Fiber optic refers to the medium and technology associated with the transmission of
information, such as pulses of light along a cable or fiberglass or plastic.
Fiber optic is used for high performance and long distance data networks.
Optical fibers are also commonly
used in telecommunications services such as the Internet, television and
telephones. For example, companies such as Verizon and Google use optical
fibers in their Verizon FIOS and Google Fiber services, offering users gigabit Internet
speeds.
Fiber optic cables are used
because they have numerous advantages over copper cables, such as greater bandwidth
and transmission speed.
A fiber optic cable can contain a
variable number of these glass fibers, from a few to two hundred. Around the
fiberglass core is another layer of glass called a coating. A layer known as a
protection tube protects the coating and a coating layer serves as the final
protective layer for the individual cable.
How fiber optic works
Optical fibers transmit data in
the form of light particles, or photons, that pulse through a fiber optic
cable. The fiberglass core and the coating have a different index of refraction
that doubles the incoming light at a certain angle. When light signals are sent
through the fiber optic cable, they are reflected in the core and cladding in a
series of zigzag rebounds, adhering to a process called total internal
reflection. The light signals do not travel at the speed of light due to the
denser layers of glass, but travel approximately 30% slower than the speed of
light. To renew or improve the signal during your trip, fiber optic
transmission sometimes requires repeaters at distant intervals to regenerate
the optical signal by converting it into an electrical signal, processing that
electrical signal and retransmitting the optical signal.
Fiber optic cables move to
support signals up to 10 Gbps. Usually, as the bandwidth capacity of a fiber
optic cable increases, it becomes more expensive.
Types of fiber optic cables
Multimode and singlemode fiber
are the two main types of fiber optic cable. Singlemode fiber is used for
longer distances due to the smaller diameter of the fiberglass core, which
reduces the possibility of attenuation: the reduction of the signal strength.
The smaller aperture isolates the light into a single beam, which offers a more
direct path and allows the signal to travel a greater distance. Singlemode
fiber also has significantly more bandwidth than multimode fiber. The light
source used for singlemode fiber is typically a laser. Singlemode fiber is
generally more expensive as it requires precise calculations to produce laser
light with a smaller aperture.
Multimode fiber is used for
shorter distances because the larger central opening allows light signals to bounce
and reflect more along the way. The larger diameter allows multiple light
pulses to be sent simultaneously through the cable, ensuring greater data
transmission. However, this also means that there is a greater possibility of
signal loss, reduction or interference. Multimode optical fibers generally use
an LED to create the light pulse.
While copper wire cables have
been the traditional option for telecommunications, networks and cable
connections for years, fiber optics have become a common alternative. Most of
the long distance telephone lines of the telephone companies are now made with
fiber optic cables. Optical fiber carries more information than conventional
copper cable due to its higher bandwidth and higher speeds. Since glass does
not conduct electricity, the optical fiber is not subject to electromagnetic
interference and signal losses are minimized.
Advantages and disadvantages
Fiber optic cables are mainly
used for their advantages over copper cables. Benefits include:
- Support for more bandwidth capabilities.
- Light can travel further without the need to increase the signal.
- They are less sensitive to interference, such as electromagnetic interference.
- They can be immersed in water-based optical fibers that are used in more dangerous environments, such as underwater cables.
- Fiber optic cables are also stronger, thinner and lighter than copper cables.
- They should not be repaired or replaced as often.
However, it is important to keep
in mind that optical fibers have disadvantages that users must take into
account before administering them. These disadvantages include:
- Copper wire is often cheaper than fiber optics.
- Fiberglass also requires more protection within an external cable than copper.
- Installing new cables requires a lot of labor.
- Fiber optic cables are often more fragile. For example, the fibers may break or a signal may be lost if the cable bends or curves within a radius of a few centimeters.
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