ND3361

SYSTIMAX

INSTALLATION & MAINTENANCE

LESSON 4

FIBER BASICS, CABLES & TERMINATION

ND3361 March 2013

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Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - iii

Table of Contents

INSTALLING FIBER BASICS CABLES AND TERMINATION ...................................................... 1

Synopsis and Objectives .................................................................................................................... 1
INTRODUCTION TO SYSTIMAX SCS FIBER OPTICS .................................................................... 2
Advantages of fiber over copper ...................................................................................................... 2
FIBER BASICS ......................................................................................................................................... 5
Fiber Designs ....................................................................................................................................... 5
Bandwidth ........................................................................................................................................... 5
Modal Delay ........................................................................................................................................ 7
Signaling .............................................................................................................................................. 8
TeraSPEED OS2 ................................................................................................................................ 10
Lightwave Characteristics ............................................................................................................... 12
Fiber Light Sources ........................................................................................................................... 13
How Lasers Work ............................................................................................................................. 14
Lasers and Eye Damage ................................................................................................................... 15
Classification of Lasers..................................................................................................................... 16
Classification of Fiber Optic Equipment ....................................................................................... 18
Safety Precautions for Enclosed Systems ...................................................................................... 18
Safety Precautions for Unenclosed Systems ................................................................................. 19
Safety Precautions for Accidental Breaks ...................................................................................... 20
Responsibilities ................................................................................................................................. 21
Optical Fiber safety ........................................................................................................................... 22
FIBER COLOR CODES......................................................................................................................... 23
FIBER SELECTION ............................................................................................................................... 24
Fiber Selection and Comparison ..................................................................................................... 25
Fiber Types ........................................................................................................................................ 25
Internal Fiber Construction ............................................................................................................. 26
OUTSIDE PLANT CABLES ................................................................................................................. 27
Indoor/Outdoor Stranded Loose Tube Dielectric Cable ............................................................ 27
Indoor/Outdoor Stranded Loose Tube Metallic Cable ............................................................... 28
Indoor/Outdoor Tight Buffered Riser ........................................................................................... 29
GROUNDING AND FIBER PROTECTION ...................................................................................... 31
12A1 Clamp ....................................................................................................................................... 31
Core tube blocking............................................................................................................................ 32
Fiber Breakout Kit ............................................................................................................................. 32
Splitters .............................................................................................................................................. 32

WALL MOUNTED BUILDING ENCLOSURE ................................................................................. 33

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4 - iv Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

FIBER CONNECTORS ......................................................................................................................... 35

ST-SC-LC & MPO Connectors ........................................................................................................ 35
APC Connectors ................................................................................................................................ 36
Qwik Connectors .............................................................................................................................. 37

FIBER OPTIC TOOLS ........................................................................................................................... 39

Strippers ............................................................................................................................................. 39
Microscopes ....................................................................................................................................... 40
Consumables ..................................................................................................................................... 40

FIBER ENDS HANDLING .................................................................................................................. 41

CHEMICAL SAFETY ........................................................................................................................... 42
FUSION SPLICING .............................................................................................................................. 45
Pigtails ................................................................................................................................................ 46
Splice Holders ................................................................................................................................... 46
SUMMARY ............................................................................................................................................ 47

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 ND3361
Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4-1

Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Synopsis

In this lesson we will run through the basics of fiber

transmission, look at fiber cable construction and learn about the
different methods of fiber termination. Also covered will be the
very important H&S issues faced when working with this
medium together with correct handling and installation issues
most commonly found in a SYSTIMAX installations.

Objectives

Upon completion of this lesson, the student should be able to:

1. Understand the basics of fiber transmission

2. Recognize the differences between singlemode and

multimode fiber

3. Understand the different cable jacket construction

4. Learn the additional safety rules for working with fiber

as opposed to copper cabling including light sources, the
cause of common fiber accidents and working with the
associated chemicals.

5. Learn about different termination methods

6. Fusion splicing practices.

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Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4-3

Introduction to SYSTIMAX Fiber Optics

Advantages of Fiber over Copper

There are many advantages of fiber over copper although at first

glance, fiber might seem to be the more expensive option. Like so
many technologies available in the world today, the cost of opto-
electronics is falling making it a much more viable proposition
than it once was.

 Lighter weight
To get the same amount of bandwidth from A to B, fiber will
always be lighter versus copper cables. It is lightweight,
thinner, and more durable than copper cable.

 Higher bandwidth
Fiber provides far greater bandwidth than copper and has
standardized performance of 10 Gbps with off the shelf
interfaces. Future bandwidth proposed already with the
standards is 100Gbs but existing interfaces are running 40G
running parallel transmission.

 Lower Cost
The cost for copper cable and components is steadily
increasing and has been for some time while fiber costs have
been falling. Fiber may be more expensive initially but may
actually be less expensive in the long run.

 Better signal quality and lower attenuation

Copper data cabling is limited to 90mts distance due to the
attenuation whereas fiber can easily reach distances of 40km
depending on the fiber type. The quality can also be
maintained over that distance as the bandwidth is not so
restrictive as copper

 Easily upgradeable.
Another benefit of fiber is that quite often higher network
performance can be achieved without having to re-cable at a
later date.

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4-4 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

 Easy to install
Fiber optic cable has pulling specifications that are up to 10
times greater than copper and being small it takes up much
less cabling duct space.

 Security
Data is safe with fiber cable which is why it is used by the
military and government. It doesn’t radiate signals and
although the movies might show otherwise, it is extremely
difficult to break into without causing the whole link to fail.
If an attempt is made to break the physical security of your
fiber system, you will know it.

 Immunity from EMC and other interfernce

Fiber is completely immune to electrometric interference and
radio-frequency interference (EM/RFI) from external
sources. It can be run parallel to electrical cables without any
problems and can share ducts with all other cable types.

