Fiber Optic

fiber optic

Understanding Basic Terms in Indoor Fiber Optic Cable Installation

Fiber optic cables are exposed to electrical, mechanical, chemical and environmental elements, so proper installation is critical for the long-term stability and survival of fiber cables.

Cable installation must also meet the NEC(National Electric Code) and local building codes. NEC indicates that fiber optic cables can be placed in the same raceway, cable tray or enclosure with CATV, telephone, communication circuits and Class 2 and 3 remote control signaling circuits.

Note that you should never put the fiber optic cable in the same enclosure that houses electrical terminations.

What are conduits?

Conduit is a tube or trough for protecting electrical or communication wires and cables. It may be a solid or flexible tube in which cables are run. They house and protect the fiber optic cables as well as any other type of data or communication transmission line.

Underground conduits are also called ducts and consist of one or more conduits spaced closely together. They are often buried directly in the ground in concrete casing. Duct lines terminate in underground vaults called manholes. Conduits are made of fiber, PVC, PE and other materials.

Above ground conduits are made of metal or nonmetal materials. They can be used in exposed or concealed locations aboveground.

Characteristics of a good conduit installation

1. Good mechanical properties to withstand the forces imposed by cable installations
2. Observes fiber optic cables minimum bending radius
3. No sharp edges or bends touches the fiber optic cables throughout the route
4. Meets current and future expansion requirements

What are cable trays?

A cable tray is an assembly of units made of metal or other noncombustible materials that form a continuous, rigid support for fiber cables. Cable trays are used throughout the industry and they greatly simplify the installation of fiber optic cables.

Cable trays come in several different types including ladder type, trough type, channel type and solid-bottom type.

Ladder type cable tray is a metal structure consisting of two longitudinal side rails connected by individual transverse members. The transverse members provide the support for fiber cables.

Trough type cable tray is also a metal structure. It consists of a ventilated bottom and has closely spaced supports within integral or separate longitudinal side rails.

Channel type cable tray consists of a one-piece ventilated or solid-bottom channel section.

Solid-bottom type cable tray is a metal structure that has no openings in the bottom. Integral or separate longitudinal side rails provide the support for the fiber cables.

What are pull boxes?

Pull boxes are used to break up long conduit lengths for easier and lower tension cable pulls.

Pull boxes are usually placed near conduit bends and in long straight runs. You should use at least one pull box after every second 90° bend and in long conduit spans.

When pulling cable out of pull boxes, ensure that the cable's minimum bend radius is always observed. Cable pulled through a corner pull box should first be pulled into a loop since the sharp corner of the pull box can easily damage the cable and the fibers.

About the Author

Colin Yao is an expert on fiber optic communication technologies and products. Learn more about
aerial fiber cable
,
optic cable aerial
,
aerial fiber optic cable
on Fiber Optics For Sale Co.

What Fiber Optic Supplies Do You Need To Clean A Fiber Optic Connector?

First, let's understand why a fiber optic connector needs cleaning.

You may never need to clean the RJ45 connector for your computer's Ethernet network connection, then why do you need to clean a fiber optic connector if it serves the same purpose as a networking connection?

While, the answer lies in how optics work differently than electronics. In electronics, as long as you have a contact between two connectors, they work perfectly; or at least most of the time.

But for optics, light beams travel in straight lines, they bounce off whenever they hit anything and thus loss their energy.

So in order for a light beam to carry the information signal and travel thousands of miles of optical fiber, its path must be kept crystal clear, including fiber optic connectors in the network.

What part of a fiber optic connector should be cleaned, exactly?

OK. Now comes the critical part. What part in the fiber connector needs cleaning, exactly? The short answer is the ferrule's body and its end face. But what exactly is a ferrule?

Ferrule is a cylindrical and also the most critical part in an optical fiber connector. It is usually made from stainless steel or Zirconia.

Zirconia is a type of white colored ceramic which is an extremely refractory material. It offers chemical and corrosion inertness to temperatures well above the melting point of alumina. Zirconia is the preferred material for high quality fiber optic ferrules.

Ferrules have a tiny hole in the center which holds optical fiber in place. Then the fiber is scribed and precisely polished to flush with the end face of the ferrule.

Two fiber connectors can then mate to each other with a mating sleeve. When mated, two ferrules' end faces contact each other perfectly and thus pass light from one fiber to another.

Ferrules get dirty from dust, stain and debris made by constant plugging and unplugging after having been used for a while. These contaminations will block the light path and thus seriously reduce the light power and may disable the network connection.

To get a better sense of how a fiber optic connector could be contaminated, look at this tutorial: http://www.fiberoptics4sale.com/Merchant2/fiber-optic-cleaning.php

Is there only one method for fiber connector cleaning?

There are many different ways to clean a fiber optic connector. They are not exclusive but rather complementary to each other. When one method failed, you can always try another method. And that is why there are so many fiber optic supplies for cleaning fiber connectors available on the market.

1. Air spray. Air dusters are used to blow loose particles from optical fiber connector end face. Optic grade is more expensive. Air spray is a non-abrasive fiber optic cleaning method.

2. Lint-free wipes with isopropyl alcohol. The operator folds the lens paper (such as the lint free wipes) into 4~6 layers and lay it flat on a table. He then holds the connector vertically straight and cleans the end face in figure 8 motion.

3. Reel fiber optic connector cleaners. Connector reel cleaner is a dry cleaning method with a quick, reliable operation and uniform results. They use 2 micrometer weaved polyester cloth to clean optical fiber connectors. This is an abrasive fiber optic cleaning method but pad underneath cleaning cloth mitigates this significantly.

4. Stick or swab type cleaners. These specially built Cletop sticks come in 2.5mm and 1.25mm versions. They are designed for dry cleaning fiber optic connector mating sleeves, bulkhead adapters and receptacles.

5. In-situ cleaning. This semi-automated fiber optic cleaning method is specially designed for fiber optic connectors plugged in patch panels and hardware devices.

6. Pre-saturated or soaked wipes. Pre-saturated wipes are good for cleaning glass fiber or connector end faces. They are available in a convenient pre-saturated towelette. The towels are durable and non-linting. Pre-saturated wipes are a convenient option for field use.

Fiber Optics For Sale Co. offers all types of fiber optic supplies for fiber optic cleaning. Check it out by yourself at http://www.fiberoptics4sale.com

About the Author

Colin Yao is the sales manager at
Fiber Optics For Sale Co.
and specializes in
fiber optic supplies
.

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