CablingTechnologies

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Cabling Technologies -

Infrastructure

• Cat5e / Cat6 / Cat6a – Copper Cabling

• OM1/OM2/OM3/OS1 – Fibre Optic Cabling

• Data Cabinets

• Structured Cabling

• Standards


Copper Cabling

• Cat5e

• Cat6

• Cat6a (Augmented)

Speeds and Distances

100MB 1GB 10GB

Cat5e 100m (90m) 100m (90m)

Cat6 100m (90m) 100m (90m) 55m

Cat6a 100m (90m) 100m (90m) 100m (90m)


Fibre Optic Cabling

• Introduction

• Fibre Communication Systems

• Fibre Optic Components

• Fibre Optic Cable Construction– Fibre Optic Dimensions

– Types of Fibre Optic Cabling

– What is OM1,OM2,OM3 & OS1 fibre?

– Common Fibre Optic Connectors


Introduction

• A fibre optic cable is a thin strand of glass, coated with a protective plastic jacket. A beam of light can be trapped within a fibre, so that the optical cable essentially becomes a pipe that carries light around corners.

• Fibre optic networks can support high data rates.

• Because light is not appreciably affected by electromagnetic fields, optical signals are immune to EMI/RFI/EMP (Electromagnetic Interference/ Radio Frequency Interference/ Electromagnetic Pulse).

• Nearly all long-distance telecommunication lines are fibre optic.

• The primary disadvantage of fibre optic cable is its cost.


Fibre Communication Systems

The basic model for a communication system includes a transmitter and

receiver, connected by optical fibre cabling. The Fibre Optic Components

Diagram below illustrates a generic fibre optic communication system.


Fibre Optic ComponentsTransmitter (TX)- A transmitter includes the following components:

• Encoder

• Light source

• Connector

The transmitter accepts digital electrical signals from a computer.

A diode converts the digital code into a pattern of light pulses (on and off) that are sent

out to the receiver through the optical fibre.

There are two basic types of light sources for fibre optic systems:

Receiver (RX)- A receiver converts the modulated light pulses back to electrical signals and decodes them.

WARNING: Never look into a fibre

optic cable to see whether light is present.

The infrared laser light used in fibre optic

LANs is invisible; however, it can

permanently damage your eyesight in an

instant.

Light emitting diodes (LEDs)

• use less power and are considerably less expensive than

lasers

• can be used with multimode cable,

• most common light source.

Laser diodes

• used with single-mode fibre for long-distance

transmission.

• Laser light is more powerful


Fibre Optic Cable Construction

Optical fibre cable consists of three parts:

• Core - A solid fibre of highly refractive clear glass that serves as the central conduit for light.

• Cladding--A layer of clear glass with a lower index of refraction. When light travelling down the core reaches the boundary between the core and cladding, the change in refractive index causes the light to completely refract or bend back into the core.

• Coating--A reinforced plastic outer jacket that protects the cable from damage.


Fibre Optic Dimensions

Fibre optic cable is very thin.

Optical fibres are referred to by their core/cladding diameter measured in

micrometres (µm)

Sizes in perspective

1 metre = 1000 millimetres

1mm = 1000 micrometres

Therefore:

1 µm = micron = 1 metre or 10-6

metres

1,000,000

In comparison, a

human hair is

approximately

50 µm thick


Fibre Optic Dimensions

• Fibre optic cable is specified in terms of its core and cladding diameter.

• Each fibre optic core conducts light in one direction only. Therefore, to send and receive, devices are usually connected by two fibre optic strands.

• Fibre cables can also consist of several bundles (4 – 24 fibres).

For example, the most common type of fibre optic

cable for LAN installations is 62.5/125 µm cable, where

62.5 refers to the core diameter and 125 refers to the

cladding diameter.


Types of Fibre Optic Cable

Fibre optic cable is available in two types:

• Multimode fibre is wide enough to carry more than one light signal. (Each signal is called a "mode.")

• Single-mode fibre is thin and can carry only one light signal.


What is OM1,OM2,OM3 & OS1

fibre?

Fibre Size 100MB Ethernet 1GB Ethernet 10GB Ethernet 40GB Ethernet

OM1 (62.5/125) Up to 550

metres

220 metres 33 metres Not specified

OM2 (50/125) Up to 550

metres

550 metres 82 metres Not specified

OM3(50/125) Up to 550

metres

550 metres 300 metres 100 metres

OM4 (50/125) Up to 550

metres

550 metres 500 metres 150 metres

OS1 (9/125)

(singlemode)

2km – 40km 2km – 40km 2km – 40km Not specified


Common Fibre Connections

• SC - Subscriber Connector / Square Connector

• ST - Straight Through / Straight Tip

• MTRJ - Mechanical Transfer Registered Jack

• LC - Local Connector / Little Connector / Lucent Connector


Data Cabinets

Business

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