What are fiber optic patch cables?
These cables are made with standard fiber optic cabling and are terminated with fiber optic connectors on both ends.
What are fiber optic cables used for?
There are several application areas for fiber optic patch cables, including connecting computer work stations to outlets and connecting fiber optic patch panels or optical cross connect distribution centers.
What are the most common fiber optic patch cables?
There are many common types of fiber patch cables and your network may require one or more of them to operate most efficiently. Professionals use several ways to categorize the most common fiber patch cables, including the fiber cable type, the termination connector types, the optical fiber modes, the size of the fiber cable, and the various styles of polishing the connectors.
What are the various types of fiber optic cabling?
There are three main types of fiber cable: Simplex, Duplex, and Ribbon Fan-Out Cable Assembly. A Simplex fiber patch cable has one fiber and one connector on each end. A Duplex fiber optic cable features two fibers and two connectors on each end. Either each fiber will be marked separately (e.g., A and B) or the connector boots will use different colors to reflect the polarity of each connector. Ribbon Fan-Out Cable Assembly offers one end of the patch cable with multiple fibers and a specialized ribbon fiber connector. The other end is run in a multi simplex arrangement with various single fiber connectors (e.g., LC, SC, ST, etc.)
How are fiber optic patch cables terminated?
There are basically two ways to terminate a fiber cable: using the same connector type on both ends of the cable (e.g., LC to LC) and using two different connectors on each end of the cable (e.g., ST to SC) which is also known as a Hybrid termination.
What the most common connector types for fiber optic cables?
The most popular connector types are SC, ST, LC, MTRJ, and FC.
What Modes are used in optical fiber patch cables?
Currently, there are three different modes that are used in fiber patch cords: singlemode, multimode, and 10Gigabit multimode. Singlemode fiber cables rely on 9/125 (micron) fiber cable with singlemode connectors on each end of the cable. Multimode fiber optic patch cables use 62.5/125 micron or 50/125 micron fiber cabling and are terminated with multimode fiber optic connectors on each end of the cable. 10Gb multimode fiber optic patch cords use enhanced 50/125 micron fiber that is optimized for 850nm VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Lasers) based 10Gb Ethernet. They are usually compatible with existing network equipment and can offer 300% more bandwidth than traditional 62.5/125 multimode fibers. These cables are also rated for distances up to 300 meters.
What Sizes do fiber optic patch cables come in?
Generally, manufacturers produce the following sizes: 250um bare fiber, 900um tight buffer fiber, 1.6mm fiber optic cable, 2.0mm fiber optic cable, and 3.0mm fiber optic cable.
Why are there different connector polishing styles?
Fiber optic connectors are designed, manufactured and polished to different shapes to minimize back reflection. Back reflection grades generally vary from -30dB to -60dB. Note that polishing is especially important for applications in which singlemode fiber is being used..
What are the various connector polishing styles available?
There are three main styles of polishing, Physical Contact (PC), Ultra Physical Contact (UPC), and Angled Physical Contact (APC). Typical back reflections are as follows: APC < -60dB (singlemode); UPC < -50dB (singlemode); PC < -40dB (singlemode and multimode.)
Are there other more specialized forms of fiber optic patch cables?
Yes. For example there are mode conditioning fiber cords, polarization maintaining fiber cables, and pre-terminated pigtails. All of these have specialized usages in various network configurations.
What are some other names for fiber optic patch cables?
This is by no means a comprehensive list of synonyms for these cables, but we have heard them called: fiber optic patch cords, fiber optic jumpers, fiber jumper cables, fiber jumpers, fiber optic jumpers, duplex fiber jumpers, fiber wire, lan fiber, network fiber, optic cables, network glass, and more.
TIA-598-B Fiber Optic Patch Cable Standard Color Codes
| 1 Fiber | Blue |
| 2 Fiber | Orange |
| 3 Fiber | Green |
| 4 Fiber | Brown |
| 5 Fiber | Slate |
| 6 Fiber | White |
| 7 Fiber | Red |
| 8 Fiber | Black |
| 9 Fiber | Yellow |
| 10 Fiber | Violet |
| 11 Fiber | Rose |
| 12 Fiber | Aqua |
Note: For Fiber Optic Patch Cables with 13 fibers or more, the above color code is repeated every 12 fibers and the buffered fibers, also known as subcables, are striped once for each additional 12 fibers.