Category: Fiber Optic Cables

It is estimated that more than 5 billion optical fiber kilometers are installed on the earth including all kind of installations such as Submarine, Aerial, underground and premise. This number can be roughly converted to 138 million cable kilometers if we consider an average fiber count of 36 fibers per cable. With the progress of fiber to the home projects, this average will further go down since the premise cables are of smaller fiber counts. Higher count cables are mostly deployed in backbone/metro core networks. Extremely high count cables are utilized for data centers, but the lengths are limited. Recent reports from Prysmian shows development of 6912F cable for datacenter application.

Submarine cables have smaller fiber counts typically in the range of 6 to 12. Submarine cable system utilizes latest transmission technologies to achieve highest possible data transmission speeds and capacity over a single fiber. Long distance communication lines are made of typically from 24 to 48 fiber count cables. Metro-core/backbone networks utilize high fiber count cables typically in the range of 144 to 576 fibers per cable. In extremely high density population areas this number goes up to 1000 to 2000 fibers per cable.

As the number of fibers in a cable goes up, the chances of fiber break also goes up. Recent studies conducted to analyze fiber breaks throw light to this direction. It is estimated that more than at every 1 (one) minute 1 (one) fiber break occurs per 1000 kilometers of installed cable daily worldwide. Higher the number of fibers in a cable, higher will be the probability of fiber breaks. This not only indicates the higher probability of fiber breaks on high fiber count cables, but also indicates to the higher construction/digging activities in the metro area.

Number of fiber breaks in one day worldwide is estimated to be around 1566 on a rough calculation based on studies conducted by FCC in 2002 and the total fiber cable kilometers installed so far. Survey findings have revealed that on an average it takes around 4 hours to rectify/repair and bring back the network to its original condition. For submarine cables, it may take days or even weeks, depending on the damage. Almost 70% of the recovery time is spent to identify the nature and location of the fault. 30% of the recovery time is spent to do the actual repairing work.

Metro/backbone networks suffer mostly due to mistakes in construction work. Location of Installed cables are either unknown or wrongly informed to the construction workers. If the installed cable locations are not properly marked, inadvertent mistakes may happen from the installation crew. Premise area is more sensitive to fiber breaks since the fiber enters home and is in the middle of daily life and movements. ITU-T recommendations categorize bend insensitive fibers for premise application. Apart from lower attenuation increase with smaller bends, bend-insensitive fibers, that are categorized as ITU-T G.657A fibers, have higher resistance to the bending and therefore lower chance for break compared to the conventional fibers (G.652D).

As an access to providing high-speed Internet speed, Fiber to the home (FTTH) has been highly favored in recent years. It can achieve high-speed and long distance transmission, from a central point directly to individual buildings such as residences, apartment buildings and businesses through installation and use of optical fiber. FTTH drop cable plays a prominent role during this process. So what is FTTH drop cable? And how to install? This article would provide a satisfied answer for you.

About FTTH Drop Cable

FTTH drop cable contains 1 to 4 colored singlemode optical fibers with 250 µm individually, which provides a good solution for fiber to the home last mile solution. The cable contains two Fibre Reinforced Plastic (FRP) strength members and Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) jacket with nominal dimension 2 x 3 mm. They are fully meet the RoHS standards. With its small diameter, light weight and special structure, it is easy to use, to handle and to pull the fibers out from the cables. It is an ideal option for direct installation into the houses.

Features&Benefits

—Choice of fibre types

—Individually coloured optical fibres

—Notched 2 x 3 mm construction for easy stripping

—Singlemode optical fibre meeting ITU-T G.657A1 or ITU-T G.657A2 standard

How to Choose Right LSZH Jacket?

You can choose white LSZH jacket for indoor use and black LSZH jacket for outdoor use within short distance. For the white cables that are installed where they may be in direct sunlight for extended periods of time will need to be replaced more often. So we need to pick black LSZH jacket for they are UV-resistant.

Indoor And Outdoor Applications

There are mainly three applications of FTTH drop cables: internal FTTH applications horizontal and riser, clipping to surfaces including skirting boards, and short distance external use with black LSZH jacket. Due to time and space limiting, this article would mainly introduce the internal horizontal and riser cabling for FTTH applications, which attach great importance to FTTH cabling.

