Category: Fiber Optic Cables

QSFP+ cables provide a high density, high bandwidth, cost effective solution for a variety of markets and applications including switches, routers, HBA’s, high performance computing and mass storage sub-systems by mfr’s such as IBM, Cisco, qLogic, etc. QSFP+ cables are designed for data rates up to 40Gb/s supporting Fiber Channel, Ethernet, SDH/SONET and Infiniband standards.fiber-mart.com provide a wide variety of 40G QSFP+ Cables, including 40G QSFP+ copper cables, 40G QSFP+ AOC cables, QSFP+ to 4 SFP+ Breakout Cables, QSFP+ to CX4 Copper Cables, QSFP+ to 4 XFP Cables and QSFP+ to Mini SAS cables with different lengths and wire gauges. OEM and ODM are welcomed.

40G QSFP+ Copper Cables:

QSFP+ (Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable Plus) Cable Assemblies are suitable for very short distances and offer a highly cost-effective way to establish a 40-Gigabit link between QSFP+ ports of QSFP+ switches within racks and across adjacent racks. QSFP+ cables are used for 40 GbE and Infniband standards, to maximize performance. We now provide several lengths to accommodate your installation requirements, welcome to buy it from fiber-mart.com. We offer the 40G QSFP+ copper cables with lengths ranging from 0.5m to 10m.

40G QSFP+ AOC Cables:

QSFP+ Active Optical Cable (AOC) is a high performance, low power consumption integrated cable for short-range multi-lane data communication and interconnect applications, supporting 40G Ethernet, fiber channel and PCIE. It is compliant with the QSFP MSA and IEEE P802.3ba 40GBASE-SR4. It integrates four data lanes in each direction with 40 Gb/s aggregate bandwidth. Each lane is capable of transmitting data at rates up to 10Gb/s with lengths ranging from one to 100 m.

QSFP+ to 4 SFP+ Breakout Cables:

QSFP+ to 4 SFP+ hybrid splitter cables make a great cost-effective interconnect solution to IT professionals by providing much needed space for data centers and cost cuts. These cables allow you to connect your QSFP+ and SFP+ Switches and Network cards without upgrading your entire data center or storage array. They can be used for QDR infiniBand, 40 Gigabit Ethernet and 10Gigabit applications. Each QSFP-SFP+ splitter cable features a single QSFP connector (SFF-8436) rated for 40-Gb/s on one end and (4) SFP+ connectors (SFF-8431), each rated for 10-Gb/s, on the other. We now provide several lengths to accommodate your installation requirements.

QSFP+ to CX4 Copper Cables:

The QSFP to CX4 cables use cutting edge technology to provide an excellent hybrid cable solution for CX4/InfiniBand and QSFP rated switches, network adapters, and storage arrays. These cables have a QSFP connector on one end and a CX4 Connector on the opposite end.

Each CX4-QSFP copper cable has the following features:

a. Permits auto-negotiation between the two connected devices for optimal network throughput.

b. Reaching data rates of up 5Gpbs per channel.

c. Compatible with 4x Infiniband SDR/DDR and 10 GbE applications.

For this kind of QSFP to CX4 Direct Attach Passive Copper Cable, we now provide several lengths to accommodate your installation requirements.

QSFP+ to 4 XFP Cables:

QSFP+ to 4 XFP hybrid splitter cables make a great cost-effective interconnect solution to IT professionals by merging 40G QSFP and 10G XFP enabled host adapters, switches and servers. For typical applications, users can install this kind of splitter cable between an available QSFP port on their 40-Gigabit/s rated switch and feed up to four upstream 10GbE-XFP enabled switches. Each QSFP-XFP splitter cable features a single QSFP connector (SFF-8436) rated for 40-Gb/s on one end and 4 XFP connectors (INF-8077i) on the other end, each rated for 10-Gb/s.

QSFP+ to Mini SAS Cables:

QSFP+ to Mini SAS (SFF-8088) hybrid cables are designed for high-density Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) applications. These Mini SAS Cables are used as an interconnect solution between newer QSFP+ Hardware and older external 3G and 6G Mini SAS equipment and provide data transfer rates up to 10Gbops per channel at distances of up to 10 meters, and they are all compliant to QSFP+ Multi-Source Agreement. Welcome to choose it from our website where different lengths can be selecting.

fiber-mart.com is a professional fiber optic products manufacturer, we provide a wide variety of fiber optic products, we not only have the 40G QSFP+ Cables, but also have other types Direct Attach Cables. If you can’t find your need in my company, you can contact to our sales, because we offer the customized service. Welcome to fiber-mart.com, I think it can help to solve your fiber optic problem.

