Fiber cabling comes of age affordably

Fiber optic cable used to be much harder to install than copper cable, requiring precise installation practices.However, in the past few years the cost of an installed fiber-optic link (just the cable and connectors) has dropped and is now often the same as the cost of a UTP link.Better fiber optic connectors and installation techniques have made fiber optic systems easier to set up.In fact, some customers who are experienced with both fiber optic systems and copper systems will tell you that with the newest fiber optic connectors and installation techniques. Fiber optic cable is easier to install than UTP.
Fiber Optic Cable Cost
Despite the overwhelming advantages, fiber optic cable has two small but significant disadvantages.First, due to the way the light source and photoreceptor arrangement work, light pulses can travel in one direction only. Thus, to support a two-way transmission of data, two fiber optic cables are necessary. For this reason, most fiber optic cable is sold with a least two individual strands of fibres bundled into a single package.

A second disadvantage of fiber optic cable is its higher cost, but this disadvantage is slowly disappearing.For example, it is now possible to purchase bulk, general purpose Duplex Fiber Optic Cable for approximately $.50 per foot, which is close to the price of many types of coaxial cable and shielded twisted pair cable.When you consider its lower error rates and higher data transmission rates, fiber optic cable is indeed its lower error rates and higher data transmission rates, fiber optic cable is indeed a bargain, even compared to inexpensive twisted pair wire.interestingly,it is not so much the fiber optic cable itself that is expensive;the cable's high cost is due to so much the fiber optic cable itself that is expensive;the cable's high cost is due to the hardware that transmits and receives the light pulses at the ends of the fiber cable.However, even this situation is changing.Staring in 1999,the prices for photo diodes and photoreceptors started to drop significantly.Before 1999, it was common to use fiber optic cable only as the backbone-the main connecting cable that runs from one end of the installation to another-of a network,and to use category or 5e twisted pair from the backbone connection up to the workstation.
Fiber To The Home OSP Architecture Issues
The first OSP issue that must be resolved involves fiber density variables, for example, density per home, per street, and per cable.Splitter location is another issue: should the splitter be distributed or consolidated? Passive hardware devices involve numerous issues, including network interface devices, closures, access terminations, cable type, buffer tube sizes, Ftth Drop Cable , and connector types.The impact of all these issues on incremental upgrades must be seriously considered.Some cost issues that must be addressed include bolume-related cost reductions, OSP passive hardware (both FTTH-optimized and new product lines, such as NIDs), enclosures and splice cases, and legacy interface gateways.

Composition of a Fiber Optic Cable

A typical fiber optic cable consists of several components: optical fiber; strand buffer; strength members; optical shield materials for mechanical protection; outer jacket.Each of these components has a specific function within the cable to help ensure that the data get transmitted reliably.
Optical Fiber
An optical fiber strand is the basic element of a fiber optic cable.All fiber strands have at least three components to their cross sections: the core, the cladding,and the coating. Plastic Optical Fiber Cable consists of a plastic core and where from 50 microns up, surrounded by a plastic cladding of a different index of refraction.Generally speaking,these are the lowest-quality optical fibers and are seldom sufficient to transmit light over long distance.Plastic optical cables are used for very short distance data transmissions or for transmission of visible light in decorations or other specially lighting purposes not related to data transmission.Recently, plastic optic cables have been promoted as a horizontal in LAN applications for residential systems.However,the difficulty in manufacturing a graded-index plastic optical fiber,combined with a low bandwidth for dollar value, has kept plastic optical fiber from being accepted as a horizontal medium in commercial applications.

Buffer
The buffer,the second-most distinguishing characteristic of the cable, is the component that provides additional protection for the optical fibers inside the cable.The buffer does just what its name implies: it buffers, or cushions,the optical fiber from the stresses and forces of the outside world.Optical fiber buffers are classified as either tight or loose tube.
Number of Optical Fibers
Yet another difference between fiber optic cables is the number of individual optical fiber optic fiber with them.The number depends on the intended use of the cable and can increase the table's size,cost,and capacity.Because the focus of this book is network cabling and the majority of fiber optic cables you will encounter for networking are tight buffered,we will limit our discussions here in tight-buffered cables.These cables can be divided into three categories based on the number of optical fibers：Simplex cables; Duplex cables; multiplier cables. Duplex Fiber Optic Cable, in contrast, have two tight-buffered optical fibers inside a single jacket.The most popular use for duplex fiber optic cables is as a fiber-optic cable is as a fiber -optic a LAN backbone cable, because all LAN connections need a transmission fiber and a reception fiber.Duplex cables have both inside a single cable, and running a single cables is of course easier than running two.
Fiber To The Home
As fiber to the home (Ftth) becomes practical with the growth of broadband it becomes important to see how it work in practice.The FNC trial was designed to explore FTTH issues, to develop relationships, and to determine a business plan that incorporates ftth factors.Some of the critical issues of Ftth Drop Cable include market drives and market inhibitors, OSP architectures, major cost areas, timing, and revenue sources.

