Garth Naar - Various categories of Fibre Optic Cable

Garth Naar sorting through cables and connectivity options can be a frustrating exercise. It's hard enough working through the categories and levels of copper networking cables, where most cables end with the same connector. What happens when you start looking at fiber optic cables? That's where things can really get confusing! That's what this paper is designed to help out with — how to select the right kind of fiber optic cable.

Garth Naar let's start off by saying that fiber optic cables can be used in a huge variety of applications, from small office LANs, to data centers, to inter-continental communication links. The data lines that connect between North America and Europe, for instance, are made of fiber optic cable strung underneath the ocean. Our discussion in this paper is going to focus primarily on the types of cables found in those small-scale networks closer to home, and in particular to pre-terminated cables that may be readily available for installation, called "patch cords", "pre-terms", or other similar nicknames.

Multimode and Single mode

One of the first things to determine when choosing fiber optic cables is the "mode" of fiber that you need. The mode of a fiber cable describes how light beams travel on the inside of the fiber cables themselves. It's important because the two modes aren't compatible with each other — you can't substitute one for the other.

Garth Naar, there's really not much variety with single mode patch cords, but there is for multi-mode. There are varieties described as OM1, OM2, and OM3. Basically, these varieties have different capabilities around speed, bandwidth, and distance, and the right type to use will depend mostly upon the hardware that is being used with them, and any other fiber that the patch cords will be connecting to. Take a look at the table below for some more detail around the OM varieties.

Jackets

Pre-term fiber can be used in a variety of installation environments, and as a result, may require different jacket materials. The standard jacket type is called OFNR, which stands for "Optical Fiber Non-conductive Riser". This is a long-winded way of saying, there's no metal in it, so it won't conduct stray electrical current, and it can be installed in a riser application (going from one floor up to the next, for instance). Patch cords are also available with OFNP, or plenum jackets, which are suitable for use in plenum environments such as drop-ceilings or raised floors. Many data centers and server rooms have requirements for plenum-rated cables, and the local fire codes will always have the final say in what jacket type is required. The final option for jacket type is LSZH, which stands for "Low Smoke Zero Halogen", which is a jacket made from special compounds which give off very little smoke and no toxic halogenic compounds when burned. Again, check with the local fire code authority to be sure of the requirements of the installation before making the jacket selection.

Simplex vs. Duplex

Garth Naar described the difference between Simplex vs. duplex is just the difference between one fiber and two; between one connector at each end of a cable, and two connectors at each end. That's all there is to it. Duplex patch cords are the most common type, because the way that most fiber electronics work is that they need two fibers to communicate. One is used to transmit data signals, and the other receives them. However, in some instances, only one fiber is required, so simplex patch cords may be necessary for certain applications. If you're not sure, you can always be on the safe side by ordering duplex patch cords, and only using one of the two fibers.

Connectors

Remember what we said in the beginning about copper category cables? No matter what level of twisted pair you were dealing with (Cat 5, 5e, etc), you always knew you'd be dealing with an 8-position modular RJ-45 plug on the end of the cable. Well, with fiber patch cords, you've got a few options available when it comes to connectors. Let's take a look at the common connector types:

LC — This is a small, squarish connector that is held in place by a push/pull mechanism. This is currently the most popular type of connector.

SC — This connector is square, like an LC, but is approximately twice the size. It also holds into place using a push/pull mating mechanism.

ST — This is a round connector that uses a bayonet-style mechanism that has to be twisted into place. It is about the same size as the SC connector. It was once the most popular connector type, but is losing ground rapidly.

MTRJ — The MTRJ connector closely resembles an RJ-style modular plug, even getting part of its name from the resemblance.

These are the most common selections that you'll find when choosing amongst patch cords. If you're able to determine which of these characteristics you need, it's highly likely you will make the right choice when shopping for fiber optic patch cables.

Garth Naar - Fiber optic cable’s widest ranges

Garth Naar - Fiber optic cable’s characteristics

Garth Naar the suitability of each type for a particular application depends on the fiber optic cable’s characteristics. There are three common types of fiber optic cables as listed below.