 Standards based
Fiber specifications, distances, attenuation, connector types
are all covered by the standards. Also covered is testing,
glass type, cable construction, current and future
applications.

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Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4-5

Fiber Basics

Fiber Designs

There are two basic fiber designs identified by core diameter:

Multimode Fiber (50/125 or 62.5/125m)

The multimode optical fiber is recommended for all premises

applications because of its compatibility with the physical and
transmission characteristics of the electro-optical devices
commonly used in the premises distribution environment.
The large core diameter and transmission characteristics of
multimode fiber offer the following advantages:
 Greater light coupling efficiency
 Less critical core alignment requires fewer administration
points and splice locations
 Less susceptibility to micro and macro bending losses
 Backwards compatible with LAN interfaces
 OM1 standard compliant (OptiSPEED 62.5/125) (Orange
colored jacket)
 10G Base & OM3 standard compliant (LazrSPEED 300
LOMMF 50/125) (Aqua colored jacket)
 10GBase and OM4 Standard compliant (LazrSPEED 550
LOMMF 50/125) (Aqua colored jacket)

Multimode Fiber

Optional 900 micron buffer

Polymer
Coating

Glass
50 or 62.5 M 125 M 250 M
Cladding

Glass
Core

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4-6 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Singlemode Fiber ( TeraSPEED 8.5/125) m Fiber

Singlemode fiber was initially developed to support the high

bandwidth and channel capacity needed in the long-haul trunk
environment and, although singlemode fiber is being deployed
in the subscriber loop, it is usually not cost-effective for premise
distribution systems. (Yellow colored jacket)

Because of the physical incompatibility of the small core of

singlemode fibers and the wide beam of LED’s, singlemode fiber
is recommended for SYSTIMAX SCS installations where laser
type fiber interfaces are used to run long distance or provide
high bandwidth. (Choosing the correct fiber type and or
application is covered in the SP3321 Design & Engineering
course)

Singlemode Fiber

Optional 900 micron buffer

Polymer
Coating

Glass 125 m 250 m

8.3 m
.0049 In. .0098 In.
Cladding

Glass
Core

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Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4-7

Bandwidth
Multimode Fiber
Generally speaking the smaller the core the higher the
bandwidth due to the Modal Delay (‘spread’ of light) within the
core as it travels in different modes.
Refractive Input Light Output
Fiber cross section index section pulse propagation in Fiber Pulse

Type : step-index multimode

r Step-index Multimode fiber: A out

125 um 50/62.5 um n
r

Type : graded index multimode

r Graded-index Multimode fiber: A out

125 um 50/62.5um
n
r

Type : singlemode fiber

r Singlemode fiber : A out

125 um 10um n

In multimode fiber many modes of light can travel along the

fiber. In singlemode, one mode is considered to travel along the
fiber. Different modes take different optical paths hence within
one pulse there is the possibility for modes to arrive at slightly
different times.
This is Modal Delay (sometimes referred to as dispersion) and
can result in the broadening and overlap of adjacent signals. This
limits the’ bandwidth’ of an optical fiber, which is measured in
Mhz.km.

Singlemode Fiber
Another method for fiber transmission is to reduce the core glass
diameter to a size where only one ray (mode) can propagate
through the fiber. The modal dispersion is no longer present.
Dispersion in a singlemode fiber is mainly chromatic dispersion,
caused by the light source, which is not fully monochromatic.
Singlemode fiber presents higher system cost. The fibers are less
expensive but the connection materials must have a higher
accuracy and are therefore more expensive. The light sources
must have a narrow beam in order to couple in light in this type
of fiber. Inexpensive LED light sources are not suitable requiring
more expensive Lasers to be used. The higher cost of singlemode
systems may be justified when used for high performance
applications and where longer than 550 mts at high bit rates must
be supported.

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4-8 Fiber Basiics, Cables & Te
ermination

Modal
M Delaay

Modal
M Delaay is minimiized by the design of th he refractiv
ve Index
Profile
P of thhe fiber for example;
e grraded indexx where the
refractive
r in
ndex of the core gradua ally decreasses further from
f the
center
c of thee core. (All SYSTIMAX X MMF fiberrs are grade ed).

Grade
ed-index Multimode fiber:

Modal Dispe
ersion

Inp
put Signal Output
Sig
gnal
Singlemode
e fiber :

Inp
put Signal Output
Sig
gnal

This
T modal delay limitts the speed at which yyou can swittch the
input
i signall, as the receeiver canno
ot recognizee the overlap
pped
pulses.
p The net effect can be seen below
b wherre the delay
y impacts
the
t signal to o the point where
w ond around 300m the receiver
beyo
cannot
c reco gnize the different pullses. For con
nventional fiber
f the
maximum
m sspeed over 300m
3 wouldd be aroundd 2.5Gbps

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Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4-9

LazrSPEED Fiber
In order to signal beyond 1Gbps on MMF the Modal Delay
(dispersion) had to be reduced with a different type of glass and
core structure. LazrSPEED produced in 1999 the first MMF
optimized for laser transmission using low cost VCSEL interfaces
at 850nm.
This was achieved through developing DMD (Differential Modal
Delay) measurement techniques to produce a glass that exhibited
a very low Modal delay when using a laser interface, offering
over 2000Mhz.km at 850nm.

1010101010101010101010101010101010101

10 Gbps Detector
850nm Laser

Core

Cladding

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4 - 10 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Signaling
The light used to signal is not white light as the bandwidth
would be limited further by ‘spectral spread of the signal’
Certain colors of light are chosen that are optimized for both cost
and loss (attenuation). Three ‘windows of light’ are popular for
opto-electronic interface design. All are in the infrared spectrum
st
with 850nm being on the edge of visible. 850nm is the 1 window
and use with LED’s and VCSEL devices. 1300nm & 1550nm are
nd rd
the 2 & 3 windows and used with typically conventional FP
(Fabry Perot) laser devices. (LED’s and potentially VCSEL’s
could be used at 1300nm but are less efficient due to spectral
spread).

