Different Types of Fiber Optical Cables

As a whole, the general process for the creation of fiber optical cables is pretty much the same. Two layers of glass (or plastic for plastic fiber) are melted together and then drawn out into a long fiber with a core and an external sheathing. Light travels through the refractive indexes of the core and the sheath. The optical fibers are then drawn down, cooled and spooled for bundling and manufacturing.

Depending on how they were made, there are three types of fiber optical cables.

1. Single mode fiber optical cable. This has a narrower core and carries more bandwidth in a narrower spectral width, as compared to a multi-mode fiber. Single mode fiber optical cables allow for one data stream or mode to be transmitted over very long distances.

2. Multi mode fiber optical cable. Unlike a single mode fiber, a multi mode fiber cable uses a much thicker core. It can carry data encoded using multiple light sources which means that multiple data streams can travel through even just one fiber. However, multi mode fiber cables are only good for short distances and cannot support a high bandwidth which single mode fiber optical cables can usually support.

3. Plastic optical fiber (POF). Plastic fiber optical cables do not possess optical purity which is necessary for reliable data transmission so it is usually just used for decorative and aesthetic transmission of light like the toys where there is light transmission. This is achieved through colorful clumps of fiber optical cables. Unlike its glass counterparts, POF is cheaper to manufacture and is not as fragile so it is ideal for aesthetic purposes.

Fiber optical cables can also be categorized according to how they are bundled and the size of the cables. Keep reading this blog for more information.