The single mode fiber optic cable, sometimes called a single-mode fiber cable. The single and multi-mode step-index fiber cables are the simplest types of fiber optic cables. Single-mode fiber cables have extremely small core diameters, ranging from 5 to 9.5 um. The core is surrounded by a standard cladding diameter of 125 um. The jacket is applied on the cladding to provide mechanical protection. Jackets are made of one type of polymer in different colors for color-coding purposes. Single-mode fibers have the potential to carry signals for long distances with low loss, and are mainly used in communication systems. The number of modes that propagate in a single-mode fiber depends on the wavelength of light carried. The number of modes will be given in Equation. A wavelength of 980nm results in multi-mode operation. As the wavelength is increased, the fiber carries fewer and fewer modes until only one mode remains. Single-mode operation begins when the wavelength approaches the core diameter. At 1310nm, for example, the fiber cable permits only one mode. It then operates as a single-mode fiber cable.

The multi-mode types of fiber optic cables, sometimes called a multi-mode fiber cable. Multi-mode fiber cables have bigger diameters that their single-mode counterparts, with core diameters ranging from 100 to 970 um. They are available as glass fibers (a glass core and glass cladding), plastic-class silica (a glass core and plastic cladding), and plastic fibers (a plastic core and cladding). Garth Naar they are also the widest ranging, although not the most efficient in long distances, and they experience higher losses than the single-mode fiber cables. Multi-mode fiber cables have the potential to carry signals for moderate and long distance with low loss (when optical amplifiers are used to boost the signals to the required power). Plastic fiber optic cable is available in Fiber-store, it is an optical fiber made out of plastic rather than traditional glass. It offers additional durability for uses in data communications, as well as decoration, illumination and industrial application. Fiber-store provides both simplex and duplex plastic optical fibers.

Garth Naar, since light rays bounded through a fiber cable reflect at different angles for different ray patch, the path lengths of different modes will also be different. Thus, different rays take a shorter or longer time to travel the length of the fiber cable. The ray that goes straight down the center of the core without reflecting arrives at the other end faster. Other rays take slightly longer and thus arrive later. Accordingly, light rays entering a fiber at the same time will exit at the other end at different times. In time, the light will spread out because of the different modes. This is called modal dispersion. Dispersion describes the spreading of light rays by various mechanisms. Modal dispersion is that type of dispersion that results from the varying modal patch lengths in the fiber cable.

Garth Naar multi-mode graded-index fiber are sometimes called graded-index fiber cables (GRIN). Graded-index and multi-mode fiber cables have similar diameters. Common graded-index fibers have core diameters of 50,62.5, or 85 um, with a cladding diameter of 125 um. The core consist of numerous concentric layers of glass, somewhat like the annular rings of a tree or a piece of onion. Each successive layer expanding outward from the central axis of the core until the inner diameter of the cladding has a lower index of refection. Light travels faster in an optical material that has a lower index of refraction. Thus, the further the light is from the center axis, the greater its speed. These types of fiber optic cable are popular in applications that require a wide range of wavelengths, in particular telecommunication, scanning, imaging, and data processing systems. In particular telecommunication, Multi-mode OM4 fiber optic cable is used in any data center looking for high speeds of 10G or even 40G or 100G. OM4 multi-mode fiber are ideal for using in many applications such as Local Area Networks (LAN) backbones, Storage Area Networks (SAN), Data Centers and Central Offices.

You may have got some basics of types of fiber optic cables. Fiber-store provides a wide range of types of fiber optic cable with detailed specifications displayed for your convenient selecting. Per foot price of each fiber cable is flexible depending on the quantities of your order, making your cost of large order unexpected lower. Customers can also have the flexibility to custom the cable plant to best fit their needs.

Garth Naar - Uses of Fibre Optics, Sensors, Lighting and Telecommunications

Optical fibres are one of the wonder materials of the modern industrial age, suitable for a massive range of different applications. Typically they are available in single fibres, bundles of fibres and even more complex layouts with perpendicular angles.

Put simply optical fibres transmit light, normally they are cylindrical in shape and transmit with an efficiency of practically 100%, a result of the internal reflection within the fibres themselves.

 Garth Naar the only impedance to efficiency is cause by impurities in the manufacture of the fibres. Today they are used widely, below are some common applications.

Fibre optic sensors can be used to detect and monitor a range of different physical quantities; typically the sensing is carried out by the changes to the structure of the fibre in response to environmental conditions. A good example is direct strain fibre optic sensors that will monitor physical strain in accordance with the way in which the light reflective properties are affected by changes in the shape of the fibre.

