How to choose the right fiber optic patch cord？

There are many kinds of optical fiber, but for people who do not often use optical fiber, many specifications are really quite troubling. Sometimes, because they are not familiar with optical fiber specifications or are not clear about the wire required by the equipment, they will make the choice very troublesome, and they will not be careful to choose the unsuitable wire. Today, we are going to talk about how to choose the right fiber patch cord?

Do you need Multi-mode or Single-mode fiber patch cord?

If you already have one fiber patch cord and want to buy another, you can usually tell the type of fiber by its color. Single-mode fibers are yellow, and multimode fibers of 50μm or 62.5μm are usually orange. The 10GB multimode fiber is typically Aqua blue. If you do not know the color of the optical fiber, you must confirm the specifications of the optical fiber. Here are some common ways to distinguish specifications.

• OS1, OS2, 9µm, 9/125 = single-mode optical fiber patch cord

• OM1, 62.5µm, 62.5/125 = Multimode fiber patch cord 62.5

• OM2, 50µ, 50/125 = multimode fiber patch cord 50

• OM3, 10GB, 50µm, 50/125 = 10GB for multimode fiber patch cord

• OM4, 100GB, 50µm, 50/125 = 100GB for multimode fiber patch cord

It can be seen from the above information that both 50µm and 62.5µm are multi-mode fiber patch cord and the fiber color is orange. However, the 50µm multimode fiber wire can also be aqual blue. For areas that cannot be distinguished, you must check the hardware specification file to confirm the correct optical fiber specifications.

Different optical fibers have advantages and disadvantages. Single-mode fiber patch cord  usually use long-distance transmission, 20KM is quite common. However, the hardware to support single-mode fiber is usually more expensive. Although multi-mode optical fiber can not carry on the long-distance transmission, but the hardware equipment is more economical.

What kind of optical fiber do you need?

There are many types of optical fiber connectors. The following are the most commonly used optical fiber connectors:

FC: Single-core FC connector

LC: Dual core LC connector, using the fixture to combine the two lines together

SC: Dual core SC connector, using a fixture to combine two wires together

ST: single-core ST connector

What is the Optical Return Loss (ORL)?

The return loss can be calculated by sending a pulse of light to the end of the fiber and measuring the amount of light returned. Losses can occur at junctions or fuses. If the connection is dirty, scraped and other factors, the return signal will be very weak, which can cause several different problems. The higher the return loss ORL, the better.

Do you need UPC?

Many customers usually want to find the lowest insertion loss and maximum return loss fiber. This means that you want the maximum amount of light to reach your destination with the minimum loss of signal. In this case, you can choose UPC, but in some cases, you may need more return loss than the UPC can provide. In this case, APC should be selected. If the connector on the device is green, APC should be selected.

Do you need APC?

The APC is designed to provide maximum return loss. The grinding Angle of APC face is ~8°. APC connectors are usually green to clearly identify the fiber grinding type as APC. Because the Angle is so small, it looks almost flat to the naked eye.

If the APC and UPC are mixed, the result can be a large insertion loss, meaning that when the APC is connected to the UPC, a large amount of loss is generated. Therefore, if an APC is specified on the device, you must select an optical fiber with APC.

Do you need single core (SX), double core (DX) or something else?

Single-core fiber patch cords usually have a connector at the end. Optical fiber communication devices usually send data in one direction, so for bidirectional communication, a two-core optical fiber is usually required.

A two-core fiber cable has two fibers and usually two connectors at the end. The LC and SC connectors can be placed side by side using the jig, and the jig is used to adjust the appropriate distance so that both connectors can be inserted into the device at the same time. If the connector needs to be inserted into a further or closer device, the fixture can be removed directly. In addition to single core and double core, there are also more core number of optical fiber wire available.

What kind of sheath and material do you need?

The zip-cord mode is commonly used for dual-core optical fibers. zip-cord means that two optical fibers have their own jackets, and the jackets of the two wires are stitched together. There are also a number of circular sheathed fiber lines with a circular sheathed outside. Outdoor optical fibers must be used if the fiber is to be used outdoors or in conduits that may be exposed to moisture. Armored cables may need to be considered if fiber optic cables are likely to be misused or will be laid along ground that is likely to be trampled.

General fiber jumper PVC polyvinyl chloride and LSZH(LSOH) low smoke halogen-free flame retardant is the most common sheath material, LSZH fiber contact flame, will only produce little smoke, so for closed type of occasion, such as: office, railway station, shopping mall, etc., is a better choice. LSZH fiber is higher than PVC fiber.