Fiber Optic Cable

Fiber Optic Cable Types

Fiber optic cable is able to function as a data transfer medium through the transmission of light because the hollow, round glass (or sometimes plastic) wires reflect the light back to the core of the wire, causing the cable to act as a waveguide. In the period since fiber cable was invented there have been several different types of fiber cable created, each differentiated by the wavelength frequency of the light signal transmitted down the cable.

1. Plastic Fiber (POF)

   Plastic Fiber uses visible light as the signal-carrying medium. Because of the long wavelengths and the relatively huge size of the fiber, the light bounces around while passing down the fiber (called "dispersion"). The effect is that the signal can only go a few meters.Usually under 10m but increasing with R & D. On the other hand, plastic fiber is amazingly easy to connectorize.

   It is also limited to low bandwidth of a few megahertz. It is most often used for high-end consumer interconnection of devices and is especially popular carrying digital audio.

   At Tevelec we are known as providers of higher quality cables at aggressive prices and have become choice suppliers to the audiophile industry. Server and high end PC-to-Peripheral Data Links and in industries where EMI is an issue. Relatively low cost and higher flexibility.

2. Multimode Fiber (MMF)

   Multimode fiber uses much shorter wavelengths than the plastic fiber. The bandwidth is specified for a maximum of 1 km (1 kilometer or approximately 3280 ft.) Shorter runs would have less dispersion and therefore be higher bandwidths. Longer runs would have greater dispersion and therefore have less bandwidth. Typically orange jacketed. Moderate cost due to LED based equipment

   Our Tevelec customers use this cable mostly for interconnecting networks between buildings and floors. Broadcast cable companies are using multimode fiber optic cables for wiring CATV, HDTV, internet, video on-demand and other high demanding medium distance applications to name a few.

3. Single Mode Fiber (SMF)

   SMF is an optical fiber which is laser optimized designed to carry only a single ray of light (mode) parallel to the length of the fiber.It also has two windows, but they are at different wavelengths, 1300 nm and 1550 nm. Single mode has bandwidth well into the GHz with most common equipment. Experiments have been done with 5000km long samples where they successfully passed 100 GHz of data.

   Tevelec provides this cable predominately to our Telco customers where distance of transmission is an issue.Expensive costs due to solid state laser transmission equipment.

So Which Fiber Optic Cable Do I Use?

Most professional audio and video equipment still has copper connections. When this changes, and when you have fiber optic connections on the back of equipment, that is the most likely time you will start using fiber.

The other time you will use fiber is when the bandwidth required, or the distance required, cannot be satisfied by a copper cable. For instance, the farthest one can go on a copper coax running HDTV (750 MHz/1.5 GHz) is somewhere around 275m or 900ft. If you want to go over 300m or 1000ft, fiber might be your next best option.

However, at each end of the fiber you will need to convert from electrical to optical and back again. This adds to the cost and complexity, and reduces reliability. You can't solder or crimp a fiber, and it is recommended that you take a class in connectorizing fiber.

Please contact us for your Fiber Optic Cable requirements.

Uses of Fiber Optic Cables and Tevelec supplied Industries

Fiber optic cables find many uses in a wide variety of industries and applications. Some uses of fiber optic cables include:

Telecommunications - Fiber is laid and used for transmitting and receiving purposes.

Networking - Used to connect users and servers in a variety of network settings and help increase the speed and accuracy of data transmission.

Broadcast/CATV - Broadcast/cable companies are using fiber optic cables for wiring CATV, HDTV, internet, video on-demand and other applications.

Industrial/Commercial - Used for imaging in hard to reach areas, as wiring where EMI is an issue, as sensory devices to make temperature, pressure and other measurements, and as wiring in automobiles and in industrial settings.

Defense/Government - Used as hydrophones for seismic and SONAR uses, as wiring in aircraft, submarines and other vehicles and also for field networking.

Data Storage - Used for data transmission.

Medical - Early users of F.O. Used as light guides, imaging tools and also as lasers for surgeries.

Fiber optic cables are used for lighting and imaging and as sensors to measure and monitor a vast array of variables. Light shows in the entertainment industry. First used to light fountains.

Fiber optic cables are also used in research and development and testing across all the above mentioned industries.