Tag Archives: fiber optic cable

5 Types of Optical Fibers for 5G Networks

Optical fiber cables have become one of the key points in the 5G competition. It’s known that 5G networks will offer consumers high-speed and low-latency services with more reliable and stronger connections. But to make this happen, more 5G base stations have to be built due to the higher 5G frequency band and limited network coverage. And it’s estimated that by 2025, the total number of global 5G base stations will reach 6.5 million, which puts forward higher requirements for the optical fiber cable performance and production.

Currently, there are still some uncertainties in 5G network architectures and the selection of technical solutions. But in the basic physical layer, the 5G fiber cables should meet both current application and future development needs. The following are five types of optical fiber cables that address problems in 5G networks built to some degree.

1. Bend Insensitive Optical Fiber for Easy 5G Indoor Micro Base Stations

The dense fiber connections between massive 5G new macro base stations and indoor micro base stations are the main challenge in the 5G access network constructions. The complex cabling environments, especially the indoor fiber cabling, and the limited space and bend request high requirements for the fiber bend performance. Optical fiber compliant ITU G.657.A2/B2/B3 has great bend-improved performance, which can be stapled and bent around corners without sacrificing performance.

Many fiber manufacturers have announced bend-insensitive fiber (BIF) cables with low loss to address such problems in 5G indoor applications.

CompanyProduct NameITU StandardsBend Radius
(1 turn around a mandrel)
Induced Attenuation
(dB)
CorningClearCurve LBL fiberG.652.D, G.657.A2/B27.5 mm≤ 0.4
YOFCEasyBand® Ultra BIFG.652.D, G.657.B35 mm≤ 0.15
Prysmian GroupBendBright XS fiberG.652.D, G.657.A2/B27.5 mm≤ 0.5

Note: The induced attenuation is caused due to fiber wrapped around a mandrel of a specific radius.

2. OM5 Multimode Fiber Applied to 5G Core Networks

5G service providers also have to focus on the fiber optic network build of the data centers where the content is stored. At present, the transmission speed of data centers is evolving from 10G/25G, 40G/I00G to 25G/I00G, 200G/400G, which put forward new requirements for the multimode optical fibers used for interconnection inside the data centers. Multimode optical fibers need to compatible with the existing Ethernet standard, cover the future upgrades to higher speed like 400G and 800G, support multi-wavelength multiplexing technologies like SWDM and BiDi, and also need to provide excellent bending resistance to adjust to dense data centers cabling scenarios.

5g optical fiber cables.jpg

Figure 1: OM5 fiber in 100G BiDi and 100G SWDM applications

Under such conditions, the new broadband OM5 multimode fiber becomes the hotspot option for data center constructions. OM5 fiber allows multiple wavelengths to be transmitted simultaneously in the vicinity of 850 nm to 950 nm. By adopting the PAM4 modulation and WDM technology, OM5 optical fiber is able to support 150 meters in 100Gb/s, 200Gb/s, and 400Gb/s transmission systems, and ensure the ability of future short-distance and high-speed transmission networks, making it the optimal choice for intra-data center connections under the 5G environment.

Fiber TypeEffective Bandwidth (MHz.km)Full injection Bandwidth (MHz.km)
Fiber Type850nm953nm850nm953nm1310nm
OM3>2000/>1500/>500
OM4>4700/>3500/>500
OM5>4700/>35001850>500

Here is a comparison of the link length of OM5 and other multimode fiber over 850nm wavelength.

Link Length (M) @850nm wavelength
Fiber Type10GBASE-SR25GBASE-SR40GBASE-SR4100GBASE-SR4400GBASE-SR16400GBASE-SR8400GBASE-SR4.2
OM330070100701007070
OM4550100150100150100100
OM5550100150100150100150

3. Micron Diameter Optical Fibers Enable Higher Fiber Density

Due to the complex deployment environments of the access layer or aggregation layer of 5G bearer networks, it’s easy to encounter problems like the limited existing cable pipeline resources. To ensure the limited space can hold more optical fibers, cable manufacturers are working hard to reduce the size and diameter of cable bundles. For example, recently the Prysmian Group has introduced the BendBright XS 180µm single-mode fiber to meet the 5G technology demands. This innovative optical fiber enables cable designers to offer strongly reduced cable dimensions while still keeping the 125µm glass diameter.

