- Simplex: These cables have a single optical fiber.
- Duplex: These cables have two optical fibers.
- Multifiber: These cables have several optical fibers.
- Patch cord: These short length cables also have connectors.
- Bare fiber: This is a fiber optic core with cladding only.
Important Considerations
Listed below are some of the important parameters that must be considered while purchasing fiber optic cable:
- Fiber core size
- Cable diameter
- Cable weight
Specifications to be Considered
There are certain features and specifications that one must consider while purchasing fiber optic cables. These specifications are as follows:
- Features of Optic Fiber Cables
- Polarization maintaining
- Graded index
- Metallized
- Performance specifications include:
- Wavelength
- Numerical aperture
- Maximum attenuation
- Bending radius
| Buyers
Guide Fiber optic cable buyers must check the below mentioned information while buying these cables. The section also contains classification of fiber optic cables that are used in different areas. Fiber optic cables are manufactured based on their end use. These cables have standard set of markings for indicating their primary use, the name of the manufacturer, a National Electrical Code Rating and a UL approval code. The information also contains the number of fibers contained within the cable, the outside diameter of the cable, and the manufacturer's product nomenclature. All the above points should be checked while purchasing cables. |
Fiber Optic Cable Classification
| Fiber Cable Classification |
General Purpose |
| Inside Plant | Used for device to device wiring. |
| Horizontal, or Intra-office | Used for running on a single floor and between rooms. |
| Riser or intra-building | Used for running between floors in a building, usually in an elevator shaft or conduit. |
| Plenum | Used for meeting fire codes for cable run within an air space. |
| Inside-Outside | Used for transition between outside plant and inside plant. |
Manufacturers also provide a metallic armored sheath to the cable for providing added strength and protection against rodents.
Optical fiber cable manufacturers provide a standard color coding for ensuring effective management of cables because of the normally high strand counts contained within a cable. The manufacturers make use of 24 color combinations. Below is the optical fiber cable color identification chart for the use of buyers:
Types of Fiber Optic Cable
| Loose Buffered Cable | Tight Buffered Cable |
| Individual fibers can move freely within a buffer tube. | Fibers are tightly bound into a bundle. |
| Large cable diameter for accommodating buffer tubes. | Small cable diameter. |
| Fibers get protection from cable pulling forces. | Used for running between floors in a building, usually in an elevator shaft or conduit. |
| Primarily used for outside plant. | Primarily used for inside plant and distribution. |
Optical Fiber Cable Color Identification Chart:
| Buffer Tube / Fiber Strand Number | Color |
| 1 | Blue |
| 2 | Orange |
| 3 | Green |
| 4 | Brown |
| 5 | Slate |
| 6 | White |
| 7 | Red |
| 8 | Black |
| 9 | Yellow |
| 10 | Violet |
| 11 | Rose |
| 12 | Aqua |
| 13 | Blue/Black Tracer |
| 14 | Orange/Black Tracer |
| 15 | Green/Black Tracer |
| 16 | Brown/Black Tracer |
| 17 | Slate/Black Tracer |
| 18 | White/Black Tracer |
| 19 | Red/Black Tracer |
| 20 | Black/Yellow Tracer |
| 21 | Yellow/Black Tracer |
| 22 | Violet/Black Tracer |
| 23 | Rose/Black Tracer |
| 24 | Aqua/Black Tracer |