Optical fibres are also used in the telecommunications industry. This is increasingly the case, particularly in developed nations where companies and governments alike are working together to implement fibre optic internet connectivity in towns and cities. The major benefits of using fibre optics for telecommunications cables is that they are flexible, durable and offer far faster data transmission than existing technology.

Garth Naar says Optical fibres are also used extensively within the bio-medical industries and even in manufacturing for imaging purposes, offering insight into hard to reach areas. The ability to send in tiny imaging sensors that relay detailed images back to the user has been instrumental in keyhole surgery and also within manufacturing applications.

Optical fibres are also popular in design circles as a means of lighting interior and exterior spaces. The practicality of this flexible solution is not only easy to install but also offers a range of different lighting effects and styles.

The above information has hoped to point out how useful and practical optical fibres are in the world today. Across myriad industries and a plethora of different applications they are one of the most important technologies used in commerce and industry today

Garth Naar - How to Develop Your Business Strategy

Business strategy is focus

At the real-world level (my favorite), strategy is like driving and sex: we all think we’re pretty good at it. But simplifying, doing today what will seem obvious tomorrow, is genius.

Garth Naar say the best strategies seem obvious as soon as you understand them. Furthermore, it seems to me that if they don’t seem obvious after the fact, they didn’t work.

Strategy has to be easy to define. I like the simple Live Plan method, which I explain here. But aside from that one, I’ve also worked in depth, during my consulting years, with several competing strategy frameworks, and every one of them works well if it’s applied correctly and executed. And furthermore, I say you can also define strategy with a simple summary, story, or a small collection of stories, which I’ll also explain here.

1. The Live Plan simple strategy method

Think of it as the heart of the business, like the heart of the artichoke. It’s a group of core concepts that can’t be separated: problem, solution, market, and identity. Don’t pull them apart. It’s the interrelationship between them that drives your business. Each affects the other three.

Consider a bicycle retail store. Maybe it solves the simple problem of where to buy children’s and family bicycles, service, and accessories, which is one problem. But maybe it solves the problems of the mountain bikers and racers who want a lot of expertise, specialized bicycles, equipment, and know-how, which is a different problem.

You also need to understand what business you’re in. The bicycle store might be helping families with kids bicycles as they grow, or it might be offering real expertise to the serious bikers. Those are different businesses. 

2. The solution: Your product or service

Your solution to that problem is your product or service. Focus on the true desired end result for your customers—the holes too, not just the drill.

Take the bicycle store for example. One solution is a bike store catering to families with children and casual bikers. GarthNaar says Another very different solution is a bike store catering to bicycle enthusiasts, such as serious mountain bikers and racers. It’s not just a bike shop; it’s a general bike shop, or one for families and hobbyists, or one that caters to serious cyclists.

3 The market: Who buys your solution

Your identity influences your choice of target market.

The bike racing shop focuses on attracting enthusiasts, offering expensive high-end bicycles and equipment. The family-focused shop focuses on attracting parents with kids, concentrating on medium-level bikes, trailers, and family-friendly accessories.

Keep your business focused on specific target markets. That bike racer shop owner has to know his products are too expensive for the families, and the families bother the high-end enthusiasts in the shop. Likewise, the family bike shop shouldn’t scare away its target market with very expensive racing bikes.

4. Your business identity (why us)

Every business has its core identity. How are you different from others? What are your strengths and weaknesses? What is your core competence?  What are your goals? What makes you different?

We have the examples above of the varieties of problems, solutions, and markets related to a bicycle store. To understand identity as a part of strategy, think about the difference between a bicycle retail store owned and operated by a former professional bike racer, and another one owned and operated by a couple with children who like cycling as a family activity.

The first one will gravitate toward stocking and selling expensive, sophisticated bicycles for the racing enthusiast and extreme long-distance or mountain biking hobbyist. The second will probably emphasize bicycles for children, bike trailers, carriers, and accessories for families.

Garth Naar - Introduction to Fiber Optics Temperature Measurement

Fiber optics are essentially light pipes. Garth Naar says the group of sensors known as fiber optic thermometers generally refer to those devices measuring higher temperatures wherein blackbody radiation physics are utilized.

Lower temperature targets--say from -100°C to 400°C--can be measured by activating various sensing materials such as phosphors, semiconductors or liquid crystals with fiber optic links offering the environmental and remoteness advantages.