Armored fiber optic cables are often installed in a network for added mechanical protection, as they have extra reinforcing in the cable housing to prevent damage. Two types of armored fiber optic cables exist: interlocking and corrugated. Interlocking armor is an aluminum armor that is helically wrapped around the cable and found in indoor and indoor/outdoor cables. It offers ruggedness and superior crush resistance. Corrugated armor is a coated steel tape folded around the cable longitudinally. It is found in outdoor cables and offers extra mechanical and rodent protection.

The Structure of an Armored Fiber Optic Cable

In basic armored fiber cable designs, the outer sleeve provides protection against wind, solvents, and abrasion. This outer sleeve is usually made of plastic such as polyethylene. The next layer between the sleeve and the inner jacket is an armoring layer of materials that are difficult to cut, chew, or burn, such as steel tape and aluminum foil. This armoring material also prevent the fiber from being stretched during cable installation. Ripcords are usually provided directly under the armoring and the inner sleeve to aid in stripping the layer for splicing the cable to connectors or terminators. The inner jacket is a protective and flame retardant material to support the inner fiber cable bundle. The inner fiber cable bundle includes strength members, fillers and other structures to support the fibers inside. There are usually a central strength member to support the whole fiber cable.

There are several potential jacket materials are considered for armored indoor outdoor cable. The choice of jacket material depends on the required level of flame retardance in the final cable, including Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) jacket, Halogen Free Polyolefins (HFPO) and Coated Steel Armor. Armored cable is also available with a double-armor protective jacket for added protection in harsh environments. The steel armor should always be properly grounded to an earth ground at all termination points, splice locations and all building entrances.

Benefits of Installing Armored Cable

During some fiber optic installations, there is a need to provide extra protection for the cable due to the installation environment. That environment may be underground or in buildings with congested pathways. Installing an armored fiber-optic cable in these scenarios would provide extra protection for the optical fiber and added reliability for the network, lessening the risk of downtime and cable damage due to rodents, construction work, weight of other cables and other factors.

But one inconvenience is the need to bond and ground the cable. This inconvenience can be eliminated by using a dielectric-armored cable. Dielectric-armored cable options exist that offer the required protection without the hassle of grounding and bonding the armor, or the extra steps of installing a conduit and cable when the cable is without any armored protection.

Compared with Other Common Fiber Optic Cables

These armored fiber optic cables are the same diameter with commonly seen 2mm O.D or 3mm O.D cables, and their optical performance is also same as the common fiber optic cables. The difference is armored fiber cables are with stainless steel armor inside the cable jacket and outside the optical fiber, this stainless steel armor are strong enough to make the cables anti-rodent and the whole cable can resist the steps by an adult people.

Armored fiber optic patch cables are also can be single mode and multimode types, the connectors optional including commonly used LC, SC, ST, FC, E2000, MU, SMA, etc. Cable structure can be simplex, duplex or multi-fiber types. Armored fiber cables from fiber-mart.com can be with custom made colors and cable length, they are manufactured according to industrial and international standards.

For understanding the working principle of optical fiber cable clearly, we first further learn the components of an optical fiber cable.

Components of Fiber Cable

A fiber optic cable can be divided into three parts. It is a coaxial cable, and the center most part is called the core which is made out of a very clear glass tube and carries the information. The plastic covering above it which causes the reflection of light signals is called the cladding and the sheathing that protects the optical fiber is called the coating. In a single mode fiber, the core is about 5-10 microns in diameter. A dimension of 5 to 10 microns is equivalent to the millionth of a meter. That small is the core of an optical fiber.

The reason why core is made out of glass is that, glass is incredibly pure so that, even though it is several miles long, light can still make it through. The glass is drawn into a very thin strand, with a thickness comparable to that of a human hair. The glass strand is then coated in two layers of plastic. So fiber optic cable is also called glass fiber cable.

In order for the finished cable to transmit data signals, it needs to be connected to the three other main components of a fiber optic system, named optical transmitter, optical receiver and optical regenerator.