Fiber Optic Cable Types and Installations

Fiber optic cables are very different from copper cables.Fiber optic cables transmit data through very small cores over long distance at the speed of light.These cables come in a wide variety of configurations.Important considerations in any cable installation and operation are the bending radius; tensile strength; ruggedness; durability; flexibility; environmental conditions, such as temperature extremes; and even appearance.Due to fiber optic cables; lightweight and extreme flexibility, fiber optic cable are more easily installed than their copper counterparts.
Fiber Optic Cable Types and Applications
There are many fiber optic cable types and designs available.Fiber cables can be classified into the following categories: fiber optic cables for indoor applications, those for outdoor applications, and indoor/outdoor applications.The following sections explain each category in detail.
Indoor Fiber optic cable Types and Applications
Indoor cables are generally installed and operated in a controlled,stable environment.The cables must perform with minimal loss.Her factors that generate losses, such as environment and mechanical stresses during and after installation, can cause failure.Outdoor cables have more factors that concern their performance.Indoor fiber cables are divided into the following types:

1.Simplex Fiber Optic Cable contain a single fiber cable, as shown in figure 4.1.They are employed to connections within equipment.They have a thicker outer jacket, which makes the table easier to handle and adds mechanical protection.
2.Duplex Fiber Optic Cable contain two tight-buffered fiber cables inside a single jacket, as showed in figure 4.2 They are used in equipment interconnections within workstations, test equipment, hubs and router,etc.
3.Breakout cables have several individual simplex cables
4.Light cables,heavy cables,and plenum cables are application dependent.
Outdoor Fiber Optic Cable Tyes
Outdoor cables must withstand a variety of enviroment and mechanical stress during and after installation.The cables must perform with minimal losses over a wide range of temperature and humidity changes.The cable must also have waterproof capabilities, have strength to endure the difficult installation conditions, provide protection against ultraviolet radiation, and provide mechanical protection, there are many types and designs, depending on the manufacturer and application.Outdoor fiber cables are divided into the following types:
1.Overhead cables may be stung from telephone poles or along power lines.
2.Direct burial cables placed directly in a trench dug in the ground and then covered with soil.
3.Submarine cables are set underwater.
Ftth Drop Cable
Ftth has already been tried -and it failed miserably.Why should carriers are tested again? With the advent of asymmetric digital subscriber line and cable modems, the need for broadband Internet access has grown.That growth is likely to continue to into the future,and at some point demand will reach a level that can support ftth.The data requirements between the residence and its multiple communities of interest will reach a ftth-sustainable level within a few years, and customers will be willing to pay Ftth prices.Moreover, some carriers's investment strategies will favor Ftth over hybrid fiber because at some point,Hfc becomes too expensive, If Ftth can be delivered at lower cost it will gain a competitive advantage.

Characteristics of Optical Fiber

As countries continue to develop networks for global communication.Fiber optic offers a method of transmission that allows for clearer, faster, more efficient communication than copper.A number of characteristics make optical fiber well-suited to video transmission.This chapter discusses the basics behind optical fiber transmission.

Optical Cables

Usually, manufacturers construct optical cables to the customer's specific application.However, all types of fiber optic cables contain common elements: the fiber housing, number of fiber's per cable, cable strength elements, etc.The fiber housing construction techniques include loose-tube or tight-buffer configurations.

Types of Fiber Optic Cables

The simplex cable contains a single fiber in the center. Duplex Fiber Optic Cable may appear circular, oval, or arranged zip cord fashion like an electrical cable.
Complex cable assemblies include breakout cables, composite cables, and hybrid cables.Breakout cables contain single-fiber or emulsified substrates, allowing access to individual fiber without the need for terminating patch panels.The cable industry disagrees about the exact definitions of composite cables and industry disagree about the exact definitions of composite cables and hybrid cables.For the sake of this discussion,composite cables mix both single-mode and multimode optical fiber in a single cable assembly,while hybrid cable describes a hybrid fiber cable that includes both optical fiber and copper cable in one cable assembly.
Both composite cables and Hybrid Cables offer the advantage of installation time and cost savings.However,these cables require application specific custom manufacturing.Still,the increase in demand for the convergence of video, audio, and data transmission makes these types of cable very attractive.Hybrid cables can also carry electrical signals, gaining them wide use in broadband CATV networks.

