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| Understanding multimode fibers | An optic fiber can be broadly defined as a thin glass fiber carrying light signals along its length. These fibers have a glass core covered by ‘cladding’, which traps the light in the core. Together they have a diameter of 125µm. The size of the core differs based on the number of rays of light they can carry and based on this, fibers are classified as singlemode or multimode fibers. Singlemode fibers carry a single ray of light and have a 9µm core while multimode fibers carry multiple rays of light and have a 50-62.5µm core. Multimode fibers (MMFs) are generally used for short distance transmissions.
Multimode fibers are further classified based on their core size. The majority of the multimode fibers have a 50µm core. Multimode fibers can be OM1, OM2, or OM3, based on their bandwidth. Multimode and singlemode fibers can be distinguished by the color of their plastic jackets. While OM1 and OM2 multimode fibers have orange jackets, OM3 fibers have aqua. Singlemode fibers often have yellow jackets; however, this distinction is not always reliable.
For short distance transmissions such as LANs requiring low speeds, multimode fibers use light emitting diodes (LEDs) as light sources while transmissions requiring faster gigabit speeds require laser sources. Due to their larger core, coupling light into multimode fibers is easier compared with that of singlemode fibers. With high data volumes, multimode fibers are cost effective options suitable for short distance transmissions and they are capable of supporting multiple applications. They are also insulated against external disturbances such as electromagnetic disturbances from interference from metals.
AproCables has a wide range of multimode fiber optic patchcords, pigtails and trunk fiber cables. Download the complete product catalog from here. |
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