What type of Fibre do I need?

The use of Fibre optic cabling is increasing as systems demand higher bandwith and performance.

The correct cable selection is vital from the start to meet both performance and enviromental requirements.

Our clients can expect expert advice in the best fibre optic cabling solution to meet their current and future needs.

When selecting the correct cable for any installation the first question should be the fibre type. This will be dependent upon the transmission distance required and the bandwidth, i.e. 1Gb or 10Gb Ethernet.

We offer full site surveys allowing us to specify the correct fibre optic cable and design the network.

Multi mode or Single mode fibre is the most important choice which is driven by the transmission distance you require.

Distance Guide

OS1 Single Mode fibre public network or long distance

OM1 62.5/125 1000mbps upto 280m

OM2 50/125 1000mbps upto 550m

OM3 50/125 1000mbps upto 800m

OM3 50/125 10,000mbps (10gig) up to 300m

62.5/125 Multimode (OM1)
Typically this grade of Multimode Fiber (OM1) is used to match existing installations due to limited support for Gigabit Ethernet (275 meters) and 10 Gigabit (26 meters) applications. Available in Loose Tube and Tight Buffered

50/125 Multi (OM2)

Ideal for companies that do not yet require a 10 gigabit system, yet need a high-performance system that can support Gigabit Ethernet applications. Supporting Gigabit Ethernet up to 550m OM2 offers greater performance over traditional 62.5/125 (OM1) fibers.

50/125 Multi (OM3)

OM3 is ideal for next generation backbone or fibre-to-the-desk (FTTD) applications. Meeting IEEE 802.3 10 Gigabit Ethernet Standard as well as IEC-60793-2-10 and TIA-492AAAC specifications for laser bandwidth Differential Mode Delay (DMD) specifications. For superior transmission performance for 1G or 10G Ethernet applications.

Singlemode (OS1)

Singlemode optical fibre cable is perfectly suited to support extended distance 10 Gigabit Ethernet (i.e. greater than 550 meter) applications as well as emerging applications, such as 40 Gb/s Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), that will operate at speeds beyond 10Gb/s. Singlemode cables are constructed from optical fibres that exhibit low and stable insertion loss performance over the entire operating range (including the 1400 nm “water peak” band) to ensure compatibility with coarse wavelength (CWDM) and dense wavelength (DWDM) applications. The loose tube construction provides the overall cable diameter requirements.



Applications Support By Single Mode Fibre Optics

APPLICATION


DISTANCE (m)

10GBASE-L (1310 nm)


8,000

10GBASE-E (1550 nm)


30,000

10G Fibre Channel (Serial-1310 nm)


10,000

1000BASE-LX (1300 nm)


5,000

Fibre Channel 266/1062 (1300 nm)


10,000

ATM 52/I55/622 (1300 nm)


15,000

How Many Fibres Are Required?

This should take into account future demand and allow an element of redundancy. The cost of installation and associated down time will generally outweigh the cost of additional fibre on day one.

Additionally, good practice should be taken into consideration. A large high fibre count cable carrying the majority of a company’s data generates a larger risk than several lower fibre count cables should any cable damage occur.

What Type of Cable is Required?

The main types and their intended usage are listed below:

Universal Cables – designed for both internal and external use. They have a Low Smoke Halogen Free (LSHF) compound sheath that reduces the emission of toxic fumes and reduces the spread of fire

Outdoor Cables – designed for external use only and have a low density polyethylene sheath that makes them lighter that the equivalent LSHF version. This makes them more suitable for longer pulled runs.

Breakout and Patch Cables – these are generally installed within equipment rooms as rack to rack links.

Loose Tube Cables – provide higher fibre counts and can generally be installed as building or campus links.

Tight Buffered-Is suitable for use in internal and external  environments

SWA (Steel Wired Armoured)- Providing rodent proof protection with a steel wire armour covering the cable
CST (Corrugated Steel Tape)- Suitable for direct burial into a trench is also rodent proof a cost effective solution against SWA