An Optical Fiber Cables are a type of cable that has a number of optical fibers bundled together, which are normally covered in their individual protective plastic covers. Optical cables are used to transfer digital data signals in the form of light upto distances of hundreds of miles with higher throughput rates and minimal loss of data. However , The Optical fiber cables comes with different variations like : Single Mode , Multi Mode fiber cables. Firstly, Single Mode fibers such as OS1 , OS2 types. Secondly, Multi Mode fibers such as OM1 , OM2 , OM3 , OM4 variants. Above all, these come in Loose tube and Tight buffered tubes. 

Multi mode Fiber:

Multi mode fiber has come a long way in 30 years. Moreover, It has evolved with the growing demand for more speed. Since OM1 and OM2 fiber could not support the higher speeds, OM3 and OM4 became the main choice for multi mode fiber to support 25G, 40G and 100G Ethernet. With even greater demands on the horizon, OM5 was developed to extend the benefits of multi mode fiber in data centers.

Types of Multi mode Fiber Cable and Specifications

OM1

  • Jacket Color – Orange
  • Core Size – 62.5um
  • Data Rate – 1Gb @ 850nm wavelength
  • Distance – Up to 300 meters
  • Application – Short-haul networks, Local Area Networks(LANs) & private networks

 

OM2

    • Jacket Color – Orange
    • Core Size – 50um
    • Data Rate – 1Gb @ 850nm wavelength
    • Distance – Up to 600 meters
    • Application – Short-haul networks, Local Area Networks(LANs) & private networks
    • Generally used for shorter distances. Has twice the distance capacity has OM1

 

OM3 
  • Jacket Color – Aqua
  • Core Size – 50um
  • Data Rate – 10Gb @ 850nm wavelength
  • Distance – Up to 300 meters
  • Uses fewer modes of light, enabling increased speeds
  • Able to run 40GB or 100GB up to 100 meters utilizing an MPO connector
  • Application – Larger Private Networks
 

OM4 

  • Jacket Color – Aqua
  • Core Size – 50um
  • Data Rate – 10G @ 850nm wavelength
  • Distance – Up to 400 meters
  • Able to run 100GB up to 150 meters utilizing an MPO connector
  • Application – High-Speed Networks, Data Centers, Financial Centers and Corporate Campuses
 

OM5 

  • Jacket Color – Lime Green
  • Fully compatible and can mate with OM3 and OM4 cabling
  • Utilizes a wider range of wavelengths between 850nm and 953nm
  • Designed to support Short Wavelength Division Multiplexing (SWDM)
  • Can Transmit 40 Gb/s and 100 Gb/s
  • Application – High-speed Networks and Data Centers that require greater link distances and higher speeds.

Single-Mode Fiber Cables :

Single Mode Fibers – OS1 and OS2

These fibers are identified by the designation OS or Optical Single-mode Fiber. Single Mode cable has a much smaller core (8-9um) than multimode cable and uses a single path (mode) to carry the light. The main difference between single mode OS1 and OS2 is cable construction rather than optical specifications. OS1 type cable uses a tight buffered construction while OS2 is a loose tube or blown cable construction.

OS1 Single Mode Tight Buffered Cable

Each fiber has its own protective two-layer coating (color-coded for identification). One layer is plastic and the other is waterproof acrylate. The tight buffer allows for a smaller, lighter weight cable that is more flexible and crush resistant than Loose Tube. Installation is easier as there is no gel to clean up and no fan out kit required for connector termination.

Application: (Indoor Use) – moderate distance telco local loops, LANs and point-to-point links in cities, buildings, factories, office parks or campuses. OS1 can support speeds up to 10G and distances up to about 10km (6 miles).

OS2 Single Mode Loose Tube Cable

All fibers are essentially bare other than their outer coating. Each fiber has a colored coating for identification. Other than this coating the fiber “floats” within a rugged, abrasion resistant, oversized tube usually filled with optical gel which protects the fibers from moisture. Connector termination requires a fan out kit.

Application: (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).

INDOOR / OUTDOOR FIBER OPTIC CABLES These are cables that are designed to meet both the rigorous environment of the outdoors but also can be routed indoors, where flame rating requirements also apply.

  • Aerial 
  • Duct
  • Direct Buried 
  • LSZH cables ( Low Smoke Zero Halogen )

To Sum Up , the different variations of fiber cables is as below :

  • Single Mode / Multi Mode 
  • Outdoor Cables / Indoor 
  • Aerial Cables
  • Duct
  • Direct Buried
  • LSZH cables
  • Unitube/ Multitube
  • Loose Tube / Tight Buffered
  • Armoured / Unarmoured
  •  FRP / Steel Wire / FRP with Yarn 
  • No. of cores i.e 2 , 4, 6, 12, 24, 48 , 96 Fiber cores etc. 

BRANDS OF FIBER OPTICAL CABLES WE DEAL IN :

  • SCHNEIDER ACTASSI
  • SCHNEIDER DIGILINK
  • DLINK
  • MOLEX
  • R&M 
  • FINOLEX
  • HAWK
  • COMMSCOPE NETCONNECT
  • COMMSCOPE SYSTIMAX
  • PENDUIT

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