Technical Information Notice

Douglas House, 32-34 Simpson Road, Fenny Stratford, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK1 1BA Tel: 01908 645000 Fax: 01908 632263 Web: http//www.tia.org.uk E-mail: info@tia.org.uk

TIN: 015

DATE: 20.01.03

Advice to Users on the Multimode Fibre Optic Cable Standards

The purpose of this Technical Information Notice (TIN) is to give a brief overview to a new set of fibre optic standards and performance criteria, that are being introduced in the latest revisions to international cabling standards. These define for the first time optical performance levels in a similar fashion to the copper categories that already exists. The developments in optical transceiver technology over recent years has presented new challenges to the fibre manufacturers and in the methods of measuring/calibrating the fibre for carrying this type of light source and signal. The new VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser) devices, suitable for 850nm wavelength transmission, launch into multimode fibre in a different way to the more traditional LED devices. This has led to changes in the way specifications of bandwidth for multimode fibre is represented with a new terminology called Restricted Mode Launch (RML), Effective Laser Launch Bandwidth (EFL) and Overfilled Launch Bandwidth (OFL). Highspeed fibre applications, including Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet, have meant that the existing lack of distance-based standards for achievable drive distances require the introduction of key design rules to ensure that these new higher data rate applications operate over existing installed fibre or new fibre. Along with the old method of fibre specification where bandwidth in the first kilometre is referenced, there are now four classes of fibre that can be referenced. They are: Optical Multimode Optical Multimode Optical Multimode Optical Singlemode OM1 OM2 OM3 OS1

There is no simple translation from the older method of specification to the new method of specification. There are now three items for consideration in any fibre optic project: Cable performance; Channel performance; Application requirements from a fibre optic channel.

Remember that a channel is to include the patch cords. Cables in the OM1, OM2 and OM3 categories all have the same attenuation requirements of 3.5db @850nm/km and 1.5db @1300nm/km. Detailed in the Charts below are: Chart A - The Cables; Chart B - The Channels; and Chart C - The Applications.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
Whilst the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA use every effort to ensure that the information in its Technical Information Notices (TINs) is accurate, the Association will not be held responsible in any way whatsoever for errors, omissions or misrepresentations. TIA TINs are available free of charge to TIA Members. The Association reserves the right to charge a fee to Non-Members

Telecommunications Industry Association 2003

CHART A - CABLES
OFL Bandwidth at 850nm in MHz.Km (min) Legacy Fibre:62.5m 50m Categorised Fibre:OM 1 ( 62.5m) OM 2 ( 50m ) OM 3 ( 50m ) 200 500 1500 Not specified Not specified 2000 500 500 500 160 - 200 400 Not specified Not specified 500 600 RML Bandwidth at 850nm in MHz.Km (min) Bandwidth at 1300nm in MHz.Km (min)

Note: It is not possible to accurately field test existing Legacy fibre to the latest OM fibre specifications. The standards now classify applications as needing a minimum performance fibre channel to operate over. There are 3 channel types specified: OF-300; OF-500; and OF-2000. It is a requirement that all fibres used in the implementation of a channel shall be of the same fibre type, i.e. do not mix 50/125 fibre with 62.5/125 fibre just because they are both OM1 compliant. The channel specification should be used in conjunction with the needs of the application and the transmission bandwidth required. The standards specify a maximum connecting hardware loss of 1.5db to be accounted for within the maximum attenuation figures below. Additional connectors and splices may be used if the power budget of the application allows. CHART B1 - CHANNELS
Distance Class OF-300 Class OF-500 Class OF-2000 300m 500m 2000m Fibre Type OM1, OM2, OM3 OM1, OM2, OM3 OM1, OM2, OM3, OS1 Attenuation Multimode 850nm 2.55 3.25 8.5 1300nm 1.95 2.25 4.5 Attenuation Singlemode 1310nm 1.8 2 3.5 1550nm 1.8 2 3.5

CHART B2 - CHANNELS
Network Application ISO/IEC 8802-3:10BASE-FL & FB ISO/IEC T/Ring ISO 11801 Channel Supported on: OM1 850nm 1300nm OF-2000 OM2 850nm 1300nm OF-2000 OF-2000 OF-2000 OF-300 OF-500 OF-2000 OF-500 OF-500 OF-500 OF-300 OF-300 OF-2000 OF-500 OF-2000 OF-500 OF-500 OF-2000 OF-2000 OF-300 OM3 850nm 1300nm OF-2000 OF-2000 OF-2000 OF-2000 OF-500 OF-2000 OF-2000 OS1 1310nm 1550nm

