What is Fibre Optic Cabling

Fibre optic cabling systems are crucial for the success of your business. In a fast-paced world were anything below par can hinder your success and competitivity. Fibre optic cabling can provide you with the instant transmission of information you need to keep your business functions above par. Afterall communication is crucial when it comes to operating a business. Fibre optic cables have become the go-to choice of cabling as they hold a number of advantages over copper cables. For example, they have a higher bandwidth and transmit speed. These cables are commonly used in telecommunication services such as internet, telephones, and television.

How does fibre optic cabling work?

Optical fibre cables are made up of thousands of fibre strands which are as thin as human hair. The fibre transmits information in the form of light particles or photons. The photons can be transmitted over large distances of a 100km+, this alone makes fibre optic cabling perfect for communication systems.

When light signals are passed through the cable, they reflect off the core and cladding in zig-zag bounces, this process is known as total internal reflection. Unfortunately, the light signals do not travel at the speed of light due to the density of the glass layers. However, the light signals travel 30% slower than the speed of light. In spite of this, fibre is still a lot faster than the traditional copper. To boost the signal through its journey, a switch may be placed at distant intervals to regenerate the optical signal by transforming it to an electrical signal, processing that electrical signal and retransmitting the optical signal.

What are the two types of fibre optic cables?

Single mode

Singlemode fibre is used for long distances because of the smaller diameter of the glass fibre core. This reduces the possibility of losing signal strength.  Due to the thin core the light signals can travel directly through the core without the risk of bouncing off the internal sides of the fibre optic cable. This reduces the amount of light reflection created during the transmission.

Multimode

Multimode fibre cables are noticeably lager in comparison to singlemode, they can be 10x larger than a singlemode in diameter. One of the main benefits of multimode is the greater light gathering capacity. This allows light to travel along a variation of different paths within the cable. Multimode fibre can only transmit signals over short distances, these cables are perfect for connecting internal computer networks.

What is fibre to desk?

Also known as FTTD, Fibre to desk is a cable solution of using fibre optic cables to connect workstations to the company’s network instead of the traditional copper cable. The traditional method is also known as fibre to the office, this method involves local conversion from fibre to copper cabling connecting the user. FTTD installation costs are higher than the traditional method the advantages of futureproofing and security make up for the expenses.

How to test fibre optic?

Much alike all forms of technology, fibre optic cables are also prone to wear and tear, as well as failures. Testing your fibre optic cable is essential If you wish to maintain the advantages. The best way to maintain your cables is through OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer). The OTDR has the ability to compose a comprehensive picture and analysis, providing you with a clear picture of the cable’s health status. OTDR can be used to analyse splice loss, fault finding and accurately measure lengths. Lastly it can also read performance of the cable and structural problems, enabling you to identify and rectify any faults.