Author: Fiber-MART.COM

by http://www.fiber-mart.comFiber Optic Cable are composed of fine hair-like glass fibers and messages are transmitted by sending light beams down the thin strands of glass through a shielded cable. Fiber Optics Cables are comprised of three main areas: 1) Core: Designed as the light carrier of the optical fiber. It is made from a doped glass(Silica).The silica material of the core allows the light signals to be carried efficiently and effectively across the fiber. 2) Cladding: It is made up from a different type of silica and surrounds the core. The glass of the cladding is made to contain the light within the core. 3) Plastic Coating: This piece surrounds the Cladding and acts as a protector for the glass. It is normally clear (color), but for all Outdoor cables the coating is color coded to help identify the individual fibers. The coating has to be removed to connect the fiber to a connector or splice. Bandwidth Investing in Fiber Optic Cables can significantly increase any businesses bandwidth compared to the transmission of data over the standard Copper Cable. The high frequency ranges they are able to carry exceed even the highest frequencies of any standard copper wire. Also, the speed of messages does not decrease as more demands are added onto the network when using Fiber Optics. Security Due to the higher demand for secure connections Fiber Optics Cables are a cost-effective way of adding an additional layer of security to any business. Copper Cables can easily be accessed by connecting taps to any line to pick up on the electronic signals, however, tapping Fiber Optics Cables is much more difficult.  Energy Efficient The light waves that are transmitted through glass or plastic threads (fibers) use much less energy than data signals sent through metal conductors of Copper Cables. Easy Installations/Testing Fiber Optics Cables provide a light weight variation thus, makes terminating the cables more simplified. Also, testing a Fiber Optic Cable is as easy as sending a beam of light from one end to the other. In order to make installations easier for Fiber Optics, West Penn Wire also provides cabling, installation kits, fiber optics assemblies, fiber optics cassettes and cable management solution. Weight and Strength Fiber Optic Cable is also designed to be much thinner and lighter with pull tensions being much greater than those of most Copper Cables. For Example: 6-Fiber Cable: 300 lbs.RG6 Coaxial Cable: 55 lbs.Category 5E Cable: 25 lbs.Variety of Applications: Fiber Optics is also available for numerous applications, which are included but not limited to: TelecommunicationHigh bandwidth DataVideo signalingLong distance CCTVCommunication between fire alarm panelsand much more!

by http://www.fiber-mart.comFiber Optic connectors are definitely distinctive compared to the traditional copper cable connectors. Instead of the metal-to-metal contact, fiber optic connectors need to align microscopic glass fibers in order for the communication data to carry efficiently.  Each connector contains three key components: Ferrule, Connector Body and Coupling Mechanism. The ferrule is the thin structure that holds the glass fiber in place and they are generally made of ceramic, metal or plastic. The connector body is what holds the ferrule in place and allows it to attach to the members within the cable fiber. A coupling mechanism which essentially holds the connector while it is linked to another device. It may contain a clip or bayonet nut depending on the connector type.  Now, let’s look at some popular connectors and what they are used for within networking applications: SC Connector-(also known as the square connector) this type of connector contains a push-pull motion, snap-in connector with a spring loaded 2.5 mm ceramic ferrule to hold a single fiber. This connector is also the second most popular connector due to its method of maintaining applications. It can be used with either single-mode or multimode fiber optic cabling. LC Connector- this connector uses a 1.255 mm ferrule (half the size of the SC) and contains the standard ceramic ferrule. This connector is also a push-pull connector (similar to the SC) and utilizes a latch locking tab and can easily be terminated. ST Connector- (also known as a straight tip connector) this connector contains rounds ceramic ferrule, with bayonet mount locking features,enclosing a twist lock and a 2.5 mm keyed ferrule. This type of connector can be used with either single-mode or multimode fiber optic cabling. 

by http://www.fiber-mart.comFiber 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. 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 Mode50μm – Mulit-mode62.5μm – Multi-modeCladding- 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:250µmJacket- 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!