TR11802-4:4&16Mbit/s OF-2000

ISO/IEC 9314-3: FDDI PMD ISO/IEC 9314-4: FDDI SMF-PMD ATM @ 622Mbit/s ISO/IEC 8802-3: 100BASE-FX IEEE 802.3: 1000BASE-SX IEEE 802.3: 1000BASE-LX c IEEE 802.3 10G base-LR/LW IEEE 802.3 10G Base-SR/SW

IMPORTANT NOTICE
Whilst the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA use every effort to ensure that the information in its Technical Information Notices (TINs) is accurate, the Association will not be held responsible in any way whatsoever for errors, omissions or misrepresentations. TIA TINs are available free of charge to TIA Members. The Association reserves the right to charge a fee to Non-Members

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The introduction of distance requirements now obliges the Installer and Designer to review both installation considerations and application requirements and may leave a gap between todays needs and future applications support or expansion. The good news is, there is no difference in the fibre installation criteria between any types of fibre - i.e. the field testing and installation practices for the new classifications of fibre are no different to the normal good practices used previously.

CHART C - APPLICATIONS
Nominal transmission wavelength nm 850 850 1300 1300 1300 1300 850 1300 1310 850 850 850 (1.8db) 82a (2.6db) 300e (1.6db) 31b (2db) 330 (6db) 2000
a

Network Application

Maximum insertion loss ( ) and Maximum channel length in m 50 m fibrea 62,5 m fibreb (12db) 2000 (8db) 2000 (2db) 2000 (10db) 2000 (4db) 500 (11db) 2000
b

9 m fibred

ISO/IEC 8802-3:10BASE-FL & FB ISO/IEC TR11802-4: 4 & 16Mbit/s Token Ring ISO/IEC 9314-3: FDDI PMD ISO/IEC 9314-4: FDDI SMF-PMD ATM @ 622Mbit/s ISO/IEC 8802-3: 100BASE-FX IEEE 802.3: 1000BASE-SX IEEE 802.3: 1000BASE-LXc IEEE 802.3 10G base-LR/LW IEEE 802.3 10G Base-SR/SW IEEE 802.3 10G Base-SR/SW IEEE 802.3 10G Base-SR/SW

(6.8db) 1514 (8db) 1857 (7db) 2000

(7db) 2000

(3.56db) 550a (2.35db) 550a

(2.6db) 275b (2.35db) 550b (4.56db) 5000 (6.2db) 10000

a Maximum attenuation per km (850nm / 1300nm): 3.5/1.5 dB/km; minimum modal bandwidth (850nm/1300nm): 500 MHz.km/500MHz.km min. b Maximum attenuation per km (850nm/1300nm): 3.5 / 1.5 dB/km; minimum modal bandwidth (850nm/1300nm): 200MHz.km/500MHz.km. c These applications are bandwidth limited at the channel lengths shown. The use of lower attenuation components to produce channels exceeding the values shown cannot be recommended. d Maximum attenuation per km (1310nm / 1550nm): 0.5/1.5 dB/km; e

OM3 fibre minimum modal bandwidth (850nm / 1300nm): 1500MHz.km / 500MHz.km OFL. and minimum modal bandwidth (850nm): 2000MHz.km RML

When tendering for new installations that do not reference any of these new multimode cable standards or application requirements, then the cable suppliers offering should define options for OM1, OM2, OM3 or OS1. All Companies involved in Information Technology (IT) Cabling installation should have copies of these relevant fibre standards as they are introduced. They should also ensure that their design and customer requirements reflect these new standards. Please note that cabling standards are intended to be used and referenced in contracts between cabling installers and their customers. For this reason the standard should be read carefully to ensure that the requirements of the standard are adhered to where conformance is required under the terms of any contract. Copies of all fibre optic and other telecommunications standards are available from TIA - contact: info@tia.org.uk TIA gratefully acknowledges the support and technical input from Members of its Communications Infrastructure Sector Interest Group (SIG/2) in the production of this TIN.

IMPORTANT NOTICE
Whilst the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA use every effort to ensure that the information in its Technical Information Notices (TINs) is accurate, the Association will not be held responsible in any way whatsoever for errors, omissions or misrepresentations. TIA TINs are available free of charge to TIA Members. The Association reserves the right to charge a fee to Non-Members

Telecommunications Industry Association 2003