Optical Transmitter

Optical transmitter, a device which converts electrical and analog signals into either On-Off or Linear modulating light signals, then releases that data into the fiber optic cable. The pattern of light waves forms a code that carries a message. The cable then relays the data emitted by the optical transmitter to the optical receiver, which accepts the light signal and reformats the data into its original form.

Optical Receiver

The receiver is essentially performing the opposite function of the transmitter. Optical receivers receive the light signal from the fiber optic able and turn it back into information that a computer or television know how to understand and use. It then sends the decoded signal to the computer or television.

Optical Regenerator

Sometimes a light signal must travel through a fiber optic cable over a very long distance. Although signal degradation is minimal in a fiber optic patch cable, some degradation does occur. When a cable covers a long distance, optical regenerators are placed at certain intervals along the cable. Optical regenerators are fibers that have been treated with a laser. The molecules in the fiber allow the signal traveling through the fiber optic cable to take on laser properties themselves, which strengthens the light signal. Optical regenerators essentially strengthen the light signal that is traveling through a fiber optic cable.

Working Principle of Fiber Optic Cable

The light travels through the glass strands and continuously reflects off of the inside of the mirrored plastic coatings in a process known as “Total Internal Reflection”.

When light travels from a medium of lower refractive index to that of a higher refractive index, it bends towards the normal. The normal is a line that is perpendicular to the interface of two mediums. However, when light travels from a medium of higher refractive index to that of a lower refractive index, it bends away from the normal.

The angle made by the incident ray to the normal is called the angle of incidence and the angle made by the refracted ray with the normal at the point of incidence in the other medium is called the angle of refraction. Now, consider that light is traveling from a medium with higher refractive index to that of a lower refractive index. As the angle of incidence increases, the angle of refraction also increases. Now, if the angle of incidence is increased to a point that the angle of refraction becomes perpendicular to the angle of refraction, almost parallel to the interface of the two media, then this particular of angle of incidence is called the critical angle. If the angle of incidence is further increased beyond this angle of incidence, then the refracted light will be returned to the same medium, reflected. This is the process of total internal refraction.

What happens in fiber optics is that the light is sent at such an angle almost parallel to the optical fiber, it goes through the process of total internal reflection and travels through hundreds of kilometers. Besides, as we all know that the highest speed of any form of energy is that of light energy. So, it has to be the fastest way of communication. Light gets reflected at the walls of the pure glass and hence travels through hundreds of kilometers.

In order for optical fibers to transmit data over long distances, they need to be highly reflective. On their way to being spooled, newly-pulled glass fibers pass through coating cups and ultraviolet ovens, which respectively apply and then cure the thin plastic buffer coating that creates a mirror effect within the fiber.

The typical three types of fiber optic cables, including multimode fiber optic cable, single mode cable and plastic optical fiber cable (POF), are all adaptable to the basic structure and working principle.

OM means optical multi-mode. Multi-mode optical fiber is a kind of optical fiber mostly employed for communication over short distances, such as inside a building or on the campus. Multi-mode fibers are described using a system of classification determined by the ISO 11801 standard as OM1, OM2, and OM3, which is in line with the modal bandwidth of the multi-mode fiber. Here are the meanings of these: 62.5/125um multimode fiber (OM1), 50/125um multimode fiber (OM2), and laser optimized 50/125um multimode fiber (OM3). This article is mainly about OM3, rapid for OM3 fiber patch cable.

Laser Optimized Multimode Fiber (OM3) has been around since 1999. It supports 300-meter link lengths for 10 Gb/s applications and it is tested to ensure a 2,000 MHz-km Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB). Its industry-standard 50um core size couples sufficient power from LED sources to support legacy applications like Ethernet, Token Ring, FDDI, and Fast Ethernet for virtually all in-building networks and many campus networks. The 50um core size is also directly suitable for laser-based applications like Gigabit Ethernet and Fiber Channel, etc. Furthermore, it’s the recommended multimode fiber type in ANSI/EIA/TIA-942, Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers.