Fiber To The Home

The technological benefits of fiber to the home (FTTH) include its well-known capacity for transmitting incredibly high bandwidths at relatively negligible losses.This "future-proofs" the resulting network against demands for rising bandwidths,which shows will indeed be done only once because on electronics are installed in the outside plant between office a home.Upgrades are held on the premises of the service provider and the customer.Nearer-term benefits of fiber include its small size and weight compared with metallic cable,especially coaxial cable;its total immunity to both inward and outward leakage of electromagnetic interference,and its resistance to corrosion systems with active components at only the ends of the network ensure high validity.As important and practical as these advantages are more practical benefits may help drive fiber to the home now.These include solving the high costs of Ftth Drop Cable maintenance and electrical powering.
Clearly,optical fiber offers a number of characteristics that make it naturally suitable to fiber optic video transmissions.But as bandwidth and data rates continue to climb,some of fiber shortcoming become notice able.The next chapter describes the effects that limit optical fiber performance.

The Physical Construction Of The Optical Cable

In recent years, the trend has been to replace all copper communications cable will optical fiber cable.Fiber optic cable communicates using light energy, not electrons.The advantages of using light can be summed up in five categories: speed, bandwidth, distance, resistance, and maintenance.You will see after filling out this chapter that all five categories optical fiber cable can simply outperform copper in every instance.The physical construction of the optical cable can take on many forms, including: Simplex Fiber Optic Cable, Ftth,Drop Cable, Hybrid or composite cables

Simplex Fiber Optic is a jacketed,single-fiber, tight-buffered cable that uses Kevlar for strength and reinforcement.Simplex Fiber Optic Cables typically are used as patch cords and in backplane applications.The backplane refers to the socketed interconnection of multiple cables circuit cards for the purpose of expansion.

Ftth Drop Cable distribution technology has gained in acceptance in many parts of the world as the technology direction for distribution networks.Legacy telephone and cable networks still have the ability to deliver today's services and for a time technology can be utilized to extend their service life.But FTTH is attractive for Greenfield starts and selected overbuild or rehab situations.In the US, about 21 million homes are passed with Ftth networks and about 7 million homes are connected as of March of 2011.There are over 40 million homes connected outside of the US, with Asia Pacific statistics,but the designs can be quite different.Nearly all are based on a pons for service delivery to the customer premises.

Hybrid Cables come in one of two varieties: those that contain both optical fibers and copper conductors under a single jacket, and those that contain multimode and single mode optical fiber under a single jacket.In either case, the different varieties are insulated separately, as required, because they are bundled together as s single cable.When producing such cables, a manufacturer must take into account the requirements and classifications of differing electrical circuits using copper conductors, as well as the insulation barrier and separation requirements.Composite cable over multiple types of cable between systems.

Typical applications for optical fibre cable include communications, data transmission, instrumentation, process, and industrial control.Fiber optic cables are lightweight and unable to spark,shor-circuit,or ignite combustible materials, making them an outstanding option for hazardous locations where gaseous or chemically explosive environments may exist.

Main Parts Of A Fiber Optic Cable

Most often ,an optical fiber must be packaged before it is used is used Packaging involves cabling the fiber,Cabling is an outer protective structure surrounding one or more fibers.It is analogous to the insulation or other materials surrounding a copper wire.Cabling protects copper and fibers environmentally and mechanically from being damaged or degraded in performance.(The additional protection against electrical shock,shorts,and the possibility of fire important to copper is not an issue with dielectric fibers.) The purpose of this chapter is to describe some typical cable structures.

Like their copper counterparts,fiber-optic cables come in a great variety of configurations.Important considerations in any cable are tensile strength,ruggedness,durability,flexibility,environmental resistance,temperature extremes,and even appearance.

The figure shows the main parts of a simplex single-fiber cable.Even though cables come in many varieties,most have the following parts in common:optical fiber; strength member;jacket.