5G fiber cable.jpg

Figure 2: Prysmian’s BendBright XS 180µm fiber

Similarly, with the same principles, Corning has introduced the SMF-28 Ultra 200 fiber that allows fiber cable manufacturers to shave 45 microns off previous cable coating thicknesses, going from 245 microns down to 200 microns, to achieve a smaller overall outer diameter. And YOFC, another optical fiber manufacturer, also provides EasyBand plus-Mini 200μm reduced diameter bending insensitive fiber for 5G networks, which can reduce the cable diameter by 50% and significantly increase the fiber density in pipelines when compared with common optical fibers.

4. ULL Fiber with Large Effective Area Can Extend 5G Link Length

5G fiber manufacturers are actively exploring ultra low-loss (ULL) optical fiber technologies to extend the fiber reach as long as possible. The G.654.E optical fiber is such a type of innovative 5G fiber. Different from the common G.652.D fiber often used in 10G, 25G, and 100G, the G.652.E fiber comes with a larger effective area and ultra-low loss features, which can significantly reduce the nonlinear effect of optical fiber and improve the OSNR that are easily affected by higher signal modulation format in 200G and 400G connections.

Speed (bps)40G100G400G400G
Fiber Typecommon G.652low-loss G.652low-loss G.652innovative G.654.E
Maximum Capacity (Tbs)3.282020
Limit Relay Distance (km)60003200<800<2000
Typical Link Attenuation (dB/km)0.210.200.200.18
Fiber Effective Area (µm²)808080130

With the continuous increase of the transmission speed and capacity of the 5G core network and the clouded data center, fiber optic cables like this will be needed more. It’s said that the latest Corning’s TXF fiber, a type of G.654.E fiber, comes with high-data-rate capabilities and exceptional reach, able to help network operators deal with growing bandwidth demands while lowering their overall network costs. Recently, Infinera and Corning have achieved 800G across 800km using this TXF fiber, which shows this fiber is expected to offer excellent long-haul transmission solutions for 5G network deployment.

5. Optical Fiber Cable for Faster 5G Network Installation

5G network deployment covers both indoor and outdoor scenarios, the installation speed is a factor needed to consider. Full-dry optical cable using dry water-blocking technology is able to improve fiber splicing speed during cable installation. Air-blown micro cables are compact and lightweight and contain high fiber density to maximize the fiber count. This type of cable is easy to be installed in longer ducts with multiple bends and undulations, and it can save in manpower & installation time and improved installation efficiency via the blowing installation methods. For the outdoor fiber cable deployment, some anti-rodent and anti-bird optical cables also need to be used.

Get Ready for 5G Networks

Currently, optical fiber is the optimal medium capable of scaling to the 5G demands. 5G networks’ enhanced bandwidth capacity, lower latency requirements and complicated outdoor deployments bring challenges as well as unlimited possibilities for optical fiber manufacturers, but our optical networks must quickly adapt to meet such new demands. Except for the optical fiber mentioned above, it remains to be seen if the 5G fiber manufacturers will put forward other innovative fiber for the market as quickly as possible.

Article source: 5 Types of Optical Fibers for 5G Networks

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What Cable Should I Use for 10G Transceiver Module?

To deploy the optical network, the transceiver module and patch cable are the two basic components. According to the feedbacks of customers from FS.COM, one of the common problems faced by them is what cables they should use for their transceiver modules. To solve this problem, we make this post of patch cable selection guidance. Since the order for 10G transceivers ranks top, we are going to take 10G modules as a reference.

An Overview of 10G Transceiver Module

Transceiver module, also called fiber optic transceiver, is a hot-pluggable device that can both transmit and receive data. By combining a transmitter and receiver into a single module, the device converts electrical signals into optical signals to allow these signals to be efficiently transferred on fiber optic cables. As for the 10G transceiver, it refers to the optical modules with 10G data rate. In FS.COM, there are mainly four types of 10G transceivers: XENPAK, X2, XFP, and SFP+. Even though these optical transceivers are all accessible to the 10G networks, they have different matching patch cables and applications.

