Figure 3-4 Optical-Cable Construction

Fiber-optic cable sizes are usually expressed by first giving the core size followed by the cladding size. Consequently, 50/125 indicates a core diameter of 50 microns and a cladding diameter of 125 microns, and 8/125 indicates a core diameter of 8 microns and a cladding diameter of 125 microns.

The larger the core, the more light can be coupled into it from the external acceptance angle cone. However, larger-diameter cores can actually allow in too much light, which can cause receiver saturation problems. The 8/125 cable is often used when a fiber-optic data link operates with single-mode propagation, whereas the 62.5/125 cable is often used in a fiber-optic data link that operates with multimode propagation.

August 23, 2011

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