Number Of Optical Fibers

Yet another difference between fiber optic cables is the number of individual optical fibers within them.The number depends on the intended used of the cable and can increase the cable's size,cost and capacity.because the focus of this book is network cabling and the majority of fiber optic cables you will encounter for networking are tight buffered,we will limit our disccussions here to tight buffered cables.These cables can be divided into three categories based on the number of optical fibers: simplex cables;duplex cables;multifiber cables.

A Simplex Fiber Optic Cables has only one tight -buffered optical fiber inside cable jacket.An example of a simplex cable was shown earlier in this chapter in figure 8.8 becayse simplex cables have only one fiber inside them,only aramid yarn is used for strength and flexibility;the crimped directly to a mechanical connector.simplex fiber optic cables are typically categorized as interconnect cables and are used to make interconnections in front of the patch panel.

Duplex cables,in contrast,have two tight buffered optical fibers inside a single jacket.The most popular use for Duplex Fiber Optic Cable is as a fiber optic LAN backone cable,because all LAN connections need a transmission fiber and a reception fiber.Duplex cable have both inside a Single cable,and running a single cable is of course easier than running two.

Outdoor Fiber Optic Cables

Cables used outside a building must withstand harsher environmental conditions than most indoor cables,outdoor cables are used in applications such as the following:

Overhead:cable are strung from telephone poles.

Direct burial:cables are placed directly in a trench dug in the ground and covered

Indirect burial:this is similar to direct burial,but the cable is inside a duct or conduit.

Submarine:the cable is underwater,including transoceanic applications.

Such cables must obviously be rugged and durable,since they will be exposed to various extremes.Most cables have additional protective sheaths,for example,a layer of steel armoring protects against rodents that might chew through plastic jackets and into the fiber.Other constructions use a gel compound to fill the cables and eliminate air within the cable.Loose tube buffers,for example ,are so filled to prevent water from seeping into the cable, where it will freeze,expand,and damage the cable.The fibers "float " in the gel that will not freeze and damage the fiber.

Cost Reduction Technologies of Optical Drop Cable and Indoor Cable

1.Introduction

Fiber to the home (Ftth) is one of the latestinformation infrastructures and has attracted the interest of telecom carries throughout the word (1) -(4).An urgent concern in terms of realizing the FTTH network is to distribute the optical fiber efficiently and economically.This is especially so in dropping and internal wiring section for a customer's house, where low cost and speedy fiber constructing technologies are strongly required.This is because the facilities in this section cannot be shared but must be individually installed for each customer.

This paper presents technologies for cables and associated hardware that have just been developed in order to reduce costs for dropping and internal wiring to a client's hours.By using these technologies, hardware and construction costs in dropping and internal wiring section for a customer's house,are simultaneously reduced and,as a result,we believe the Ftth Drop Cable will become practical

2.Configuration of dropping and internal wiring for customer's house

Figure 1 shows a typical configuration of the dropping and internal wiring for a customer's house.It has been recently proposed that a distribution method based on the integrated access point is effective for improving facility utilization.This distribution method requires several kinds of cable and associated hardware.These include:Cluster-type optical drop cable; Drop Cable; Indoor Cable; Accsss point the Closure; Drop point closure; Cabinnet on the outside walls of customer's houses; Cabinet inside the customer; s houses.We describe the structure and performance of the above cables, closures and cabinet.Moreover, we report on the design of staples for fixing the cable.

3.Technologies of cable and associated hardware

Our key design concept is to use 0.2mm diameter mono -coated fiber in dropping and internal wiring section for a customer's house.This design can provide small,lightweight cable which means we can reduce the cost o f both the cable itself and it's installation.In this section, we describe the structure and features of newly developed cables and associated hardware in detail.

3.1 Cable

Figure 2 shows the structure of our new drop cable and cluster-type drop cable.The drop cable combines the self -supporting wire section with the fiber insertion section,help to reduce the manufacturing process.At the same time, cable is provided with notch to improve the separability of these two sections during fixing operations on a telephone pole, and the removability of optical fiber during connection work.In general,indoor cable is deployed through a pipe inside a wall.Cable for indoor applications includes the following:Simplex Fiber Optic Cables; heavy--light-and Plenum-duty cable; breakout cables; ribbon cables, multiplier cables and Duplex Fiber Optic Cable, measurements of the transmission and mechanical properties of this cable showed them to be stable with little loss.In addition, we confirmed that there no problems with the workability of the cable, the removability of the optical fibers.