OM3 fiber is really a logical and cost-effective option for short-range applications that need to support 1Gb/s or multi-gigabit speeds, especially when the cabling component costs take into account under three percent of the total spend. Compared to the total installation price of networks using lower bandwidth OM1 or OM2 fibers, the premium for OM3 fiber is typically about one percent but can offer significant financial savings for that electronics when upgrading to raised speeds, e.g. 10 Gb/s. 10G OM3 Duplex fiber optic patch cord cable includes two fibers, usually in a zip cord (side-by-side) style. We use duplex multimode or single mode fiber optic cable for applications that need simultaneous, bi-directional bandwidth. Workstations, fiber switches and servers, fiber modems, and similar hardware require duplex cable. 10G fiber optic patch cables provide 10 gigabit bandwidth speeds in high bandwidth applications 5 times faster than standard 50um fiber cable. They use both VCSEL laser and LED sources.

fiber-mart.com has all lengths and connectors available. Duplex or simplex 10G fiber optic patch cables are available at good price and fast shipping, for instance, 50/125 sc-sc duplex OM3. And there’s a different type of OM3 fiber patch cable called MPO. The MPO cable is designs for Data Center Applications. It’s a round cable using the outer diameter of three,0 mm or 4,5 mm. The connectors where this cable is terminated on is called MPO/MTP connector. To have a look, please click this link, 10G OM3 MPO Fiber Optic Cable.

Today 1Gb/s-ready backbone solutions would be the norm and provide 10x speed capability at almost cost parity of 100 Mb/s LED-based systems. OM3 fiber has a significantly higher bandwidth advantage for extended reach 1 Gb/s and 10 Gb/s applications that most customers will use today or in the long run, while preserving the reduced system cost advantages of multimode fiber.

In addition, OM3 fiber shares exactly the same connector technologies and installation techniques as 62.5um fiber, which means installers can leverage their existing fiber installation experience without additional training. All of this, coupled with the fact that greatly improved cabling materials and procedures make 50um fiber cable-friendly, is driving the migration to OM3 because the multimode fiber of choice in LANs, SANs, data center interconnects and, now, Access applications. Because of these factors, the Fiber Optics LAN Section recommends that for new installations, customers install OM3 fiber.

Fiber optic cables are the medium of choice in telecommunications infrastructure, enabling the transmission of high-speed voice, video, and data traffic in enterprise and service provider networks. Depending on the type of application and the reach to be achieved, various types of fiber may be considered and deployed, such as single mode duplex fiber and multimode duplex fiber optic cable.

Fibers come in several different configurations, each ideally suited to a different use or application. Early fiber designs that are still used today include single-mode and multimode fiber. Since Bell Laboratories invented the concept of application-specific fibers in the mid-1990s, fiber designs for specific network applications have been introduced. These new fiber designs – used primarily for the transmission of communication signals – include Non-Zero Dispersion Fiber (NZDF), Zero Water Peak Fiber (ZWPF), 10-Gbps laser optimized multimode fiber (OM3 fiber optic cable), and fibers designed specifically for submarine applications. Specialty fiber designs, such as dispersion compensating fibers and erbium doped fibers, perform functions that complement the transmission fibers. The differences among the different transmission fiber types result in variations in the range and the number of different wavelengths or channels at which the light is transmitted or received, the distances those signals can travel without being regenerated or amplified, and the speeds at which those signals can travel.

There are two different types of fiber optic cable: multimode and single-mode (MMF and SMF). Both are used in a broad range of telecommunications and data networking applications. These fiber types have dominated the commercial fiber market since the 1970’s. The distinguishing difference, and the basis for the naming of the fibers, is in the number of modes allowed to propagate in the core of a fiber. The “mode” is an allowable path for the light to travel down a fiber. A multimode fiber allows many light propagation paths, while a single-mode fiber allows only one light path.

In multimode fiber, the time it takes for light to travel through a fiber is different for each mode resulting in a spreading of the pulse at the output of the fiber referred to as intermodal dispersion. The difference in the time delay between the modes is called Differential Mode Delay (DMD). Intermodal dispersion limits multimode fiber bandwidth. This is significant because a fiber’s bandwidth determines its information carrying capacity, i.e., how far a transmission system can operate at a specified bit error rate.

The optical fiber guides the light launched into the fiber core (Figure 1). The cladding is a layer of material that surrounds the core. The cladding is designed so that the light launched into the core is contained in the core. When the light launched into the core strikes the cladding, the light is reflected from the core-to-cladding interface. The condition of total internal reflection (when all of the light launched into the core remains in the core) is a function of both the angle at which the light strikes the core-to-cladding interface and the index of refraction of the materials. The index of refraction (n) is a dimensionless number that characterizes the speed of light in a specific media relative to the speed of light in a vacuum. To confine light within the core of an optical fiber, the index of refraction for the cladding (n1) must be less than the index of refraction for the core (n2).

