What Are Fiber Optic Cables and How Do They Work?

A fiber optic cable is a type of network cable that is made of one or more thin, flexible fibers that have a glass core that light can be sent through with very little loss to illumination. As such, they can be used as a communication pathway between two devices, turning the simple output of light versus dark into complex messages that can traverse long distances at alarming speeds. For this reason, homes and businesses often use fiber optic technology as part of their high-speed internet connection network. 

What Is a Fiber Optic Cable Composed Of?

Fiber optic cables typically consist of five parts: a core, cladding, coating, strengthening layer, and outer jacket. The core is made up of one or more thin strands of glass or plastic known as optical fibers. Around the core is the cladding, an insulated casing that has a very low refractive index, meaning that it has minimal bending effect on light passing through the core. The cladding itself is protected by the coating which prevents damage to the fragile core and cladding. In addition, the strengthening layer adds greater protection by shielding against crushing forces and excessive tension during installation. Finally, there is an outer jacket which wraps around the entire cable and is used to protect the cable from environmental hazards.

How Does a Fiber Optic Cable Work?

As a cable which can transfer light across hundreds of miles with little loss in brightness, it is a wonder how this technology functions. In simple terms, light travels down a fiber optic cable by bouncing repeatedly off the inner walls of the cable until it reaches the end of the system. The fiber core and cladding bend the incoming light at a certain angle to maximize its illumination. The signals that are sent down these cables can be used to transfer messages or even sense factors about the environment around the cable. Sometimes, fiber optic cables are used alongside pipelines to easily locate damage, as any disruption in the cable will result in diminished light at one end. Nevertheless, the most common usage for fiber optic cables is to transmit data from one device to another.

Fiber Optic Cable Types

Typically, fiber optic cables come in two varieties: single mode fiber (SMF) and multimode fiber (MMF). A single mode fiber has a very thin core about 5-10 microns in diameter, while a multimode fiber will have a core diameter about 10 times that of a single mode fiber. Generally, single mode optical fibers used in telecommunication operate at a 1310 nm or 1550 nm wavelength, while multimode fibers operate at a wavelength of 850 nm and 1300 nm. Compared with a single mode fiber, a multimode fiber has a limited transmission distance by model dispersion because it has a large core size and supports more than one light mode. A single mode fiber is suitable for long distance applications, such as 100 km between buildings, while multimode optical fibers are used in short distance transmission within buildings, such as computer network linking.

Conclusions

Fiber optic cables are useful in a large number of modern telecommunication applications due to their effective use of light pulses for transmitting data across long distances at rapid speeds. If you are in need of fiber optic cables or other industrial components, NSN Parts Now invites you to browse our inventory of items that are readily available for purchase. As a leading distributor of industrial, aviation, and defense parts, we only source from leading suppliers like Airbus, Cessna, and Bombardier so that you can always find high-quality components for your assembly. Upon finding any items that spark your interest, simply make use of our Instant RFQ service to request competitive quotes for your comparisons. Our team of experts are available 24/7x365 to answer customer inquiries and requests and will reply to RFQ forms in just 15 minutes or less!


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