Optical fibre cable

It is a technology that uses glass (or plastic) threads (fibers) to transmit data. A fiber optic cable consists of a bundle of glass threads, each of which is capable of transmitting messages modulated onto light waves. Fiber optic cables have a much greater bandwidth than metal cables.

Fiber-optic communication is a method of transmitting information from one place to another by sending pulses of light through an optical fiber. Optical fiber is used by many telecommunications companies to transmit telephone signals, Internet communication, and cable television signals.

How Fiber Optic Cables Work

Fiber optic cables carry communication signals using pulses of light generated by small lasers or lightemitting diodes (LEDs).

The cable consists of one or more strands of glass, each only slightly thicker than a human hair. The center of each strand is called the core, which provides the pathway for light to travel. The core is surrounded by a layer of glass called cladding that reflects light inward to avoid loss of signal and allow the light to pass through bends in the cable.

The two primary types of fiber cables are called single mode and multi mode fiber. Single mode fiber uses very thin glass strands and a laser to generate light while multi mode fibers use LEDs.

Single mode fiber networks often use Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) techniques to increase the amount of data traffic that can be sent across the strand. WDM allows light at multiple different wavelengths to be combined (multiplexed) and later separated (de-multiplexed), effectively transmitting multiple communication streams via a single light pulse.

Advantages of Fiber Optic Cables

Fiber cables offer several advantages over traditional long-distance copper cabling.

· Fiber optics have a higher capacity. The amount of network bandwidth a fiber cable can carry easily exceeds that of a copper cable with similar thickness. Fiber cables rated at 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps and even 100 Gbps are standard.

· Since light can travel much longer distances down a fiber cable without losing its strength, it lessens the need for signal boosters.

· Fiber is less susceptible to interference. A traditional network cable requires special shielding to protect it from electromagnetic interference. While this shielding helps, it is not sufficient to prevent interference when many cables are strung together in close proximity to each other. The physical properties of glass and fiber cables avoid most of these issues.