Horizontal Cabling

Drop cable all dielectric for Fibre To The Home (FTTH or FTTx) application, this means we need intrabuilding conduit. Conduit can be made of metallic tubing or rigid polyvinyl-chloride plastic. Conduit runs should be limited to 100 feet, with no more than two 90-degree bends between pull points or boxes. It runs can be in ceilings or walls or under floors.

To apply the FTTH fiber drop cable, we need pull boxes. They are installed for fishing the run and looping the cable for the next length of conduit. Pull boxes are not used for splicing cable. Fish tapes or pull cords should always be placed in the conduit to ease installation. Inner duct is an excellent tool for protecting cable and easing future installations.

Riser Cabling

Drop optical fiber cables intended for vertical applications have a calculated maximum vertical rise value assigned to them. The vertical rise is the distance the cable may be pulled vertically before being supported. It is determined by the weight of the cable and its ability to resist buckling or kinking.

You can use split wire mesh grips to pull cable vertically. The device works like basket or finger grips, supporting the cable without crushing the core. Cables should be supported by cable ties, straps or clamps in wiring closets. Whenever possible, begin the installation from the top, allowing the weight of the cable to help the pull rather than adding more load.

Conclusion

FTTH dramatically and unprecedentedly increases the connection speeds available to computer users. FTTH drop optical cable is a special cable that provide a perfect solution for FTTH transmission. The article mainly discussed its definition, benefits and applications. If you need this kind of fiber cable, you can take fiber-mart a try. We offer FTTH fiber drop cable with high quality but low cost. For more details, please visit www.fiber-mart.com.

Fiber patch cables are common assemblies seen in optical communications to link devices and network components. To ensure normal optical transmission and fiber durability, it is necessary to get familiar with the user instructions and precautions. This post will introduce the precaution for taking care of fiber patch cables from the perspectives of connecting, disconnecting, and routine maintaining, which is recommended for you to prevent a series of possible harmful consequences.

Connecting and Disconnecting Fiber Patch Cables

Fiber patch cables can be used with many network devices, such as optical transceiver modules, fiber adapter panels, fiber cassettes, media converters, and other products having fiber optic interfaces. The following part will introduce the general steps for connecting and disconnecting fiber patch cords, taking connecting a fiber patch cable to a transceiver installed in a network switch as an example.

Connecting Fiber Patch Cables

Remove the rubber safety caps covered on the fiber optic connectors at both ends of fiber patch cables and remember to keep these caps well.

Remove the cap from the optical transceiver.

Insert the cable connector into the optical transceiver.

Fix and fasten the fiber patch cables by placing fixing elements on a loop to help cables maintain their shape.

Disconnecting Fiber Patch Cables

Disable the interface in which the optical transceiver is installed by running a command.

Carefully unplug the cable connector from the transceiver.

Cover the transceiver with a rubber safety cap.

Cover the cable connector with a rubber safety cap.

There are some points that should be noted during the connecting and disconnecting process:

The installation personnel needs to be skilled enough with an understanding of the network layout so as to ensure the quality and safety of the installation.

Always wear safety glasses and protective glasses to avoid electric shock or touching fiber shards. Anti static wrist strap band is necessary to reduce static electricity when operating with active devices.

Pay attention to the bending radius of the fiber patch cords. Excessive pulling or squeezing will possibly cause damage to fiber jumpers.

Do not let the jumpers hang free from optical transceivers or run free on the floor randomly. It is very likely to stress the cables at the fastening point or break the cables once pulling the cables accidentally

Never look directly into the end of fiber cables when there is a laser coupled to it for the safety of your eyes.

Avoid frequently inserting or removing fiber patch cables from devices or the fiber end face will produce wear.

Thoroughly clean the working area after the completion of installation.

Maintaining Fiber Patch Cables

The daily maintenance for fiber patch cables matters a lot in the fiber optic system. There are two main aspects to which you should pay attention during routine maintenance.

Keep Fiber Patch Cables Clean

It is often heard that special attention should be given to the fiber optic patch cable cleaning, but are you clear why it is so important? In brief, for reliable and robust fiber optic networks. According to an industry survey by a major telecom company, contamination is the number-one reason for troubleshooting optical networks. Fibers are so fragile that once they are covered by dust or other contaminations, the optical signal can be degraded. What’s more, the metallic particles worn by the bodies and fiber housings of the fiber optic connectors will block a fiber, which will cause signal loss, thus eventually reducing the network performance and causing a great loss for businesses that rely on fiber-optic networks.

