Optical Fibers are thin transparent fibers that transmit data using the principle of light refraction. Single mode, multimode and plastic optical fiber are the different types available. They differ in terms of speed and distance, and find uses in various applications depending on the speed and distance requirements.
Optical fiber refers to a thin, transparent, thread like fiber that is used to transmit light from one end of a cable to the other. These fibers are present in cables used for fiber optic communications to transmit data at higher bandwidths, faster speeds and longer distances using the principle of refraction of light. They also find application in fiber optic sensors and as light guides in medical equipment. As these fibers are more flexible compared to metal fibers, they can be bundled together easily to form cables. Optical fibers are more efficient than a metal fiber due to the reduced transmission loss, high tolerance to electromagnetic interference and low cost of maintenance.
There are three different types of Optical fiber – single mode, multimode and plastic or polymer optical fiber. A single mode fiber is relatively narrow with a diameter of approximately 8.3 to 10 microns. It has only one mode of transmission and a higher bandwidth but can work only with a light source that has a narrow spectrum width. It also offers about 50 times more distance than using a multimode fiber, but this comes at a higher cost. It is used in applications that require transmission of multi frequency data using a single cable such as telephony or cable TV.
A multimode optical fiber has a slightly larger diameter than a single mode fiber – between 50 to 100 microns. They are usually used over medium distances and have a bandwidth between 10 and 100 MBS for distances up to 2km. Common uses of the multimode fiber due to the lower costs are in backbone infrastructure in buildings or campuses.
The plastic or polymer optical fiber was traditionally made from acrylic, but nowadays is made using polymers. They are similar to the glass fibers used in single and multi mode fibers but the core size is around 100 times larger. These cables, due to their low speed and suitability for short distances of up to 100 meters, are most commonly used in networking for homes, cars, digital home appliances as well as industrial networks. They are also used for high speed wiring requirements for data centers and building LAN. Other applications include video surveillance and Ethernet.
While determining which type of Optical Fibre to use, it is essential to take into consideration factors such as transmission speed, distance, costs and usage in order to decide whether to use single mode, multi mode or plastic fiber.
Author: Tom Billmore
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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