Advantages of Using Fiber Optics for Temperature Measurements

Whether used for communications or infrared temperature measurement, fiber optics offer some inherent advantages for measurements in industrial and/or harsh environments:

- Unaffected by electromagnetic interference (EMI) from large motors, transformers, welders and the like;

- Unaffected by radio frequency interference (RFI) from wireless communications and lightning activity;

- Can be positioned in hard-to-reach or view places;

- Can be focused to measure small or precise locations;

- Does not or will not carry electrical current (ideal for explosive hazard locations);

- Fiber cables can be run in existing conduit, cable trays or be strapped onto beams, pipes or conduit (easily installed for expansions or retrofits);

- Certain cables can handle ambient temperatures to over 300°C--higher with air or water purging.

Monitoring SystemMonitoring Systems

Non-contact infrared thermal monitoring systems that represent a unique technological approach for monitoring and controlling process temperatures. These units combine fiber optics or line-of-sight optics with advanced electronic technology into a system that continuously monitors infrared radiation (a function of temperature) in real time and without physically contacting the target material. The result is a highly reliable system offering outstanding accuracy and repeatability with high response speed.

Fiber Optics Applications

Fiber optic thermometers have proven invaluable in measuring temperatures in basic metals and glass productions as well as in the initial hot forming processes for such materials. Boiler burner flames and tube temperatures as well as critical turbine areas are typical applications in power generation operations. Rolling lines in steel and other fabricated metal plants also pose harsh conditions which are well handled by fiber optics.

Typical applications include furnaces of all sorts, sintering operations, ovens and kilns. Automated welding, brazing and annealing equipment often generate large electrical fields which can disturb conventional sensors.

High temperature processing operations in cement, refractory and chemical industries often use fiber optic temperature sensing. At somewhat lesser temperatures, plastics processing, paper making and food processing operations are making more use of the technology. Fiber optics are also used in fusion, sputtering, and crystal growth processes in the semiconductor industry.

Beyond direct radiant energy collection or two-color methods, fiber optic glasses can be doped to serve directly as radiation emitters at hot spots so that the fiber optics serve as both the sensor and the media. Westinghouse has developed such an approach for distributed temperature monitoring in nuclear reactors. A similar approach can be used for fire detection around turbines or jet engines. Internal "hot spot" reflecting circuitry has been incorporated to determine the location of the hot area.

Garth Naar said an activated temperature measuring system involves a sensing head containing a luminescing phosphor attached at the tip of an optical fiber. A pulsed light source from the instrument package excites the phosphor to luminescence and the decay rate of the luminescence is dependent on the temperature. These methods work well for non-glowing, but hot surfaces below about 400°C.

Garth Naar - The Construction of the Fibre Optic Cables

Fibre optic technology relies on the fact that it is possible to send a light beam along a thin fibre suitably constructed. A fibre optic cable consists of a glass or silica core. The core of the optical fibre is surrounded by a similar material, i.e. glass or silica, called the cladding, that has a refractive index that is slightly lower than that of the core. Garth Naar says it is found that even when the cladding has a slightly higher refractive index, the light passing down the core undergoes total internal reflection, and it is thereby contained within the core of the optical fibre.

The Outside the cladding there is placed a plastic jacket. This is used to provide protection to the optical fibre itself. In addition to this, optical fibres are usually grouped together in bundles and these are protected by an overall outer sheath. This not only provides further protection but also serves to keep the optical fibres together.

Optical fibre types

There is a variety of different types of fibre optic cable that can be used, and there are a number of ways in which types may be differentiated. There are two major categories:

Step index fibre optic cabling

Graded index fibre optic cabling

The step index cable refers to cable in which there is a step change in the refractive index between the core and the cladding. This type is the more commonly used. The other type, as indicated by the name, changes more gradually over the diameter of the fibre. Using this type of cable, the light is refracted towards the centre of the cable.

Optical fibres or optical fibers can also be split into single mode fibre, and multimode fibre. Mention of both single mode fiber and multi-mode fiber is often seen in the literature.

Single mode fiber     This form of optical fibre is the type that is virtually exclusively used these days. It is found that if the diameter of the optical fibre is reduced to a few wavelengths of light, then the light can only propagate in a straight line and does not bounce from side to side of the fibre. As the light can only travel in this single mode, this type of cable is called a single mode fibre. Typically single mode fibre core are around eight to ten microns in diameter, much smaller than a hair.