10G Transceiver Module

Figure 1: 10G Transceiver Modules

Patch Cable Basics

Apart from optical module, the patch cable is the other vital role in networking. Patch cable, also called patch cord, refers to the copper or optical cable. It’s designed to connect one electronic or optical device to another for signal routing. Conventionally, the patch cable will be terminated with connectors at both ends. For example, the LC fiber cable refers to the optical cable fixed with LC connector. Typically, there are LC, SC, ST, FC and MTP/MPO fiber patch cables. According to different features, we can get various classifications of patch cables, such as fiber types, polishing types, etc.

Patch Cables

Figure 2: Patch Cables

Factors to Consider When Choosing Patch Cable for 10G Transceiver Module

Recently, most of the 10G transceiver modules are compatible with different brands and support higher data rates. It will be much easier to choose optical modules for your networking than selecting mating patch cables. Based on most applications, there are three major factors that can be taken into consideration: transmission media, transmission distance, and transceiver module interface.

Transmission Media

Classified by transmission media, two types of patch cables can be found in the market: optic fiber cable and copper cable. Correspondingly, there are two kinds of optical transceivers available: copper-based transceivers and fiber optic based transceivers. Copper transceiver modules like 10GBASE-T SFP+, they have an RJ45 interface, connecting with copper cables. Typically, Ethernet cables that support 10G copper-based transceivers are Cat7 and Cat6a cables.

As for the 10G optical modules, they can support higher data rates over optic fiber cables. It will be more complicated to choose fiber cables. Generally, there are multimode fibers and single mode fibers. Based on the specified needs for transmission distance, the answer will be varied.

Transmission Distance

To select cables, the transmission distance is also an important factor that you need to take care. In the following table, we list the basic information of common 10G transceivers, including their supporting fiber cable types and transmitting distance.

Transceiver Type
Wavelength
Cable Type
Transmission Distance
SR
850 nm
MMF
300 m
LR
1310 nm
SMF
10 km
ER
1550 nm
SMF
40 km
ZR
1550 nm
SMF
80 km

As for fiber cables, single mode fiber is used for long-distance transmission and multimode fiber is for short distance. In a 10G network, the transmission distance of single mode fiber (OS2) can reach from 2 km to 100 km. When it comes to multimode fibers, the transmission distances for OM1, OM2, OM3 are 36 m, 86 m and 300 m. OM4 and OM5 can reach up to 550 m.

Transceiver Module Interface

Another factor you need to consider is the transceiver interface. Usually, transceivers use one port for transmitting and the other port for receiving. They tend to employ duplex SC or LC interface. However, for 10G BiDi transceivers, it only has one port for both transmitting and receiving. Simplex patch cord is applied to connect the 10G BiDi transceiver.

Summary

For your 10G network cabling, transceiver module and patch cable are necessary components. With a wide range of patch cables, selecting the right patch cables will be more complex than 10G transceivers. Generally, three major factors can be considered: transmission media, transmission distance, and transceiver module interface. To apply what you have learned in this post in cabling, you can visit FS.COM for all the transceivers and patch cables at one shop.

FS Fiber Optic Cable Types

To date, fiber optic cables have brought high speed network services to companies, campuses and homes. And we have discussed fiber optic cables a lot in the past, such as Introduction of Fiber Optic Cable. However, the truth is we have just scratched the surface of this complicated system. Different fiber optic cable types are versatile in the function and installation. Today, we’ll introduce FS fiber optic cable types in order to further understand the optic cables.

Why Fibers?

Fibers are truly one of the greatest inventions of our world. They are slim cables that have thousands of optic fibers within the plastic, outer jacket. The optic fibers are incredibly hair-thin strands of glass that transmit data by light, which is quite different from the copper cables or RJ45 cables. Basically, compared with the copper cables, fiber cables are much more efficient and secure for network applications. They can deliver more data with a greater degree of fidelity over greater distances. In addition, because fiber cables are made of glasses, they are immune to any type of electrical interference. Therefore, these cables could be put in direct contact with soil or in close proximity to chemicals without concern.

FS Fiber Optic Cable Types

To make a clear product catalog, FS has classified the fiber cables by different applications. Therefore, people can select the cables more easily according to their various needs.

MTP/MPO Fiber Cable

MTP/MPO fiber cables consist of MTP/MPO connectors and fiber cables. Each cable can bring 8, 12 or 24 fibers together in a single MTP/MPO interface. And other connectors like SC or LC are also could be found in some MTP/MPO cables. MTP/MPO cables are designed for 40 or 100G applications in data centers for ultra-high density cabling. FS MTP/MPO cables have low insertion loss, and help you reach direct connection for 40G connectivity. As the figure shows, MTP/MPO cable is usually used for connecting optic transceivers, MTP cassettes and fiber adapter panels and so on.

mtp cables

Figure 1: MTP/MPO cable is widely used.