The VCSEL is a Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser and offers

a conventional laser like spectral profiles but at lower cost than
conventional lasers

Low Loss
Rayleigh
Scattering
High Cost

Fiber
Intrinsic
Attenuation
absorption
dB Water Peak

800 1000 1200 1400 1600

850nm 1300nm 1550nm

1st 2nd 3rd
Window Window Window

Ultra Violet Infra-Red Wavelength

Visible

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Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - 11

TeraSPEED Singlemode Fiber OS2

TeraSPEED Fiber is a fiber developed by SYSTIMAX that can use

the existing 1300nm and 1550nm windows as well as the full
spectrum 1265nm to 1625nm used for CWDM or DWDM
applications. The fiber can also use the new Extended 'E' band
1360nm - 1460nm (used to be the water peak area) as applications
emerge.

TeraSPEED is ITU G.652c compliant, which is now standardized

under ISO 11801 as OS2.

Low Loss
Intrinsic
Rayleigh
Scattering

Fiber
Intrinsic
Attenuation TeraSPEED absorption
dB Ability to use full low
loss spectrum for
future DWDM
1280 1625

800 1000 1200 1400 1600

850nm
1st
Window

Ultra Violet Infra-Red Wavelength

Visible

CWDM (Coarse Wave Division Multiplexing) Technology

CDWM systems have channels that work at different
wavelengths spaced 20nm apart. So this would be from 1470,
1490, 1510 etc up to 1610nm.

DWDM (Dense Wave Division Multiplexing) Technology

DWDM is much like CWDM but the channels are much closer
together at 4nm

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4 - 12 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Lightwave characteristics

Lightwave/fiber optic systems, their associated test sets, and

similar operating systems use semiconductor laser transmitters
that emit light at wavelengths of 850µm or 0.85 micrometer and
greater. The emitted light is below the red end of the visible
spectrum. This is in the near-infrared portion of the spectrum,
which is not normally visible to the human eye. Although light
at the near-infrared wavelengths is officially designated as
invisible, some people can see it even at low power levels (levels
several orders of magnitude below any that have been shown to
cause injury to the eye). Consequently, lasers and laser products
are subject to federal and applicable state regulations for safe
operation and use.

Lightwave systems that use Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) as

transmitters generally emit light at wavelengths greater than
1000µm (1.0 micrometer). These wavelengths are in the middle
of the infrared spectrum and are usually not visible to the
human eye. Semiconductor systems are regulated by the
authorities in most countries and thus require certification and
warning labels. However, LED systems are not regulated in
most countries, and thus do not require certification.

Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers (VCSEL) are high volume

manufacture lasers at lost cost but with high performance
transmission.

Operating wavelengths for LED’s and Lasers are as follows:

825-875 µm 1300/10 µm 1550 µm

Laser X X
VCSEL X X
LED X X

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Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - 13

Fiber Light Sources

LED’s have a wider transmit ‘profile’ (spectral spread). Surface

emitting LED’s at 850nm can show a spectral spread of some
60nm FWHM (full width half maximum) and nearly double this
at 1300nm.

LED’s Surface LED – 850nm Fabry Perot Laser– 1300nm

Surface
60nm 4nm
Edge
800nm – 900nm 1299-1303

In contrast an FP laser at 1300nm shows a spread of just 4nm

FWHM. This profile does not widen greatly even at 1550nm
enabling it to take advantage of lower attenuation.

Laser’s
Lasers are expensive to produce by comparison to LED’s due to
the manufacturing process required.

VCSEL’s have ‘laser like’ low spectral spread and can be

produced at much lower cost as the light emitted emanates from
VCSEL’s its surface, simplifying the manufacturing process. These are
currently produced for 850nm.

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4 - 14 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

How Lasers Work

The word "laser" is an acronym for Light Amplification by

Stimulated Emission of Radiation, and it describes the physical
process by which light is amplified. Light, that slender portion
of the entire electromagnetic spectrum that is visible to the eye,
is generally defined as "white" light, the radiation that can be
seen.
Amplification relates to a process by which something is
increased.
When light is amplified, it becomes more intense. To stimulate
something is to perform an action that causes excitement. In the
laser, the atoms in the laser material are electrically stimulated
into an excited state of high energy. Emission refers to the
process by which the energy leaves the laser material. When the
material absorbs sufficient energy, it is triggered to produce a
tremendous burst of light. This large burst of light is known as
emission of radiation. In this case, radiation refers to the
emission of lightwaves.

All lasers can produce an intense beam of monochromatic light.

The term monochromaticity means a single wavelength output
of pure color that may be visible or invisible to the eye. A laser
produces a small-diameter beam of light and, because the beam
diameter is small, the power density is very high. The power
density, or power per unit area, is called irradiance. Very high
values of irradiance are associated with the practical uses of the
laser in industry for cutting, drilling, hardening, leveling, and
aligning various materials. Lasers are also used in medicine for
various surgical procedures, including eye surgery.

A conventional laser beam expands very little over distance, or is

said to be very well collimated. Thus, conventional laser
irradiance remains relatively constant over distance. However,
lasers used in lightwave systems have a large beam divergence,
typically 10 to 20. In this case, irradiance obeys the inverse
square law (doubling the distance reduces the irradiance by a
factor of 4) and rapidly decreases over distance.

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Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - 15

Lasers and Eye Damage

Light energy emitted by lasers and high-radiance LED’s may

cause eye damage if absorbed by the retina. When a beam of
light enters the eye, the eye magnifies and focuses the energy.
The irradiance of the beam at the cornea is amplified
approximately 105 (100,000) times at the retina. Thus, a beam of
fairly low power entering the eye can have a very high
irradiance at the retina and can cause permanent eye damage.
The damage threshold is related to the maximum safe radiation
level of the cornea, the surface of the eye.

