and the network.
Optical fiber is rising in both telecommunication and data communication due to its unsurpassed
advantages: faster speed with less attenuation, less impervious to electromagnetic interference
(EMI), smaller size and greater information carrying capacity.
 Disadvantages of fiber optic
• Installation Challenges
• Splicing fiber optic cabling is not easy and if they are bent or manipulated in shape too much they will
break. They are highly susceptible to being cut or damaged during installation or through construction
activity.
• Fragility
• Fiber optic cable is made of glass, which is more fragile than electrical wires such as copper cabling.
Not only that, but glass can be damaged by chemicals such as hydrogen gas that can affect
transmission. Particular care has to be taken with laying undersea fiber cabling because of its fragility .
• Attenuation and Dispersion
• With long distance transmission, light will attenuate and disperse, which means additional components
such as EDFA (Erbium-doped fiber amplifier – an optical repeater device that is used to boost the
intensity of optical signals being carried through a fiber optic communications system) are required.
• Cost
• Cost to produce fiber cabling is higher than that of copper
Speed of light in fiber optic cable 299792 KM/s

The standard line is that fiber optic networks transfer data at the speed of
light. But in reality, light travels about 31 percent slower through fiber
optical cables than it does through a vacuum. But that's changing.
Researchers at University of Southampton in England have found a way to
build cables that work at 99.7 percent of the speed of light in a vacuum.
 Types of fiber optic cable
. SMF (single mode fiber)
. MMF (multi mode fiber)

SMF - Single mode fiber has a smaller core diameter 9 microns (8.3 microns to be exact) and only
allows a single wavelength and pathway for light to travel, which greatly decreases light
reflections and lowers attenuation.
MMF - Multimode fiber allows a large number of modes for the light ray traveling
through it. The core diameter is generally (40um) and that of cladding is (70um). The
relative refractive index difference is also greater than single mode fiber. It is not suitable
for long-distance communication due to large dispersion and attenuation of the signal.
• On the basis of refractive index its two types
I. Step index optical fiber
II. Graded index optical fiber
Step index MMF -
STEP-INDEX MULTIMODE FIBER has a large core, up to 100 microns in diameter. As a
result, some of the light rays that make up the digital pulse may travel a direct route,
whereas others zigzag as they bounce off the cladding
Graded index MMF –
Graded index multimode cables have a core arranged in concentric circles, like the cross
section of a tree. As light enters, it is transmitted through the rings with the outer rings
travelling faster than transmissions in the central core. This type of cable can handle
many wavelengths of light at once, making it perfect for clear communication and data
transfer requiring up to 100Gb transfer rate, as you would find at a large data center.
Submarine cables
 TYPES OF MMF
OM1 vs OM2 vs OM3 vs OM4 vs OM5
• Multimode fibers are able to transmit different distance ranges at various data rate

MMF Category Fast Ethernet 1GbE 10GbE 40GbE 100GbE

OM1 2000m 275m 33m / /

OM2 2000m 550m 82m / /

OM3 2000m / 300m 100m 70m

OM4 2000m / 550m 150m 150m

OM5 / / 550m 150m 150m

• Physical difference mainly lies in diameter, jacket color, optical source and bandwidth
MMF Cable Type Diameter Jacket Color Optical Source Bandwidth

OM1 62.5/125µm Orange LED 200MHz*km

OM2 50/125µm Orange LED 500MHz*km

OM3 50/125µm Aqua VSCEL 2000MHz*km

OM4 50/125µm Aqua VSCEL 4700MHz*km

OM5 50/125µm Lime Green VSCEL 28000MHz*km

• OM1 FIBER - OM1 fiber typically comes with an orange jacket and have a core size of 62.5 µm.
It can support 10 Gigabit Ethernet at lengths of up to 33 meters. It is most commonly used for
100 Megabit Ethernet applications. This type commonly uses a LED light source.

Color – Orange
Core Size – 62.5um
Data Rate – 1GB @ 850nm
Distance – Up to 300 meters
Applications – Short-Haul Networks, Local Area Networks (LANs) & Private Networks
62.5/125 Multimode Duplex Fiber Cable
• OM2 FIBER - OM2 fiber also comes with an orange jacket and uses a LED light source
but with a smaller core size of 50 µm. It supports up to 10 Gigabit Ethernet at lengths
up to 82 meters but is more commonly used for 1 Gigabit Ethernet applications.