Fiber Patch Cables

Usually, fiber patch cables are terminated with fiber optic connectors such as LC, SC, ST and so on at each end of the cables. Through these connectors, optical cables can be connected to network switches, patch panels or other networking devices. Based on fiber cable mode, fiber patch cables are divided into single mode fiber like OS2, and multimode fiber such as OM3 and OM4. All FS fiber patch cables are made of PVC jacket material with low insertion loss and attenuation at different distances. They play important roles for indoor uses like server rooms. Commonly, fiber patch cables are used to connect transceiver modules. Note that, fiber cables with different connectors must be connected with the transceivers that have the corresponding interfaces. For example, the following cable is a LC to LC single mode cable. Therefore, the transceivers here must have LC interfaces.

fiber optic cable types- fiber cable

Figure 2: A fiber patch cable connects two transceivers.

Ultra HD Fiber Cables

In FS ultra HD fiber cables catalog, there are ultra low loss LC SMF/MMF, uniboot LC cables, BIF fiber cables and customized LC+ cables. Compared with traditional fiber cables, ultra HD fiber cables use a compact design with a flat clip model and a slimmer wire body, which saves about 50% of cabling space. This is extremely suitable for high density data centers.

ultra HD fiber cables

Figure 3: Ultra HD fiber cables save lots of space.

Conclusion

Where to buy fiber optic cables? FS is absolutely your preferred choice. Here we offer different fiber optic cable types, MTP/MPO cables, patch cables and ultra fiber cables for all your voice, video and data communication needs. In addition, FS provides customized services for fiber cables with a favorable fiber optic cable price. Any questions about fiber cabling, please contact us via sales@fs.com.

DSL vs Ethernet Cable vs Fiber Optic Cable Speed

Wifi is excellent, we all love it. But under the wireless work, there are serious cabling, and data travels through DSL, Ethernet cables and fiber optic cables. The question is, which one performs better? And what’s the difference between DSL, Ethernet cable and fiber optic cable speed? Don’t worry, we are here to help you understand the key differences among the different cables.

DSL vs Ethernet Cable vs Fiber Optic Cable Speed

What Is DSL?

DSL stands for Digital Subscriber Line. It’s a communication medium used to deliver digital signals via the copper telephone lines. DSL service functions much like dial-up Internet service. However, unlike dial-up service, the “two-wire” technology of DSL makes it possible for users to connect to the broadband internet and make or receive phone calls at the same time. Because DSL utilizes the existing telephone lines which means there is no requirement for extra cabling for DSL service. Thus, it allows users to download files, watch online videos and support cloud backups.

What Is Ethernet Cable?

Ethernet cable is the most common network cable type in our daily life, which is specifically designed to facilitate the communication between different electronic equipment such as computers, fax machines or scanners. Cat3, Cat5, Cat5e, Cat6, Cat7 are the different Ethernet cable types. Each new promotion of category supports increasingly faster bandwidth speeds and improves upon the signal-to-noise ratio.

What Is Fiber Optic Cable?

The fiber optic cable contains strands of glass fibers inside an insulated casing. Compared with the wired cables, fiber optic cable speed is faster which is designed for long distance and high performance data networking. Single mode fiber and multimode fiber are the primary types of fiber optic cable. Both of them can support the world’s Internet, cable television and telephone system.

DSL vs Ethernet Cable vs Fiber Optic Cable Speed

When we buy the cables, the speed is always an important consideration. Now we’ll compare DSL, Ethernet cable and fiber optic cable speed.

  • DSL speed

Download speed of DSL is generally in the 1-35Mbps range, while the upload speed ranges from 1Mbps to 10Mbps. When the DSL packages speed is around 1 megabit per second, it’s suitable for basic web browsing and sending or receiving emails. If the cable speed is up to 6Mbps or 7Mbps, you can enjoy online music and standard video streaming but may be a little slow for HD video.

  • Ethernet Speed

Ethernet cable download speed usually starts from 10Mbps to 500Mbps, and the upload speed is 5-50Mbps. Note that these ranges are the criteria you can achieve for home use. And for the specific areas, internet providers offer much higher speed which can be 1000Mbps. With a faster data speed, you can enjoy HD audio streaming and VoIP services.