Generally, fiber optic cleaning refers to cleaning fiber connectors. How to ensure you clean fiber connectors using correct ways? There are two main cleaning methods: dry cleaning and wet cleaning, each performing different functions. Reel-type fiber cleaners, pen cleaners, fiber cleaning wipes, and foam swabs are the common fiber connector cleaning solutions. More information about these solutions and cleaning steps is available in How Much Do You Know About Fiber Connector Cleaning?

Store Fiber Patch Cables Properly

No matter a fiber cable is in use or out of use, there is one significant point to be considered: Do not bend or stretch your fiber cable too much. It is often the case when working with fiber optic cables, people stretch or bend them. For this reason, the worst case is the fiber may get damaged. Some breakage caused by bending can be visible, but some loss may not, such as microscopic fiber deformations caused by very low temperature, displacement of a few millimeters caused by buffer or jacket imperfections, poor installation practice or other factors. Since such loss can not be seen by the human eyes directly, it will be overlooked and things can get even worse over time. In case of a huge loss when the fiber patch cords must be replaced, the following essential elements need attention:

Design your fiber cable pathway using proper tools or components to protect fibers, such as horizontal cable managers.

Do not bend fiber patch cables beyond their minimum bend radius, especially in those tight spaces of high-density fiber patching areas.

Make sure not to hit the fiber connector against anything! On the one hand, those ends may get abraded or broken. On the other side, broken glass at the fiber end can cut someone’s skin. It is suggested to use protective caps when storing or pulling fibers.

OTDR and optical fiber microscopes are recommended if you need equipment for measuring and identifying any faults such as breaks within the fiber cable or overall attenuation.

With the wide application of the 10GbE technology in the commercial sector and the popularity of FTTH (fiber to the home), the cost of deploying a 10G network has been reduced to some extent. This trend has driven some home users to think about the upgrade of their current 1G fiber optic home network to a 10G network. Worries and hesitation are common, however, as the 10G network is still a new field for most home users. Thus this post brings some useful tips on how to build a 10G home fiber network from 10G home network basics to network assessment, selections for best home network devices, and a typical 10G fiber optic home network cabling.

Why Need to Build a 10G Home Fiber Network?

Starts from Network Assessment

Before the decision on deploying your 10G fiber network, it’s necessary to have an overall network assessment for your home environment so as to ensure the network deployed can handle all your traffic needs. You should probably ask yourself a few questions, such as how many computers, printers, and other peripherals will connect to your network? How much wireless coverage will you need at your location? What type of mobile devices will access to your network? Do you have to supervise all network devices? Are there any special functions that you want for your network devices? Where would you like to have 10G connections and where would you leave it at 1Gbps?

Know What Makes a 10G Home Fiber Network

To have a better assessment, you also need to have a rough idea about the basics of a 10G home network. For a 10G home network, several components are indispensable: 10Gb home switch, home router, and wireless access point for home (AP). According to different needs, some optional devices can be also included in your home networks such as network-attached storage (NAS) devices (like a network server), 10G network cards, PoE switches, and end devices like PC and security camera.

How to Choose Your Best 10G Home Fiber Network Devices?

Once you decide to upgrade to 10G network, choosing the most suitable home fiber network devices is vital to you, among which home network switch, home router, and AP for home are the most essential and important three types. Next, I take the selection of three types as examples to show you how to choose the best home network device.

Home Network Switch

For a 10G home fiber network, you probably need the 10G Ethernet switch and PoE switch. To choose the best home network switch, you can take into account the following three factors:

Features & Performance

Generally speaking, a home Ethernet switch especially the managed switch has many features. However, there is no need to select a home network switch with all features. Besides the basic features such as advanced QoS, VLAN, and security, you’d better take switching capacity, max. power consumption, continuous availability into consideration. PoE support is also a common requirement as users have many security cameras these days and also access points that provides Wi-Fi to the whole family. Moreover, fanless and stack designs are important factors as well. Fanless design helps to reduce power consumption and keep your home quiet and noiseless, which matters a lot for home users. As for the stack design, it can bring great flexibility to your network. When you want to upgrade the network or add more network devices into your network, stacking multiple switches can be the simplest solution to realize your needs without changing your original network infrastructure.