Color – Orange
Core Size – 50um
Data Rate – 1GB @ 850nm
Distance – Up to 600 meters
Generally used for shorter distances • 2x Distance Capacity of OM1
Applications – Short-Haul Networks, Local Area Networks (LANs) & Private Networks
OM2 Fiber Optic Multimode Cable
• OM3 FIBER - OM3 fiber comes with an aqua color jacket. Like the OM2, its core size is
50 µm, but the cable is optimized for laser based equipment. OM3 supports 10 Gigabit
Ethernet at lengths up to 300 meters. Besides, OM3 is able to support 40 Gigabit and
100 Gigabit Ethernet up to 100 meters, however, 10 Gigabit Ethernet is most commonly
used.

• Color – Aqua
• Core Size – 50um
• Date Rate – 10GB @ 850nm
• Distance – Up to 300 meters
• Uses fewer modes of light, enabling increased speeds
• Able to run 40GB or 100GB up to 100 meters utilizing a MPO connector
• Applications – Larger Private Networks
• 10 Gigabit Laser Optimized Aqua OM3 Fiber Optic Cables
• OM4 FIBER - OM4 fiber is completely backwards compatible with OM3 fiber and
shares the same distinctive aqua jacket. OM4 was developed specifically for VSCEL laser
transmission and allows 10 Gig/s link distances of up to 550m compared to 300M with
OM3. And it’s able to run 40/100GB up to 150 meters utilizing a MPO connector.
• Color – Aqua
• Core Size – 50um
• Data Rate – 10GB @ 850nm
• Distance – Up to 550 meters
• Able to run 100GB up to 150 meters utilizing a MPO connector
• Applications – High-Speed Networks – Data Centers, Financial Centers & Corporate Campuses
• OM4 50µ - Multimode 10Giga/550m optimized Cables
• OM5 FIBER - OM5 fiber, also known as WBMMF (wideband multimode fiber), is the
newest type of multimode fiber, and it is backwards compatible with OM4. It has the
same core size as OM2, OM3, and OM4. The color of OM5 fiber jacket was chosen as
lime green. It is designed and specified to support at least four WDM channels at a
minimum speed of 28Gbps per channel through the 850-953 nm window. More details
can be found at: Three Critical Focuses on OM5 Fiber Optic Cable
OM5 may be a potential new option for data centers that require greater link distances
and higher speeds.
 Single mode fiber types

• OS 1 (optical SMF)
• OS 2 (optical SMF)

• OS 1 - Is an old fiber specification that was introduced back in 2002, which mechanical,
environmental and optical features comply with ITU-T G.652A or ITU-T G.652B
standards. It is a tight buffered cable, suitable for indoor applications, such as data
centers or enterprises campuses.
• It has an attenuation of 1 dB per kilometer and a top transmission distance of 2 km at
10 Gigabit Ethernet. It works between 1310 nm and 1550 nm.
• OS 2 - It was introduced back in 2006 under the ITU-T G.652C and ITU-T G.652D specifications.
It is manufactured with a chemical process that reduces the presence of hydroxyl ions in order
to decrease loss at the water peak region.
 It is a loose tube fiber recommended to be used in outdoor applications, even in underground
conditions. OS2 fiber has an attenuation of 0.4 dB between 1310 nm and 1550 nm, (Outdoor
Use) high fiber count, long distance telco backbone and backhaul lines, direct bury applications
along streets and railroads. OS2 can support speeds up to 100G and distances up to 200km (124
miles).
Name OS1 OS2

Standards ITU-T G.652A/B/C/D ITU-T G.652C/D

Construction Tight buffered Loose tube

Application Indoor Outdoor

Attenuation 1.0db/km 0.4db/km

Distance 2 km 200KM

Price Low High

Fiber patch cord connectors
• SC connector – The SC connector was developed in Japan by NTT (the Japanese
telecommunications company), and is believed to stand for ‘Subscriber Connector’ or
‘Standard Connector’.
• SC connectors use a round 2.5mm ferrule and come with a locking tab that enables
push on / pull off mating mechanism to offer quick insertion and removal. The SC
connector can be utilised with single-mode and multi-mode fibre optic cables.
• The connector body of an SC connector is square shaped. Two SC connectors are
commonly bound together with a plastic clip, creating a duplex connection.
LC connector -Developed by Lucent Technologies, the LC connector otherwise known as a
‘Lucent Connector’ measures about half the size of an SC connector.
• Available in simplex or duplex versions, LC connectors can be used with both single-mode and
multi-mode cables.
• The LC connector uses a 1.25mm ferrule with a retaining tab mechanism.