  • Fiber Optic Cable Speed

Fiber optic cable speed is the fastest. Download speed of a fiber patch cord could be anywhere from 250Mbps to 1000Mbps. And fiber providers commonly provide “symmetrical” service, which means the upload speed is as high as the download speed. Though fiber optic cable price is usually a bit higher than DSL or Ethernet cable, it’s always worth buying it. You are free to enjoy heavy web browsing, file sharing and online backup, superior download and upload. And it’s a great option for hosting servers and complex cloud-based services.

Conclusion

As described above, fiber optic cable speed definitely wins. If you want a connection that can move at lightning speeds, fiber is the best choice. If you care more about the budget, both DSL and Ethernet cable can offer plans that allow you to get a decent network speed at a reasonable price. DSL is the cheapest for lower speed plans, while Ethernet cable is the cheapest for higher speeds. So choose the best Internet cable service based on your needs.

MPO/MTP Assemblies Are Ready to Greet The Future of Data Center

Rapid growth of bandwidth promotes development of data center, which drives the MPO/MTP cables providing cost-effective and efficient way to greet the future of data center. IEEE 802.3ba, the standard for implementing 40/100G Ethernet, dictates that the MPO/MTP footprint will be the standard for multi-mode transmission. This assures the MPO/MTP connector will be the future of optical transmission in the data center for the next few generations to come.

A data center, as defined in TIA/EIA-942, Telecommunications Infrastructure Standard for Data Centers, is a building or portion of a building whose primary function is to house a computer room and its support areas. The main functions of a data center are to centralize and consolidate information technology (IT) resources, house network operations, facilitate e-business and to provide uninterrupted service to mission-critical data processing operations. Yes, it is what we used to call the computer room before it grew to fill buildings. It’s easy to understand but hard to comprehend how much data is being uploaded and downloaded every second on the Internet. The following pictures will show you how big Google data center is.

Google-DS-smdata-center

Due to every data center begins with fiber optic connections to the Internet. Thus, the type of cable connectors becomes the first thing to consider. Which type will be the priority to support such big data transmission? The answer is MPO/MTP connector, because the MPO/MTP connector offers ideal solutions for setting up high-performance data networks in data centers to meet future requirements. The MPO/MTP connector (known as multi-fiber push-on and also as multi-path push-on) can accommodate up to 72 fibers in the tiniest of spaces. MPO/MTP cables can bridge legacy 1Gbps/10Gbps networks over to 40Gbps/100Gbps networks, and can act as the trunk line on a network backbone. There are various types of MPO/MTP cables, such as, trunk cables, harness cables and cassettes. Among these cables, trunk cables are unique and useful due to following features and advantages.

Fiber trunk cables are typically 12-144 fibers and create the permanent fiber links between patch panels in a structured environment. They are pre-terminated from the manufacturer with MPO/MTP Connectors at a specified length and have a pulling grip for easy installation.

Trunk cable has the following advantages:

  • Higher quality—Trunk cable can achieve higher quality with factory termination and testing of each individual product.
  • Minimal skew—The skew can be measured and minimized with factory-terminated trunk cables.
  • Shorter installation time—The pre-terminated MPO/MTP cable system can be incorporated and immediately plugged in with its plug and play design. This design greatly reduces the installation time.
  • Better protection—All termination is done in the factory, so cables and connectors are completely protected from ambient influences. Fiber optic lines lying about in the open in splice trays are exposed at least to the ambient air and may age more rapidly as a result.
  • Smaller volume of cable—Smaller diameters can be achieved in the production of MPO/MTP  cabling from fiber optic loose tube cables.
  • Lower total costs—In splice solutions, splicing including much time and equipment, such as, skilled labor, meters of cable, pigtails, splice trays, splice protection and holders. By comparison, pre-terminated trunk cables not only have technical advantages but also usually involve lower total costs than splice solutions.

MPO/MTP trunk cable is designed for high density application which offers excellent benefits in installation time and space saving. With its features and advantages, MPO/MTP trunk cable is ready to greet the future of data center. Definitely, there will be increasing demand of big data in the next few generations of data center. The ultimate goal of MPO/MTP trunk cable is to keep pace with the rapid development of data center.