Ports

Usually, a home network switch comes with copper ports, optical ports, or hybrid ports. The copper port can connect with an Ethernet cable like Cat6. While a home network switch with SFP/SFP+ port can connect with SFP/SFP+ transceivers and fiber optic cables. Apart from port type, the port number to connect with your devices should also be considered. If you don’t have many network devices to connect, an 8-port or 12-port 10Gb switch is enough to cover all your needs; otherwise, you will need a 24-port or 48-port switch, or even multiple switches. You can choose a suitable one based on your needs.

Cost

The cost of an RJ45 port is lower than an optical port. Therefore, a home switch with copper ports will be cheaper than a fiber switch. And a managed switch with high performance is also much expensive than an unmanaged one. When you have already determined the type of home network switch you want, you can compare the price from different vendors and choose the most cost-effective one.

Home Router

Connecting your home network to the Internet, the selection of the best home router is also important but much simpler than a home network switch. First, you should contact your ISP (internet service provider) or look at your account details to get your Internet speed. Your router is required to handle your Internet speed. Considering you are cabling a 10G home fiber network, at least one SFP+ port should be equipped in that network router. Then you need to figure out what type of router you need: wired router or wireless router. Although a wireless router provides both WiFi and Ethernet connections, the coverage of WiFi signals is limited and the price will be more expensive than a wired one. Therefore if the area needs to be covered by the network is large, a wired router, combined with the additional wireless access point(s), is preferred for its cheaper price and more stable connections.

Wireless Access Point for Home

When connecting your wireless devices to an Ethernet network, the wireless access point for home is indispensable. Similar to routers, you also need to figure out the amount of space the wireless network to cover and the number of wireless devices to connect which will help you determine the number of AP you demand. The wireless AP that you are going to buy should be able to handle that figure. And these days Wi-Fi 6 AP seems to be a new trend, if you want to try a fresh wireless network experience, 2×2 MU-MIMO dual-band Wi-Fi 6 AP is definitely enough for your home use.

A Case of 10G Home Fiber Network

After the network assessment for your home and purchasing all network devices needed, it’s time to deploy your 10G fiber optic home network. As you can see in the following diagram, we now have a good number of devices all over the house. Having counted the possible connections, we take the 24-port 10Gb switch as the core switch in the home, which has 24 RJ45 ports to connect with most of the end-devices and 4 10Gb SFP+ ports to connect with a PoE+ switch, router, NVR, and server. As for the PoE devices in the courtyard, garage, and living room, we use an 8-port Gigabit PoE+ switch to cover them all.

Conclusion

Deploying a 10G home fiber network is not so hard and expensive as you might have thought while pretty much similar to a Gigabit fiber network. What you need is a complete network assessment for your house and a smart choice of affordable 10G home network devices. Based on these, you can build your best 10G fiber optic home network.

Imagine turning a cottage into a majestic skyscraper without any innovation or construction. This is what Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (WDM) allows with your existing fiber optic network. Without deploying additional optical fiber, WDM network mux multiplexes multiple optical signal on a single optical fiber by using different wavelengths, which greatly relieves fiber exhaustion and extends link capacity. WDM technology comes into two flavors—CWDM and DWDM. In this article, we’re gonna explore building a 10G network on CWDM Mux/Demux.

CWDM Mux/Demux: Save Big With Network Expansion

CWDM Mux/Demux increases fiber capacity in either 4, 8, 16 or 18 channel increments. By increasing the channel spacing between wavelengths on the fiber, CWDM allows for a simple and affordable method of carrying up to 18 channels on a single fiber. CWDM channels each consume 20 nm of space and together use up most of the single-mode operating range. The CWDM wavelengths most commonly used are the eight channels in the 1470 to 1610 nm range. CWDM Mux/Demux allows any protocol to be transported over the link, given it’s at the specific wavelength.