The damage mechanism at the wavelengths used in

telecommunications is thermal in origin. Damage is caused by
heating, not by chemical change. Therefore, a specific amount of
energy is required for a definite period of time to heat an area of
retinal tissue. Damage is not instantaneous. It occurs only when
one looks at the light so long that the product of the light energy
and the viewing time exceeds the damage threshold (maximum
safe radiation level at the cornea). For wavelengths used in
telecommunications, these values are defined as 10 mW for 10
seconds and 5.6 mW for 100 seconds. Wavelengths at or greater
than 1400 µm have higher damage thresholds, and thus are
safer, because the eye is opaque to these longer wavelengths.

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Classification of Lasers

Regulations require manufacturers to certify each laser or laser

product as belonging to a class. The standards governing the
safety of laser products in Europe (EN) and Internationally
(IEC), was substantially revised in 2001 and the classification
system was modified. Three new laser classes (1M, 2M and 3R)
were created and Class 3A was removed. A brief description of
each of the current laser classes follows. Lasers are classified
according to the accessible emission limits and their potential for
causing injury.

Regulations require manufacturers to certify each laser or laser

product as belonging to a class. The following classification
from the United States is also used in many other countries. A
laser is certified to belong to one of four major classes: 1, 2 or 2a,
3a or 3b, or 4.
Lasers are classified according to the accessible emission limits
and their potential for causing injury.

 Class 1

This class is eye-safe under all operating conditions.

 Class 1M

This class is safe for viewing directly with the naked eye,
but may be hazardous to view with the aid of optical
instruments. In general, the use of magnifying glasses
increases the hazard from a widely-diverging beam (eg
LEDs and bare laser diodes), and binoculars or telescopes
increase the hazard from a wide, collimated beam (such as
those used in open-beam telecommunications systems).

Radiation in classes 1 and 1M can be visible, invisible or

both.

 Class 2

These are visible lasers. This class is safe for accidental

viewing under all operating conditions. However, it may
not be safe for a person who deliberately stares into the
laser beam for longer than 0.25 s, by overcoming their
natural aversion response to the very bright light.

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Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - 17

 Class 2M

These are visible lasers. This class is safe for accidental

viewing with the naked eye, as long as the natural aversion
response is not overcome as with Class 2, but may be
hazardous (even for accidental viewing) when viewed with
the aid of optical instruments, as with class 1M.

Radiation in classes 2 and 2M is visible, but can also

contain an invisible element, subject to certain conditions.

Classes 1M and 2M broadly replace the old class 3A under

IEC and EN classification. Prior to the 2001 amendment
there were also lasers which were Class 3B but were eye-
safe when viewed without optical instruments. These lasers
are Class 1M or 2M under the current Classification system.

 Class 3R

Radiation in this class is considered low risk, but

potentially hazardous. The class limit for 3R is 5x the
applicable class limit for Class 1 (for invisible radiation) or
class 2 (for visible radiation). Hence CW visible lasers
emitting between 1 and 5 mW are normally Class 3R.
Visible class 3R is similar to class IIIA in the US regulations.

 Class 3B

Radiation in this class is very likely to be dangerous. For a

continuous wave laser the maximum output into the eye
must not exceed 500mW. The radiation can be a hazard to
the eye or skin. However, viewing of the diffuse reflection
is safe.

 Class 4

This is the highest class of laser radiation. Radiation in this

class is very dangerous, and viewing of the diffuse
reflection may be dangerous. Class 4 lasers can also injure
the skin and cause fires. (This class is normally used in
manufacturing processes, such as in cutting and drilling
applications.) Class 4 lasers can also ignite flammable
materials and create hazardous airborne contaminants.
Typically, class 4 lasers use a potentially lethal, high-
current, high-voltage power supply

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4 - 18 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Classification of Fiber Optic Equipment

Fiber systems use a transmitter with a laser of usually class 3b.

The fiber connection between front panel fiber coupling to the
laser itself is usually a fiber pigtail. As most loss in a lightwave
system is encountered in the laser to fiber coupling, a totally
enclosed system presents no risk of eye injury. Such an enclosed
system can therefore be classified to class 1.

The fiber optic cables that interconnect various components in a

lightwave system can disconnect or break, and may expose
people to lightwave emission. Also, certain measurement and
maintenance procedures may expose the technician to emission
from the semiconductor laser during installation and servicing.
Unlike that of more familiar devices, such as solid-state and gas
lasers, the emission pattern of a semiconductor laser results in a
highly divergent beam. In a divergent beam, the irradiance
(power density) dissipates rapidly with distance. The greater
the distance, the less potential risk for eye injury. Energy from
the end of a fractured fiber is more divergent than energy from a
fiber end that is polished flat.

Inadvertently viewing an un-terminated or damaged fiber

with the unaided eye at distances greater than 5 to 6 inches
(12.7 to 15.24 cm) does not cause eye injury. However, damage
can occur if an optical instrument such as a microscope, is used
to view the energized fiber end. Indirect image converters,
such as a Find-R-Scope, also known as an Infrared (IR) scope,
are safe for viewing.

Although viewing an un-terminated, energized connector or a

damaged fiber end with the unaided eye at distances greater
than a few inches (centimeters) does not cause eye injury,
nonetheless, it should always be avoided. Therefore,
appropriate safety precautions are required to protect
employees from accidental exposure to lightwave emission.

Safety Precautions for Enclosed Systems

Under normal operating conditions, lightwave transmission

systems are completely enclosed; nonetheless, the following
precautions should be observed:

 Because of the potential for eye damage, technicians should

not disconnect any fiber optic cable or splices and stare into
the optical connectors terminating the cables.

