Fiber Optic: Optical Cable

Fiber-optics, also called optical fiber, is a technology

that allows light to travel along thin glass or plastic
wires. These wires are typically bundled into fiber-optic
cables. This type of cable is used most commonly in
the

communications

industry,

because

digital

information can be converted into light pulses that

move along the length of the wires. The cables vary in
length, from a few feet to long enough to cross
continents or oceans.
Telephone calls, the Internet, and cable television are
examples of the kinds of information that can pass
through

a fiber-optic cable.

It

is

typically

less

expensive than copper wiring. These cables may run

to homes and businesses, but they are typically used
for long distance communication. It has not been
known to turn corners easily without losing signal
strength, however, so it is used more often for
straight, level distances.

Many individuals in the communications industries

prefer fiber-optics to copper wiring. First and foremost,
fiber-optics typically offer better bandwidth, meaning

they can carry more information at once. Secondly,

there is usually less attenuation, or signal degradation,
in a fiber-optic cable. Thirdly, whereas copper wires
use electrical signals, fibers use light waves, so there
is less chance of interference in the signal. Lastly,
optical fiber wires are made of glass, so there is little
risk of fire.
A fiber-optic cable is made up of many fiber-optic wires
all bundled together. The major component in each
wire is the optical glass or plastic core. This core is a
thread of clear material that must be as pure as
possible in order to conduct light over long distances.
Impurities in the core may cause a degradation in the
signal.
Any fiber-optic cable

uses

process

called total

internal reflection to transmit information down its

bundled wires. This particular type of reflection occurs
when light hits a clear surface at a precise angle and
bounces back instead of penetrating it. An example of
total internal reflection occurring in nature can be
seen when a swimmer is just barely underwater and
he or she can see the ocean floor reflected in the

under surface of the water. This reflection occurs due

to the angle of the swimmer in relation to the waters
surface.
The light pulse within a fiber-optic cable hits the outer
walls of the wire at a similar angle, which keeps the
light wave moving forward. The outer surface of the
glass wire provides just the right angle of reflection to
keep the light bouncing back and forth along the
length of cable. The core is encased in cladding, which
is an optically-reflective material that aids in this
process.
Light signals typically enter the fiber-optic cable at one
end and are received at the other. The signals are
usually converted from digital or voice information by
a computer. They are then emitted into the cable in
the form of light pulses made by a laser or a lightemitting diode (LED) through a lens.
An optical cable connector is an important part of
optical

cable.It

is

the

terminal

at

the

end

of

a cable that is made of fiber optic strands and that

carries digital signals. For most consumers, the most
prevalent optical cable connector is the small TOS link

plug that typically carries digital audio signals in home

stereo

and

theater

optical cable connector standards

systems.
apply

Other
in

the

networking field, in which optical fiber cables provide

extremely high bandwidth connections.
Digital audio cables typically feature the TOS link
optical cable connector. This connector dates to 1983,
when it was developed to carry digital audio signals
from compact disc players to outboard digital-toanalog converters and is used today with a range of
audio and video devices that output digital audio
signals. TOS link optical cable connectors are relatively
small and easy to insert because they can be inserted
only at the correct angle and click in place when they
are properly connected. Their key benefit over wirebased connections is that, because they carry light
pulses instead of an electrical signal, they are not
subject to electrical interference from other cables.
Many home theater systems use the high-definition
multimedia interface (HDMI) cable, which combines
video and audio signals over a single connection. This
can be problematic because HDMI cables can combine

many

different

signals

into

physically

small cable with a relatively small connector, carrying

a risk of signal degradation over long runs. For this
reason, a combination of optical fiber cables for audio
and digital television cables for video signals can
provide

better

performance

over

long distances.

Although the exact distance at which HDMI cables

become unsuitable varies, a good rule of thumb is for
a consumer to look for an alternative to HDMI if
a cable needs to be more than 50 feet (15.2 m) in
length.

Computer networking applications also use fiber optic

cables because of their ability to carry extremely high
bandwidths of data and to span long distances. Over

the years, many optical cable connector standards

have emerged, with newer connectors typically being
much smaller than older connector standards. As with
the

TOS

link

optical cable connector,

optical

networking cables typically encase the fiber in a

protective ferrule to protect it from damage and to
help it to line up with either light receivers or
additional optical cables. Most of the time, individual
computer users will not use optical cables for their
networking,

because

fiber

connections

typically

connect entire campuses or offices to the larger public

network.
View:w
ww.fibercasa.com
for
information

more