Single mode fiber does not suffer from multi-modal dispersion and this means that it has a much wider bandwidth. Garth Naar says the main limitation to the bandwidth is what is termed chromatic dispersion where different colours, i.e. Wavelengths propagate at different speeds. Chromatic dispersion of the optical fibre cable occurs within the centre of the fibre itself. It is found that it is negative for short wavelengths and changes to become positive at longer wavelengths. As a result there is a wavelength for single mode fiber where the dispersions is zero. This generally occurs at a wavelength of around 1310 nm and this is the reason why this wavelength is widely used.

The disadvantage of single mode fibre is that it requires high tolerance to be manufactured and this increases its cost. Against this the fact that it offers superior performance, especially for long runs means that much development of single mode fiber has been undertaken to reduce the costs.

Multimode fiber     This form of fibre has a greater diameter than single mode fibre, being typically around 50 microns in diameter, and this makes them easier to manufacture than the single mode fibres.

Multimode optical fiber has a number of advantages. As it has a wider diameter than single mode fibre it can capture light from the light source and pass it to the receiver with a high level of efficiency. As a result it can be used with low cost light emitting diodes. In addition to this the greater diameter means that high precision connectors are not required. However this form of optical fibre cabling suffers from a higher level of loss than single mode fibre and in view of this its use is more costly than might be expected at first sight. It also suffers from multi-mode modal dispersion and this severely limits the usable bandwidth. As a result it has not been widely used since the mid 1980s. Single mode fiber cable is the preferred type.

Attenuation within an optical fibre

Although fibre optic cables offer a far superior performance to that which can be achieved with other forms of cable, they nevertheless suffer from some levels of attenuation. This is caused by several effects:

Loss associated with the impurities     There will always be some level of impurity in the core of the optical fibre. This will cause some absorption of the light within the fibre. One major impurity is water that remains in the fibre.

Loss associated with the cladding     When light reflects off the interface between the cladding and the core, the light will actually travel into the core a small distance before being reflected back. This process causes a small but significant level of loss and is one of the main contributors to the overall attenuation of a signal along an fibre optic cable.

Loss associated with the wavelength     It is found that the level of signal attenuation in the optical fibre depends the wavelength used. The level increases at certain wavelengths as a result of certain impurities.

Despite the fact that attenuation is an issue, it is nevertheless possible to transmit data along single mode fibres for considerable distances. Lines carrying data rates up to 50 Gbps are able to cover distances of 100 km without the need for amplification.

Garth Naar - Facts About Data Cabling Systems

Strong data cabling systems have become an important part in every organization and company. Along with advancement in the electronics and electrical devices manufactured to be used by the consumers, it is important that you assess the cabling systems and its set up at your place or at office.

Garth Naar says the system which make of use manual connection could be stronger as well as safer than usual one based on the wireless technology. These days the use of fibre optics cabling system is also increasing. Although there are several advantages of the cabling systems, there are several disadvantages too over the wireless network.

The first and important concern is the security. In any company or organization, the security comes first. Safety and security is the first advantage of the data cabling as it provides hire level of protection compare to the wireless set-up. However, there are several security facilities available in the wireless network such as passwords protected Wi-Fi network. The password will prevent the foreign personality to access to our network and hence the data will remain secured. But remember one thing that in contrast with cabling system it'd never been secure.

The cabling systems provide constant connectivity which is the most important concern. Wireless signal may create interval whereas the data comes in a packet constantly without getting influenced with other frequency. In this way the data won't get corrupted and consistence connectivity can be obtained through data cabling.

You will find very low Interference with physical setup and fibre optics cabling. The data cabling systems is not easy affected by the radio frequency and electrical influence once the set-up is done properly. Irrespective of this, the wireless network gets easily affected by the radio frequency.

As the cabling doesn't fail in providing constant connectivity, the physical setup provides great speed. These days the companies are moving towards the fibre optics cabling as it provides excellent speed which is ideal for high speed data exchange system.

Besides these advantages, there are few disadvantages of the data cabling. Garth Naar provide mobility as you have static address of the device. It required physical connection where as the wireless setup doesn't require to connect device physically. Wireless setup seems to be easy one compare to the data cabling system and less complex too.Which type of connectivity to choose is purely depends upon your requirements. Each type of set up has its own significance and hence you must select the one which gratify your need.