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Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - 19

Safety Precautions for Enclosed Systems (cont)

 Under no circumstances should lightwave/fiber optic

operations be performed by a technician before
satisfactorily completing an approved training course.

 Since viewing lightwave emission directly with an optical

instrument such as an eye loupe greatly increases the risk
of eye damage, an appropriate label must appear in plain
view on the front of the main frame or fiber optic
termination/ interconnection equipment. The label should
read:
NOTICE: UNTERMINATED OPTICAL CONNECTORS
MAY EMIT LASER RADIATION. DO NOT VIEW THIS
BEAM WITH OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Safety Precautions for Unenclosed Systems

During service, maintenance, or restoration, a lightwave

transmission is considered unenclosed. Under these conditions,
follow these practices:

 Only authorized, trained personnel should be permitted to

perform service, maintenance, and restoration.
Considerable effort should be taken to avoid exposing the
eye to emissions from un-terminated, energized optical
connectors at close distances. Connectors associated with
lightwave regenerators are recessed, which limits the
exposure distance. Consequently, regenerators can be
removed or replaced without fear of eye injury. However,
technicians performing the removal or replacement of the
regenerators should not stare or look directly into the
vacant regenerator slot with optical instruments or
magnifying lenses.
 Safety first, so if working with unknown fibers always
check using a fiber identifier
 All unauthorized personnel should be excluded from the
immediate area of lightwave transmission systems during
installation and service.

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4 - 20 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Safety Precautions for Accidental Breaks

For accidental breaks in the fiber optic cable or accidental

removal of a fiber optic cable from its normal position, the
following steps should be followed by non-trained installation
and/or service personnel:

1. Do not examine or stare into broken, severed, or

disconnected fiber optic cables. (Although the NOTICE
shown before clearly defines the hazard associated with
lightwave transmission systems and specifies appropriate
safety precautions, all eye exposure to lightwave emission
should be avoided.)

2. Report problems to the supervisor so that arrangements

can be made for trained installation or service personnel to
repair or replace cables.

3. Do not view broken cables or fibers, unless it has been

verified that all lightwave emissions are turned off.
Alternatively, view fibers with an indirect image converter.

4. During all splicing operations that require viewing the end

of the fiber, it is mandatory that all lightwave sources on
the fibers involved be de-energized.

Light and Eye Safety Tools

There is never an excuse to be careless or produce low quality

work with fiber as there are many devices on the market to help
make this kind of work safe and of a high quality.

VFL’s. (Visual Fault Locators)

VFL’s are basically a portable light source that has a fitting to

allow it to connect directly to fiber connectors. They are available
with a 1.2mm or 2.5mm adapter and can be used for continuity
checking, fusion splice checking and also to ensure good
installation practice has been carried out without any damage or
over bending of fiber cables. They work mainly at 650µm and
depending on where they are sourced are fitted with a class 2 or
low wattage class 3A VCSEL.

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 ND3361
Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - 21

Responsibilities

The trained personnel for restoring accidental breaks in the fiber

optic cable and installation crews should follow safety practices
as well. The following steps should be taken to insure safe work
environments:

1. Treat fiber installations like electrical ones. Ensure they are

switched off before working on them and use safety
signage. View fibers only if you can determine it is inactive,
(all eye exposure to lightwave emission should be
avoided.)

2. It is the employee’s responsibility to work according to the

safety practices and take precautions. Absence of safety
equipment (e.g. safety glasses) and other safety issues must
be reported to a responsible supervisor.

3. A supervisor is responsible for maintaining the safety

procedures and to take care all appropriate tools and
equipment are present.

4. View broken cables only with an indirect image converter,

unless it has been verified that all lightwave emissions are
turned off.

5. During all splicing and connect rising operations that

require viewing the end of the fiber, it is mandatory that all
lightwave sources on the fibers involved be de-energized.

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4 - 22 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Optical Fiber Safety

The following describes the safety precautions to be taken when

working with optical fibers. There are two potential hazards
unique to optical fiber:

 Cut or broken fiber ends may penetrate clothing or skin.

 A fiber end emits light, which can be intense enough to

cause eye damage

The safety procedures described in this chapter are not limited to

these two items, also the chemical safety precautions and tool
safety is covered.

Important Notice: The following describes safety from a “good

practice” point of view and can be applied to your work
environment. National or Regional regulations however may be
more detailed and may require additional measures in order to
meet your local safety and labor protection rules.

 Fiber is glass. Treat it accordingly

 Do not eat or drink whilst working with fiber

 Never leave bare fibers exposed

 Always use safety glasses when cleaving fiber

 Always use a ‘sharps’ bin for disposal of all fiber ends, and
needles

 If working on live systems, ensure they are turned off

 Report all accidents.

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 ND3361
Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - 23

Fiber Color Codes

Where there are more than twelve fibers in each cable, each
bundle of twelve has a secondary wrap using the first six colors
in the codes as above. i.e a 24 core fiber will have the first 12
fibers wrapped with a blue identifying cord and the second 12
with an orange one.

BUILDING CABLE NUMBER AND COLOR IDENTIFICATION

Buffered Multi- Heavy Duty Building Cable
Fibers Bundle (HDBC)
Fibers Fiber Unit
12-FIBER 24-FIBER UNIT:
UNIT:
1-12 same as 12-unit cable
1 blue 1 blue 1 blue 13 white / blue stripe
2 orange 2 orange 2 orange 14 white / orange stripe
3 green 3 green 3 green 15 white / green stripe
4 brown 4 brown 4 brown 16 white / brown stripe
5 slate 5 slate 5 slate 17 white / slate stripe
6 white 6 white 6 white 18 white / dashed blue stripe
7 red 7 red 19 white / red stripe
8 black 8 black 20 white / black stripe
9 yellow 9 yellow 21 white / yellow stripe
10 violet 10 violet 22 white / violet stripe
11 rose 11 rose 23 white / rose stripe
12 aqua 12 aqua 24 white / aqua stripe

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4 - 24 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Fiber Selection

Fiber selection is primarily the decision of the D&E (Design and

Engineering) trained student. Choice of fibers is not to be taken
lightly as several issues have to be taken into account.

