Optical Fiber Cables
Ch 4
Fiber Optics Technician’s
Manual, 3rd. Ed
Jim Hayes
Optical Fiber Cable
Construction
Fiber and Acrylate Coating
Optical fiber is covered by
an acrylate coating
during manufacture
• Coating protects the fiber
from moisture and
mechanical damage
Three Cable Types
Tight-buffer
Loose-tube
Ribbon
Loose-Tube and Tight-Buffer
A cable has:
• Optical fiber (core, cladding, and
coating)
• Buffer (loose or tight)
• Kevlar strength member
• Outer Jacket
Image from commspecial.com (link Ch 4a)
Loose-Tube Cable
Used for long distances and outside-
plant
Low attenuation
Black jacket
High pulling strength
• Fibers are completely separated from
environment
• Image from alphawire.com (link Ch 4e)
Loose-Tube Cable
Tubes contain gel or absorbent tape
to protect fibers from water
• Image from alphawire.com (link Ch 4e)
Loose-Tube Cable
Fibers must be
terminated with
breakout kits
• Or fusion splicing
to pre-
connectorized
pigtails
• Image from
fonetworks.com
(link Ch 4d)
Loose-Tube Cable
Used Outdoor
• Ducts or conduits
• Aerial lashed
• Directly buried
(armored)
Weather-resistant
• From alphawire.com
(link Ch 4k)
Tight-Buffer
Cable
PVC Buffer is extruded directly onto the
coating
• Diameter is 900 microns
• Makes cable more flexible
• Easier to terminate
• The most common indoor cable type
• Not good for outside use
Because the buffer strains the fiber as temperature
fluctuates, increasing attenuation
Image from mohawk-cdt.com (link Ch 4f)
Distribution Cables
Distribution Cable
• Several tight-buffer
fibers
• Kevlar reinforcement
(Aramid)
• One jacket
Image from arcelect.com (link Ch 4g)
Distribution Cable
Contains tight-buffered
fibers in bundles of up
to 12 each
Used for Riser and
Office Cabling
Must be terminated
inside a patch panel or
junction box
• From alphawire.com (link Ch 4i)
Breakout Cables
Breakout Cable
• Reinforce each tight-buffer fiber with
Kevlar and jacket it
• Each fiber can be broken out and
individually connectorized
Image from arcelect.com (link Ch 4g)
Breakout Cable
Several simplex units
cabled together
Stronger, larger and more
expensive than distribution
cables
Used for Riser and Office
Cabling
Cables can be terminated
individually and connected
directly to computers
• From alphawire.com (link Ch 4j)
Ribbon cable
Dozens of fibers packed together
Can be mass fusion spliced or mass
terminated
Images from gore.com (link Ch 4b) and alcatel.com (link Ch 4c)
Cable Jacketing
Chemical Resistance
• Kynar, PFA, Teflon, Tefzel, or Halar
Aerospace
• Wide temperature range, ½ inch
sustained bend radius
Fire Safety
Inside cable must meet National Electric
Code fire safety requirements
• Horizontal Fire Propagation
• Dripping of flaming material
Irradiated Hypalon or XLPE meets these requirements
(plenum rated)
Use of black outside-plant cable in
buildings is limited to 50 feet
• See link Ch 4l
Five Standard Cable Types
Simplex and Zipcord
Distribution
Breakout
Loose-tube
Hybrid or Composite
Simplex and Zipcord
Used For:
• Patch Cables
• Short Run Office
Cabling
• Test Equipment
From alphawire.com
(link Ch 4h)
Hybrid or Composite Cable
Hybrid cable
• Contains both singlemode and multimode
fibers
Composite cable
• Contains both copper wires and fiber
optics
The two terms are often confused
Choice of Cables
Choosing a Cable
Cable Type Application Advantages
Tight Buffer Premises Makes rugged patch cords
Distribution Premises Small size for lots of fibers, inexpensive
Rugged, easy to terminate, no hardware
Breakout Premises
needed
Outside
Loose Tube Rugged, gel or dry water-blocking
Plant
Outside
Armored Prevents rodent damage
Plant
Outside
Ribbon Highest fiber count for small size
Plant
From lanshack.com (link Ch 4m)
Factors to Consider when
Choosing Cable
Bandwidth
Attenuation & Length
Cost
Mechanical & UL/NEC Requirements
Signal loss
Connectors
Cable Dimensions & Environment
Existing systems
Installing Fiber Optic Cable
Never pull on the fiber itself
• Pull only from the strength members
• Maximum pulling force 300 lb.
Never exceed bend radius
• 10 x diameter without tension
• 20 x diameter under tension
Images from Lennie Lightwave and bwcecom.belden.com
(Link Ch 4n)
Vertical Installations
Clamp the cable to distribute weight
evenly
• Every 50 feet indoors
• More often, up to every 3 feet, outdoors
Fiber migrates down, increasing
attenuation
• Place 1 foot loops at the top of the run,
bottom of run, and every 500 ft in
between
Pulling Cables through Conduits
Loose-buffer cables work best
Video from American Polywater
(link Ch 4o)
Direct Burial
Armor is desirable to protect the
cable from gophers, construction
digging, etc.
Gel filling is a water barrier
Aerial Installation
Supported by
messenger wire, or
Self-supporting
• Images of self-supporting cable
from ericsson.net and
Arcelect.com (link Ch 4p & 4g)
OGW (Optical Ground
Wire) cables carry both
electricity and fiber optic
signals
Blown-in Fiber
Fiber is blown
through plastic tubes
with air
Faster than pulling
• Image from fpnmag.com
(link Ch 4q)
Fire Code Ratings
NEC Rating Description
OFN Optical fiber non-conductive
OFC Optical fiber conductive
OFNG or OFCG General purpose
OFNR or OFCR Riser rated cable for vertical runs
Plenum rated cables for use in air-
OFNP or OFCP
handling plenums
OFN-LS Low smoke density
See link Ch 4r for details
NEC Requirements
OFC cables have noncurrent-carrying
conductive elements
• Must be grounded
• Cannot share a raceway with electric
power lines
• Can share with communications lines
Abandoned cables must be removed