Fibers are classified in part by their core and cladding dimensions. Single mode duplex fiber has a much smaller core diameter than multimode duplex fiber optic cable. However, the Mode Field Diameter (MFD) rather than the core diameter is used in single-mode fiber specifications. The MFD describes the distribution of the optical power in the fiber by providing an “equivalent” diameter, sometimes referred to as the spot size. The MFD is always larger than the core diameter with nominal values ranging between 8-10 microns, while single-mode fiber core diameters are approximately 8 microns or less. Unlike single-mode fiber, multimode fiber is usually referred to by its core and cladding diameters. For example, fiber with a core of 62.5 microns and a cladding diameter of 125 microns is referred to as a 62.5/125-micron fiber. Popular multimode product offerings have core diameters of 50 microns or 62.5 microns with a cladding diameter of 125 microns. Single-mode fibers also have 125 micron cladding diameters.

A single-mode fiber, having a single propagation mode and therefore no intermodal dispersion, has higher bandwidth than multimode fiber. This allows for higher data rates over much longer distances than achievable with multimode fiber. Consequently, long haul telecommunications applications only use single-mode fiber, and it is deployed in nearly all metropolitan and regional configurations. Long distance carriers, local Bells, and government agencies transmit traffic over single-mode fiber laid beneath city streets, under rural cornfields, and strung from telephone poles. Although single mode duplex fiber has higher bandwidth, multimode fiber supports high data rates at short distances. The smaller core diameter of single mode duplex fiber also increases the difficulty in coupling sufficient optical power into the fiber. Relaxed tolerances on optical coupling requirements afforded by multimode fiber enable the use of transmitter packaging tolerances that are less precise, thereby allowing lower cost transceivers or lasers. As a result, multimode duplex fiber optic cable has dominated in shorter distance and cost sensitive LAN applications.

In the telecommunications industry today, how to install the fiber optics that each optical engineer must learn in their work. Don’t froget, when you install the fiber optics, you have to testing your fiber optic system. Optical-fiber tests are one of the final and many important procedures in installing optical networks.

How to set up the fiber optic cable?

Fiber optic cable may be installed indoors or outdoors using several different installation processes. Outdoor cable might be direct buried, pulled or blown into conduit or interdict, or installed aerially between poles. Indoor cables could be installed in raceways, cable trays, put into hangers, pulled into conduit or interdict or blown though special ducts with compressed gas. Cellular phone process will depend on the nature of the installation and also the kind of cable being used. Installation methods for both wire and optical fiber communications cables are similar. Fiber cable is designed to be pulled with much greater force than copper wire if pulled correctly, but excess stress may harm the fibers, potentially causing eventual failure.

The install fiber optic cable tips:

a) Stick to the cable manufacturer’s recommendations. Fiber optic cable is often custom-designed for that installation and the manufacturer might have specific instructions on its installation.

b) Check the cable length to make sure the cable being pulled is long enough for that go to prevent needing to splice fiber and provide special protection for the splices.

c) Attempt to complete the installation in a single pull. Just before any installation, assess the route carefully to look for the ways of installation and obstacles likely to be encountered.

Testing fiber optic cables steps:

After installation, test each fiber in most fiber optic cables for verification of proper installation. Carry out the following tests:

a) Continuity testing to find out that the fiber routing and/or polarization is correct and documentation is proper.

b) End-to-end insertion loss utilizing an OLTS power meter and source. Test multimode cables by using TIA/EIA 526-14 Method B, and single-mode cables using TIA/EIA 526-7 (single-mode). Total loss shall be under the calculated maximum loss for the cable based on appropriate standards or customer specifications.

c) Optional OTDR testing may be used to verify cable installation and splice performance. However, OTDR testing shall not be accustomed to determine cable loss.

d) If the design documentation does not include cable plant length, which is not recorded during installation, test the length of the fiber using the length feature on an OTDR, or some OLTSs.

e) If testing shows variances from expected losses troubleshoot the issues and proper them. fiber-mart.com is really a professional fiber optic cable manufacturer of wide range of fiber optic and copper data communication cabling and connectivity solutions primarily for that enterprise market, offering an integrated suite of top quality, warranted products which operate as a system solution for seamless integrate with other providers’ offerings. We provide some fiber optic products including about simplex fiber optic cable, 10G fiber cable, fiber patch cable, fiber optic transceiver module and so forth.