1) What application does the customer want to run over the

fiber link?
2) Might the customer want to upgrade in a few years’ time?
3) What is the total distance of the link?
4) How many joints or patch panels will there be in the total
run?

In order to assess this properly, he will need to refer to the

SYSTIMAX Performance specifications. This is a reference
document where you find the application you are trying to run,
look at the type of fiber, connectors, number of fiber shelves,
splices etc and select your fiber. An example is given here below.

This shows that using OptiSPEED fiber with LC connectors, no

splices and four patch panels the maximum distance you can run
is 300mts.

By changing to LazrSPEED 150 fiber, the distance changes to

780mts. Choosing fiber correctly is very important!

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 ND3361
Fiber Basiccs, Cables & Te
ermination 4 - 25

Fiber
F Selecttion and Co
omparison

A quick oveerview showwing the fle

exibility of L
LazrSPEED fiber at
both
b 1Gb orr 10Gb is sh
hown beloww!

Fiber
F Typess

Standards
S d
define fiber types and classes
c noww. The fiber types
t are
OM1
O throug gh to OM4 and
a OS1 or OS2. OM ty types are mu ultimode
fibers
f and O OS ones are singlemode e fibers.
Fiber
F classess are OF300 0, OF500 or OF2000. Th hese are distances
over
o which the fibers will
w run and d not exceed d the loss in
n that
class.
c Lookiing at the ch hart below OM1
O fiber w
will run at 1Gbps
1 to
300mts
3 and at 100Mbs to 2000mts. The maxim mum loss att 300mts
will
w be 2.55d db and at 20000mts willl be 8.5db. CCare must beb taken
though
t lookking at these figures beecause ‘appllication bud dgets’ are
totally
t diffeerent from fiiber perform
mance, so th he first thin
ng a
designer
d shoould look at
a is the ‘Perrformance SSpecification ns’,
which
w take all these eleements into account.

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4 - 26 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Internal Fiber Cable Construction

Fibers

Aramid - Yarn
Ripcord

Internal fiber is usually tight buffered i.e. with a 900micron jacket

and also means it is suitable for risers. All SYSTIMAX internal
fibers have colored jackets depending on the fiber inside. Yellow
for TeraSPEED singlemode, orange for OptiSPEED Multimode
and Aqua for LazrSPEED Laser Optimized Multimode. The
jackets are either plenum or LSOH rated.

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 ND3361
Fiber Basiccs, Cables & Te
ermination 4 - 27

Outside
O Plaant Cables

SYSTIMAX
S has a full range of exte
ernal fiber ccables in a variety
v of
jackets and varying lev vels of prote
ection to suiit the enviro
onment
into
i which iit will be installed. Most cables aree available in all
three
t ‘typess’ being OpttiSPEED OM M1, LazrSPE EED (OM2+ + OM3 or
OM4
O depennding on speecification oro TeraSPEE ED (OS2).
The
T full ran nge of cabless can be fouund in the oon-line catallog but it
is
i always beetter to conttact your local SYSTIM MAX stockie est to
enquire
e whaat they have available ex-stock.
Some
S cabless particularly hybrids will
w be man nufactured tot order
so
s there maay be few weeeks deliverry time.

Outdoor
O Ceentral Tube
e Fiber

This
T fiber caable is ideall for ducts where
w it maay be runninng with
other
o cablin
ng services. It can be direct buried and even used u for
aerial
a appliccations. Thee outer med dium densitty polyethyllene
jacket is extrremely durrable with th he twin steeel strength members
m
in
i the constr truction addding a lot off extra strenngth. The ca able is
also
a steel arrmored mak king it roden nt resistantt too. As the
e fiber in
this
t cable is all contained in the ce entral tube, there are sppecific
instructions
i s for how too protect the em as they bbreak out frrom the
end
e of the ccable ready to be termin nated or fussion splicedd.
Another
A terrmination in nstruction iss how to deeal with the gel that
the
t fibers ru un in to ensu ure it does not
n leak out ut once termminated.

Full strippping
instruct ions on
the courrse USB
stick

 2013 CommSccope, Inc & Cab

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4 - 28 Fiber Basiics, Cables & Te
ermination

Indoor/
I Ou tdoor Stran
nded Loose Tube Diellectric Fiberr Cable

This
T o the more popular exxternal cable
fiber caable is one of es and
can
c be used d where the rodent resistant qualitties of the am mored
version
v is noot required. It is availa
able in eitheer gel or gel free
versions.
v Fibber counts are
a availablle from 4 too 288 in OptiSPEED,
LazrSPEED
L D or TeraSPE EED version ns.

Indoor/
I Ou tdoor Stran
nded Loose Tube Metaallic Fiber Cable
C

This
T fiber caable is a mo
ore ruggediz zed of the oone above having
h the
rodent
r ket. It is alsso available in either
resisstant metallic inner jack
g or gel freee versions with fiber counts
gel c from
m 4 to 288 inn
OptiSPEED
O D, LazrSPEED or TeraSP PEED versioons. This fib ber cable
must
m be earrthed at bothh ends if ru
un externallyy.

Full sttripping
instruuctions on
the coourse USB
stick

 2013 CommSccope, Inc & Cab

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Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - 29

Indoor/ Outdoor Tight Buffered Riser Fiber Cable

Unlike the other two internal external fibers we have just seen
this cable contains tight buffered 900µm fibers. This means it is
suitable for risers and is easier to prepare than the 250µm
buffered fibers. It is available in LSOH or Plenum rated versions
either gel or gel free versions with fiber counts from 4 to 144 in
OptiSPEED, LazrSPEED or TeraSPEED versions.

