Fiber Optic Cables Key Terms

Learn the language of fiber optic cables to make better business choices

By Howard Robertson

Fiber optic cables are thin glass wires made from pure optical glass. A fiber optic cable consists of three parts: the core, the cladding and the buffer coating. A fiber optic system is similar to a copper wire system. The difference is that fiber optics use light pulses to transmit information down fiber lines instead of using electronic pulses to transmit information down copper lines. The three types of fiber optic cables that are commonly used are single mode, multiple mode and plastic optical fiber (POF).

Whether you are a buyer or a supplier, you will need to be conversant with certain key terms. This guide explains some of the common terms associated with the fiber optic cables.

Fiber optic

Fiber optics are bundles of thin glass or plastic strands. This bundle allows light to pass through without leaking out. Fiber optics are used to create internet data and images, images of internal organs, vocal sounds in telephones and more than 80% of cable and satellite television images.
Try: You can learn more about fiber optics at HyperPhysics, an informative website for physics concepts.

Single mode fiber

In a single mode fiber, the fiber core is so small that only light rays with no bending, or refraction, can stably pass through the length of the fiber without loss.
Try: You can learn more about single mode fiber optic cables at Huihong Technologies Limited, a manufacturer of fiber optic products.

Multiple modes fiber

Multiple mode fiber is a type of fiber optic cable which is thick enough for light to follow several paths through the code. Multiple mode fiber is best suited for use in short lengths, such as those used in Local Area Networks (LANs) and Storage Area Networks (SANs).
Try: You can read through basic information about multiple mode fibers at the Fiber Optics LAN Section (FOLS) of Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA).

Plastic optical fiber (POF)

A plastic optical fiber is a type of optical fiber that uses polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) as the core material that allows the transmission of light. POF is often called consumer optical fiber, as it is a low-cost optical fiber.
Try: You can read through detailed information on plastic optical fiber at Timbercon, Inc., a product development and manufacturing company for fiber optic solutions.

Air blown fiber (ABF)

ABF refers to the use of compressed air to blow lightweight optical fiber cables through a tube cable at up to 150 ft per minute.
Try: You can learn more about ABFs at Mason Technologies Inc., a fiber optics solutions provider company.

Fiber optic attenuator

A fiber optic attenuator reduces the power of the light being transmitted through the cable. A fiber optic attenuator may be an external device, separate from the receiver or incorporated into the receiver design.
Try: You can refer to GlobalSpec, an online information resource, for detailed information about fiber optic attenuators.