Introduction:
What is a Fiber Optic Cable?
In our last contest, we explained the importance of optical fibers, so let’s talk about the components of fiber cables. Fiber optic cable is a type of network used for long-distance communications and high-performance data networks. It is made up of several optical fiber strands enclosed in a protective sleeve, and they have a higher bandwidth and can transmit data over longer distances than telephone lines. Many internet, television, and telephone systems in use today are powered by fiber optic cables.
Components of a Fiber Optic Cable
Optical cables have five main components: core, cladding, coating, strengthening fiber, and cable jacket.
What is a Fiber Optic Core?
This is the physical glass medium that transmits optical signals from a light source that is connected to a receiving device. Light travels on an optical fiber through its smallest part, called the core. The core of an optical fiber is most often constructed of glass, though some are made of plastic as well. The glass used is pure carbon dioxide (SiO2), a very transparent substance that makes looking at the glass from a distance of 5 miles the same experience as looking through a house window.
What is Fiber Optic Cladding?
To enable the optical fiber to function, a lower refractive index cladding covers the core. When glass cladding is used, it is made from the same silicon dioxide-based material as the core in a permanently fused form.
Throughout the manufacturing process, typical diameters of the cladding are also created. There are two common sizes: 125 micrometers and 140 micrometers. A 125um cladding usually has a core size of 9 to 50 m, while a 140um cladding typically has a core size of 62.5 m.
What is Fiber Optic Coating?
The coating is the optical fiber’s protective layer against shocks, nicks, scrapes, and even dampness that can harm the cladding. Without a coating, optical fiber is extremely delicate; the coating does not affect the fiber’s capacity to convey light.
The coating is chosen for a particular kind of usage or setting. Acrylate is a typical form of coating, which is put into two layers: The cladding receives direct application of the primary coating, and because of its softness, this coating acts as a support for the bent optical fiber. The secondary coating has a hard exterior and is more durable than the primary coating.
The Strengthening Fiber
The additional layer of protection that this fiber-optic network cable layering has prevents the fragile glass fiber from being completely damaged during installation. As a result, the entire layer—the wire sleeves, tubes filled with gel, and sleeves—is composed of Kevlar.
It serves as the layer of opaque or light-absorbing glass that is positioned between the protective fibers. This is done to completely stop any light that can penetrate one fiber strand and enter the other strand.
What is a Fiber Optic Cable Jacket?
The protective sleeve around the fiber cable plays an important role in protecting the fragile optical fibers in the cable from environmental factors and external forces.
Approved for usage in outdoor settings, jackets are made to withstand extreme weather conditions, such as high temperatures and UV radiation. The most common applications for them are outside, like cable lines that are buried or suspended.
Conclusion
Fiber optic cables are commonly made with a glass core and glass cladding and when all of these components are combined, they guarantee reliable and effective data transfer across vast distances and they are essential to the proper functioning of contemporary fiber optic communication networks, and the importance cannot be emphasized.