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Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - 31

Grounding and Fiber Protection

Just because a fiber cable transmits light there is still the need to
ground it, if it has a metallic sheath. It needs to be treated like
any other cable with an earth coming into a building and should
be grounded within the first few meters/feet.

CommScope manufacture the 12A1 clamp kit that is specifically

designed for this purpose. It also contains a wall/shelf clamp
that will securely hold an external fiber in a permanent position.
The earth clamp can be seen fitted to a metallic cable on the next
page.

12A1 Clamp Kit

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 ND3361
4 - 32 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Core Tube Blocking

Core tube blocking is only required on fibers with a gel filled

central core. The gel is a water-blocking compound to prevent
water penetration and migration in the cable. During cable
preparation, the core tube is cut to expose the fibers, and after
cutting, the tube must be blocked to prevent leakage of the
filling compound into the SME or fiber shelf.

Fiber break-out kit

SYSTIMAX manufacture a fiber break-out kit for preparing

central core tube fibers. This contains tubing of various types and
sizes to break out the fiber into bundles. Also required will be a
splitter kit.

Splitters are a pitchfork-shaped apparatus used for gel blocking

and organizing the fibers from the central core. There are 3
different sizes available depending on the OSP being terminated.
See the eCatalog for more details.

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 ND3361
Fiber Basiccs, Cables & Te
ermination 4 - 33

Wall Moun
nted Building Enclosu
ure

When
W outdo oor/externa al only fiberr cables com
me into a bu uilding,
they
t are onlly allowed to t run for a limited disstance due to t the gel
in
i the fiber. To convert to internall fiber, and allow the cable to be
grounded
g iff it has a meetallic sheatth, an enclossure is requ
uired to
do
d this. Thee SYSTIMA AX® Wall Mount
M Buildiing Enclosuure is
used
u for a coombination n of splicingg and termin nation of fib
ber optic
building
b cabbles, outsidde plant (OS SP) cables orr InstaPATC CH
installations
i s. The encloosure can be e configured d for multipple
adapter
a appplications.
The
T boxes aare wall-mounted enclo osures that aare designeed to
accommoda
a ate terminattions of up to 96 LC fibbers or 48 SC C or ST
fibers.
f The eenclosures canc also be used as spliice units to store up
to
t 96 Single Fusion Spllices with th he addition of the apprropriate
splice
s holdeers.

There
T are th
hree differen
nt depths av
vailable in eeither black
k or white
finish.
f

2P
2 - 64mm d
deep (2.5”)
4P
4 - 108mm
m (4.3”)
8P
8 – 152mm
m (6.0”)

 Securiity covers fo
or fiber & patch
p side (ccan be padlo
ocked)
 Can bbe mounted on wall at various
v orieentations
 User aaccess and behind
b w access are indepen
the wall ndently
secureed with sepparate pad loocks (not inncluded)
 Cable mounting with strain relief fittingg
 Fiber cable protection on patch side
 Cable clamp com mpatible (no ot included)

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4 - 34 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Wall Mounted Building Entrance Enclosure

The box can be used for InstaPATCH, standard cassettes or

couplers. Note that patch cords are protected in the right hand
side as shown below.

The box can also be used for splicing onto pigtails and or as a
through box.

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 ND3361
Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - 35

Fiber Connectors

There are different types of connectors available on the market

and the following types are the most popular and what
SYSTIMAX currently supply.

SC Connector

SC Connector. (Subscriber Connector) Developed by NTT

Japanese PTT company. Push-pull connector. Available in
Simplex or Duplex. Beige or Aqua Housing MM. Blue housing
SM.

ST Connector

ST Connector. Developed by AT&T. Push and twist (bayonet

style connector) This is a simplex connector. Grey or black boot
MM. Yellow boot SM.

LC Connector

LC Connector. Developed by Lucent hence LC. Adopted as the

connector for 10GB Transmission. Beige body MM or Blue body
SM. (Also available in range of other colors too so don’t always
rely on the color!)

MPO Connector

MPO connector also known as the MTP. Is a push-pull connector,

high density that holds 12 fibers. Designed for High Speed
10GBps transmission. Used in the SYSTIMAX InstaPATCH pre-
terminated fiber solution.

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4 - 36 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

APC Connectors (Angled Physical Contact)

Above is a picture of an SC fiber connector. For those of you

reading this in black and white, it is actually colored green and
that denotes that it is an APA connector. Due to the increase in
more complex telecommunication equipment in comms rooms,
these connectors are becoming a more common sight! In patch
panels they will normally have their own green colored adapter
panels or will have clearly identified ports in comms equipment.

The APC angled connector is used to connect singlemode fibers

including applications such as broadband. Attaching a connector
to a fiber will cause some of the light traversing through the fiber
to be lost. Regardless of whether the connector was installed in
the factory or in the field, its presence will be responsible for
some light being reflected back towards its source, the laser.
These reflections can damage the laser and degrade the
performance of the signal. The degree of signal degradation
caused by RL depends on the specifications of the laser, with
some lasers being more sensitive to RL than others. Additionally,
different types of applications tolerate different degrees of RL.
The amount of optical return loss generated is related to the type
of polish that is used on the connector. The “angled physical
contact” (APC) connector is best for In Building Wireless
applications and long haul links since it offers the lowest return
loss characteristics of connectors currently available. In an APC
connector, the endface is polished precisely at an 8-degree angle
to the fiber cladding, so that most RL is reflected into the
cladding where it cannot interfere with the transmitted signal or
damage the laser source. As a result, APC connectors offer a
superior RL performance of -65 dB. NOTE, it is extremely
difficult to field terminate an angled physical contact connector
at 8 degrees with any consistent level of success. Therefore, if an
APC connector is damaged in the field it should be replaced with
a factory terminated APC connector.