ST connector - connectors were one of the first connector types widely implemented in fibre
optic networking applications. Originally developed by AT&T, ST stands for ‘Straight Tip’
connector.
• The ST connector utilises a 2.5mm ferrule with a round plastic or metal body. The connector
stays in place with the help of a “twist-on/twist-off” bayonet-style lock mechanism.
• FC connector - FC is an acronym for ‘ferrule connector” or ‘fibre channel’.
• The connectors have a threaded body and a position locatable notch to achieve exact locating
of the SMF in relation to the receiver and the optical source. Once the connector is installed,
its position is maintained with total precision.
• The FC is designed for durable connections, and can be used in high-vibration environments.
MTP/MPO connector - MPO is a fiber connector type while MTP is a registered trademark of an MPO
connector manufactured by US Conec. All MTPs are MPOs but not all MPOs are MTPs.
• MPO stands for Multi-Fiber Push On. This connector is commonly used to terminate multi-fiber ribbon
connections in indoor environments.  It conforms to IEC-61754-7; EIA/TIA-604-5 (FOCIS 5) standards.
MTP is a brand name for an MPO connector manufactured by US Conec. It conforms to MPO specs. MTP stands for
“Multi-fiber Termination Push-on” connector. MTP connectors are engineered for high mechanical and optical specs
MPO or MTP terminated cables are widely used in high density cabling environments like data centers. Traditional,
tight-buffered multi-fibre cable needs to have each fiber individually terminated by a skilled technician. MPO cable
which carries multiple fibers, comes pre-terminated. Factory terminated MPO / MTP connectors  commonly have
either 12 fiber or 24 fiber array.
The MPO connector can be either male or female. You can tell the male connector
MTP/MPO cables accommodating more fibers in one multi-fiber MTP/MPO connector came into the market,
which prove to be practical solutions for 40G/100G/400G high-density cabling in data centers.

TYPES OF MTP/MPO CABLE –

MTP/MPO cables are classified into three types: trunk cable, harness cable and conversion cable.
Trunk cable - MTP/MPO trunk cable is a cable with two MPO or MTP connectors at both ends, with nothing
different from ordinary patch cables seen from outside. However, the truth is that the cable usually
accommodates 12, 24, 48 and even 72 fibers, and the ends are terminated with 12-fiber or 24-fiber MTP/MPO
connectors according to customer’s choice. FS MTP/MPO trunk cables are designed for high density application
which offers excellent benefits in terms on site installation time and space saving. They are available in multiple
lengths and in single mode, multimode OM1, OM2, OM3 or OM4 with LSZH or PVC Jackets. With BIF, FS MTP and
 MPO  cables are designed for improved bend performance in reduced-radius applications such as residential or
office environments which have less bend sensitivity.
MTP cascatette
MPO Breakout cable –