16 Channel vs. 18 Channel CWDM Mux/Demux: Which to Choose?

The capacity of a CWDM network is largely relayed on CWDM Mux/Demux. Generally, the more channels a CWDM Mux/Demux provides, the larger capacity of a CWDM network could have. The channel number of most CWDM Mux/Demuxs ranges from 2 to 18, among which 16 channel and 18 channel CWDM Mux/Demux are more prevalent in use. 16 channel CWDM Mux/Demux and its 18 channel alternative have no difference except that the later obtains two more CWDM channels (CWDM wavelengths), larger capacity and hence more insertion loss. So the choice is not about which is superior than the other, it actually depends on your specific demand and application scenario. Usually a 18 channel CWDM Mux/Demux is recommended for broader network capacity and scalability.

18CH CWDM Mux/Demux Cabling Guide for 10G Network

Build a 10G network with a 18CH CWDM Mux/Demux delivers prominent advantages with reduced cost and improved efficiency. All you need is just 10G switches, 18CH CWDM Mux/Demux modules, 10G CWDM SFP+transceivers (or 10G CWDM XFP, if the switch is with XFP interfaces) and fiber patch cables. The typical architecture of a 10G CWDM network is demonstrated in the picture below. Let’s take a review of the four key elements required for a successful implementation of 10G CWDM network.

18 Channel CWDM Mux/Demux Module

A 18 channel CWDM Mux/Demux utilizes all of the 18 CWDM wavelengths defined by standards, which integrates up to 18 different wavelength signals into a single optical fiber. The 18 CWDM wavelength channels are combined together in a multiplexer so that it can be transported simultaneously over a single dark fiber. fiber-mart.com passive 18-CH CWDM Mux/Demux is equipped with a monitor port for better CWDM network management.

10G SFP+ CWDM Transceiver Module

A wavelength specific optical transceiver (SFP, SFP+, XFP, etc) plugged directly in to the data or storage switch. Up to 18 discrete CWDM wavelengths are available and can all be used as independent traffic channels. Each channel can be any variety of 100/40/10/1G Ethernet. fiber-mart.com also provides strictly tested 10G CWDM transceivers that fully compatible with the mainstream brands on the market. All the 10G CWDM transceivers are tested in real environment to guarantee best-in-breed performance and reliability. The following diagram presents the generic CWDM SFP+ transceivers for 18 CH CWDM Mux/Demux.

LC-LC Fiber Optic Patch Cable

The transceiver modules and CWDM multiplexer ports are labelled with the discrete wavelength channels. And fiber patch cable, usually an LC-LC patch cable is used to bridge the transceiver and the corresponding channel on the CWDM Mux/Demux. The ports on CWDM Mux/Demux module are colored in the diagram to highlight the different colored wavelength channels. LC-LC fiber patch cables are usually yellow. Besides, there are also specially-made fiber patch cables available for demanding application scenario, including bend insensitive fiber patch cable, switchable uniboot fiber patch cable and ultra low loss LC patch cable.

Conclusion

With the help of 18 channel CWDM Mux/Demux, 10G network has become approachable and affordable with less labor-intensified work and deployment costs. Besides, a CWDM system also enables unsurpassed flexibility to get fully prepared for any capacity expansion in the future. fiber-mart.com is one of the featured vendors to provide a complete solution for optical and enterprise network—your vendor of choice for CWDM Mux network, optical transceiver modules, fiber patch cables and other network components.

Telecommunications makes wide use of optical techniques in which the carrier wave belongs to the classical optical domain. The wave modulation allows transmission of analog or digital signals up to a few gigahertz (GHz) or gigabits per second (Gbps) on a carrier of very high frequency, typically 186 to 196 THz. In fact, the bitrate can be increased further, using several carrier waves that are propagating without significant interaction on a single fiber. It is obvious that each frequency corresponds to a different wavelength. Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) is reserved for very close frequency spacing. This blog covers an introduction to DWDM technology and DWDM system components. The operation of each component is discussed individually and the whole structure of a fundamental DWDM system is shown at the end of this blog.

Introduction to DWDM Technology

DWDM technology is an extension of optical networking. DWDM devices (multiplexer, or Mux for short) combine the output from several optical transmitters for transmission across a single optical fiber. At the receiving end, another DWDM device (demultiplexer, or Demux for short) separates the combined optical signals and passes each channel to an optical receiver. Only one optical fiber is used between DWDM devices (per transmission direction). Instead of requiring one optical fiber per transmitter and receiver pair, DWDM allows several optical channels to occupy a single fiber optic cable. As shown below, by adopting high-quality AAWG Gaussian technology, FS DWDM Mux/Demux provides low insertion loss (3.5dB typical), and high reliability. With the upgraded structure, these DWDM multiplexers and demultiplexers can offer easier installation.

