In general, from the perspective of materials used in cable construction, types of fiber optic cables can be divided into 3 groups.
Types of fiber optic cables
- Fully glass fibers, with the core and cladding made of silica,
- Fibers with plastic cladding and glass core,
- Fully plastic fibers, with both core and cladding made of plastic.
In terms of cost, flexibility, ease of application, and low data loss values, each of these has different advantages, and depending on the requirements, any of the 3 types of fiber optic cables can be chosen.
In general, fully plastic fibers are the cheapest but have the highest data loss value, while fully glass fibers are expensive but have a very low data loss value.
Light transmission in fiber optic cables
The precisely linear directions of lasers that transmit data inside fiber optic cables are a characteristic that limits this technology. Because in areas where cables need to bend, laser beams can only change direction by reflecting off the glass cladding surrounding the core. In this process, the speed and quality of data transmission suffer a very small but still existing loss.
For this reason, linear routes are preferred in fiber optic cable installation works. Depending on the place of use, if necessary, a steel armor layer or a gel layer can be added to fiber optic cables to increase protection and flexibility.
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