The MPO to LC breakout cable is also an economical solution for a smaller network environment
in which you don’t need complicated equipment, because the MPO cable allows redistribution
of various fibers into one round cable for short distance transmission, it offers 8, 12, 24 and up
to 144 fibers for these applications.
• OM3 & OM4 types MPO-LC breakout cable are very popular in markets. You might see both
aqua and magenta colors are used for OM4 cable, it’s just choice by different markets.
MPO/MTP breakout cable offers up to 144 fibers, but most common versions are 8, 12 and
24. 8F is usually with 4 LC duplex connectors, because they connect with SFP transceivers,
which normally have small LC duplex ports. Each pair of fibers for TX & RX of 10G. 
MTP conversion cable –
MTP/MPO conversion cables have the same fanout design as MTP/MPO breakout cables but are
different in fiber counts and types. They are terminated with MTP/MPO connectors on both
ends. Specifically, commonly-used ones are 24-fiber to 2×12-fiber, 24-fiber to 3×8-fiber, 2×12-
fiber to 3×8-fiber MTP/MPO conversion cables. They are especially ideal for 10G-40G, 40G-
40G, 40G-100G, 40G-120G connections.
LC connector vs SC connector –
• Size: LC is half the size of SC. Actually, one SC-adapter is exactly the same size as a duplex LC-adapter. Therefore
LC is more and more common in central offices where packing density (number of connections per area) is an
important cost factor
• Handling: SC is a true “push-pull-connector” and LC is a “latched connector”, although there are very innovative,
real “push-pull-LCs” available which have the same handling capabilities like SC.
• The History of Connector: The LC is the “younger” connector of the two, SC is wider spread around the world
but LC is catching up. Both connectors have the same insertion loss and return loss capabilities. Generally, it
depends where in the network you want to use the connector, no matter SC or LC, even the other
different kinds of connect
Simplex/duplex LC VS SC fiber –
Single mode and multimode simplex optic patch cords can be used for applications that only require one-way data
transfer. They are usually used to accomplish connectivity between two BiDi transceivers, which is usually
designed with LC simplex single mode fiber to fit the optical interface of the BiDi SFP/ SFP+ optics and operating
wavelength. In addition, simplex BiDi WDM Mux/DeMux is designed for use in single strand fiber transmission.
So it also needs the simplex fiber cable to combine and separate wavelengths. In addition to these equipments,
there are so many other components associated with simplex fiber solution, such as simplex PLC (Planar
Lightwave Circuit) splitters, OADM (Optical Add Drop Multiplexer) and other simplex fiber products. As for duplex
fiber optic cables, they are usually used in standard optical transceivers, such as SFP, 10G SFP+, 40G QSFP+ and
100G QSFP 28 (only LC duplex fiber cables can be used for long distance, such as 40G-LR4 and 100G-LR4). When
the distance between two device is too long, duplex fiber is also used for interconnector or cross connector
between fiber optic transceivers and MPO/MTP cassettes.
Fiber polish type –
• APC vs UPC vs FLAT vs PC
the main difference between UPC and APC connector is the fiber end face. UPC connectors are polished with no
angle, but APC connectors feature a fiber end face that is polished at an 8-degree angle. With UPC connectors,
any reflected light is reflected straight back towards the light source. However, the angled end face of the APC
connector causes reflected light to reflect at an angle into the cladding versus straight back toward the source.
This causes some differences in return loss. Therefore, UPC connector is usually required to have at least -50dB
return loss or higher, while APC connector return loss should be -60dB or higher. In general, the higher the return
loss the better the performance of the mating of two connectors. Besides the fiber end face, another more
obvious difference is the color. Generally, UPC connectors are blue while APC connectors are green.
Multimode fiber UPC connector are GREY
• Fiber Optic Cable Jacket Material
• Fiber cable jacket is made of various types of materials. It’s important to consider the jacket type
when selecting the compatibility with the application’s connectors and environment. The table
below contains some of the most common fiber cable jacket material types used both indoor and
outdoor cables:
Jacket Material Benefit of Jacket Material
PE (Polyethylene) PE has excellent properties of moisture and weather resistance, and has the
good electrical properties over a wide temperature range. It's also abrasion resistant. So PE is the
standard jacket material for outdoor fiber optic cables.
PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride ) PVC is usually low-cost, flexible, fairly rugged, and a flame/oil-resistant
material, so it can be formulated to function in a variety of environments and applications. In
other words, it can be used as the jacket materials for both indoor and outdoor cables.
PVDF (Polyvinyl Difluoride) PVDF is used for plenum cables, because it has better fire-retardant
properties than PE and produces little smoke.
LSZH (Low Smoke Zero Halogen) LSZH jacket is free of halogenated materials which can be
transformed into toxic and corrosive matte during combustion. LSZH materials are used to make a
special cable called LSZH cable, which is a good choice for inner installations. But it is the most
expensive jacket material.
• Fiber Optic Cable Fire Rating
• Typically, there are eight levels of fire resistance for both non-conductive and conductive cables specified by
NEC (National Electrical Code). All indoor fiber optic cables must be marked and installed properly for its
intended use: plenums, risers and general purpose areas.
• Note:
• (1) A Plenum area is a building space used for air flow or air distribution system (drop ceiling and raised floors).
• (2) A Riser area is a floor opening, shaft or duct that runs vertically through one or more floors.
• (3) A general purpose area is all other area that is not plenum or riser and on the same floor.

• OFNP vs. OFNR

• As mentioned above, OFNP and OFNR are two types of fiber optic cables that are used in buildings. OFNP cables
have fire-resistance and low smoke production characteristics. This is the highest fire rating fiber cable and no
other cable types can be used as substitutes. So these cables are mostly installed in plenum areas. Whereas, the
fiber-resistance and low smoke of OFNR cables are not good as OFNP. OFNP plenum cables can be used as
substitutes for OFNR cables. Through OFNR vs. OFNP, it is worth noticing that OFNR fiber optic cable cannot be
used in plenum areas to replace OFNP cables, however, the latter can be used in the riser areas. Both OFNP and
OFNR can be used in general purpose areas.
OPNP - Optical Fiber Non-conductive Plenum Cable
OFNR - Optical Fiber Non-conductive Rise Cable
THANK YOU