A key advantage of DWDM is that it’s protocol and bitrate independent. DWDM-based networks can transmit data in IP, ATM, SONET, SDH and Ethernet. Therefore, DWDM-based networks can carry different types of traffic at different speeds over an optical channel. Voice transmission, email, video and multimedia data are just some examples of services that can be simultaneously transmitted in DWDM systems. DWDM systems have channels at wavelengths spaced with 0.4nm or 0.8nm spacing.

DWDM is a type of Frequency Division Multiplexing (FDM). A fundamental property of light states that individual light waves of different wavelengths may coexist independently within a medium. Lasers are capable of creating pulses of light with a very precise wavelength. Each individual wavelength of light can represent a different channel of information. By combining light pulses of different wavelengths, many channels can be transmitted across a single fiber simultaneously. Fiber optic systems use light signals within the infrared band (1mm to 750nm wavelength) of the electromagnetic spectrum. Frequencies of light in the optical range of the electromagnetic spectrum are usually identified by their wavelength, although frequency (distance between lambdas) provides a more specific identification.

DWDM System Components

A DWDM system generally consists of five components: Optical Transmitters/Receivers, DWDM Mux/DeMux Filters, Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers (OADMs), Optical Amplifiers, Transponders (Wavelength Converters).

Optical Transmitters/Receivers

Transmitters are described as DWDM components since they provide the source signals which are then multiplexed. The characteristics of optical transmitters used in DWDM systems is highly important to system design. Multiple optical transmitters are used as the light sources in a DWDM system. Incoming electrical data bits (0 or 1) trigger the modulation of a light stream (e.g., a flash of light = 1, the absence of light = 0). Lasers create pulses of light. Each light pulse has an exact wavelength (lambda) expressed in nanometers (nm). In an optical-carrier-based system, a stream of digital information is sent to a physical layer device, whose output is a light source (an LED or a laser) that interfaces a fiber optic cable. This device converts the incoming digital signal from electrical (electrons) to optical (photons) form (electrical to optical conversion, E-O). Electrical ones and zeroes trigger a light source that flashes (e.g., light = 1, little or no light =0) light into the core of an optical fiber. E-O conversion is non-traffic affecting. The format of the underlying digital signal is unchanged. Pulses of light propagate across the optical fiber by way of total internal reflection. At the receiving end, another optical sensor (photodiode) detects light pulses and converts the incoming optical signal back to electrical form. A pair of fibers usually connect any two devices (one transmit fiber, one receive fiber).

DWDM systems require very precise wavelengths of light to operate without interchannel distortion or crosstalk. Several individual lasers are typically used to create the individual channels of a DWDM system. Each laser operates at a slightly different wavelength. Modern systems operate with 200, 100, and 50-GHz spacing. Newer systems that support 25-GHz spacing and 12.5-GHz spacing are being investigated. Generally, DWDM transceivers (DWDM SFP, DWDM SFP+, DWDM XFP, etc.) operating at 100 and 50-GHz can be found on the market nowadays.

DWDM Mux/Demux Filters

Multiple wavelengths (all within the 1550 nm band) created by multiple transmitters and operating on different fibers are combined onto one fiber by way of an optical filter (Mux filter). The output signal of an optical multiplexer is referred to as a composite signal. At the receiving end, an optical drop filter (DeMux filter) separates all of the individual wavelengths of the composite signal out to individual fibers. The individual fibers pass the demultiplexed wavelengths to as many optical receivers. Typically, Mux and Demux (transmit and receive) components are contained in a single enclosure. Optical Mux/DeMux devices can be passive. Component signals are multiplexed and demultiplexed optically, not electronically, therefore no external power source is required. The figure below is bidirectional DWDM operation. N light pulses of N different wavelengths carried by N different fibers are combined by a DWDM Mux. The N signals are multiplexed onto a pair of optical fiber. A DWDM Demux receives the composite signal and separates each of the N component signals and passes each to a fiber. The transmitted and receive signal arrows represent client-side equipment. This requires the use of a pair of optical fibers; one for transmit, one for receive.