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 ND3361
Fiber Basiccs, Cables & Te
ermination 4 - 37

Qwik
Q Conn
nectors

Qwik
Q Conn nectors is an
nother form of fiber connnector thatt comes in
ST,
S SC or LC C and is bassically a con
nnector thatt can be quiickly and
simply
s field
d terminated d without tooo many toools. More details
d of
these
t conneectors and teermination instructionsns can be fouund in
Lesson
L 8.

Full terminaation
in
nstructions can
be
b found onn the
course USB sstick

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Fiber Optic Tools

Strippers
A tool used for removing PVC coating from a buffered fiber.
Commonly referred to as ‘Millers’. Used like a pair of scissors at
a 45° angle to strip the jacket and buffer off.

Mechanical Strippers.
Mechanical strippers are easy to use. The fiber is inserted in
through the feed tube, the handles closed and the fiber pulled
out. Either of these strippers is acceptable and it is usually down
to personal choice.

Rotary Strippers
These are required for stripping and or ripping the jacket of
external fibers. Again there are many different types available so
it is usually down to personal choice.

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4 - 40 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Microscopes

There are many microscopes on the market and if working in the

field these should be a minimum of 400x magnification. The
scope needs to make the image clear enough for easy
identification of faults and or to see if the connector is clean too!

Consumables

Consumables are decided by the activity you are completing but

when working with fiber, at a minimum you will need Tex wipes
or similar and Isopropyl Alcohol 99% or fiber prep fluid.

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 ND3361
Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - 41

Fiber Ends Handling

Fiber ends are sharp and can easily penetrate skin and clothing.
This is particularly true when the protective coating is removed
from the fiber. Optical fibers are small in diameter. Care should
be exercised when cleaving fibers and disposal of the waste ends
should be made into an approved waste container such as a
‘sharps’ bin.

Safety glasses must be worn AT ALL TIMES when working

with cable, fiber, and/or chemicals.

Never have food and/or drinks in the same area where optical
fibers are being terminated

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4 - 42 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Chemical Safety

Many chemicals are used during laboratory procedures.

Potentially hazardous chemicals used in the laboratory are listed
below. Precautions identified on the manufacturer's label are
included.
Manufacturers also supply emergency first aid procedures for
each chemical used in the laboratory.
Never use food and/or drinks in the area where chemicals are
used.

Adhesives and Primer for Field Mountable Connectors

EZ ANAEROBIC PRIMER Material ID 700004146

EZ ANAEROBIC ADHESIVE Material ID 700002181

WARNING: May cause eye injury and skin irritation. Keep

out of reach of children.
 Adhesive contains acrylic acid and methacrylic ester.
 Primer is 2,6-DI-tert-BUTYL-p-CRESOL solution and also
contains acrylic acid and methacrylic ester.
 Avoid contact with eyes, skin, or clothing
 Avoid prolonged or repeated breathing of vapor
 Use with adequate ventilation

First Aid: If inhaled, move patient to fresh air. For eye contact,
flush with water for 15 minutes. For skin contact, wash with
soap and water. If symptoms persist, get medical attention.
 Ingestion: Do not induce vomiting, get medical attention.

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Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - 43

Reagent-Grade Isopropyl Alcohol 99%

This chemical is used during many laboratory work operations.

WARNING: Flammable. May cause eye injury. Harmful if
inhaled. Keep from children.
 Keep container closed.
 Keep away from heat, sparks, and flame.
 Use with adequate ventilation. Do not breathe vapor.
 Do not get in eyes, on skin, or on clothing.
 Do not take internally.
First Aid: Call a physician. If inhaled, move patient to fresh air.
Use artificial respiration if necessary. For eye contact,
immediately flush eyes with plenty of water for at least
15 minutes. For laboratory use only. Not for drug use.

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Fusion Splicing

Fusion splicing is applied especially where large amount of

splices must be made. In a fusion splicer tool, two cleaved fiber
ends are positioned opposite each other, with a narrow air gap
in between. An electric arc melts the fiber ends and
subsequently the two ends will flow together.

The fusion splices shown above show a 250µm fiber to 250µm

fiber and a 250µm fiber to a 900µm fiber, but any combination of
the two different sizes can be made.

250µm fiber is normally used in external fibers as it helps make

the cable smaller. A fusion splice/joint is almost invisible to the
naked eye, but as this is a ‘welded/fused’ joint, it is protected
with a heat-shrink plastic re-enforced sleeve.

A strong and reliable splice is only obtained if the arc provides

the correct temperature during a defined time. Therefore
scheduled maintenance of the fusion splicer is an important
factor.

Fusion splicing is ideal for all types of fiber but particularly

singlemode where a high quality finish is required at the
connector so pre-manufactured pigtails would normally be used.

Fusion splicing is covered by the SYSTIMAX warranty

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4 - 46 Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination

Fiber Optic Pigtails

Pigtails are single-ended interconnection cables consisting of a

single fiber with a factory finished connector. Pigtails can be
ordered with choice of connectors, ST, LC or SC as required with
1.5mt (5ft) tails.

There are two types of pigtail available. The standard ones have
a standard plastic overjacket, (The part number is prefixed FA).
There are also ones that have aramid yarn inside and are listed
as Riser-SBJ. The part number for these are prefixed FB and will
require additional preparation time as the yarn will need to be
removed.

Yarn

Fiber pigtail Buffered fiber pigtail

Splice Holders

Splice holders are fitted with slim magnets to help hold splices in
place while organising them. Later in this lesson we will see the
different types available.

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 ND3361
Fiber Basics, Cables & Termination 4 - 47

Summary

In this lesson we have looked at the following

 Fiber Basics Including Theory

 Fiber Selection

 Internal & External Fiber Cables

 Grounding & Fiber Protection

 Wall Mounted Enclosure

 Fiber Connectors

 Fiber Optic Tools & Consumables

 Fusion Splicing

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