What is fiber optic cable?

An optical fiber cable is manufactured to meet optical, mechanical,or environmental performance specifications. It is a communication cable assembly that can be used individually or in groups, utilizing one or more optical fibers placed in a sheath as a transmission medium.Optical cables are mainly composed of optical fibers (glass filaments as thin as hair), plastic protective sleeves and plastic sheaths. There are no metals such as gold, silver, and copper in optical cables,and generally have no recycling value. The optical cable is a cable core composed of a certain number of optical fibers in a certain way, and is outsourced with a sheath, and some are also outsourced with an outer sheath to realize a communication line for optical signal transmission.

Types of Optical Cables:

• According to transmission performance, distance and usage

Optical cables can be divided into local telephone optical cables, long-distance optical cables, submarine optical cables and user optical cables.

• According to the type of optical fiber

Optical cables can be divided into multi-mode optical cables and single-mode optical cables.

• According to the optical fiber casing method

Optical cables can be divided into tight tube optical cables, loose tube optical cables, bundle tube optical cables and ribbon multi-core unit optical cables.

• According to the number of fiber cores

Optical cables can be divided into 1-core optical cables, 2-core optical cables, 4-core optical cables, 6-core optical cables, 8-core optical cables, 12-core optical cables and 24-core optical cables, etc.

• According to the reinforcement configuration method

Optical cables can be divided into central strength member optical cables, scattered strength member optical cables, sheath strength member optical cables and integrated outer sheath optical cables.

• According to the way of laying

Optical cables can be divided into pipeline optical cables, direct buried optical cables, overhead optical cables and underwater optical cables.

• According to the nature of the sheath material

Optical cables can be divided into polyethylene sheathed ordinary optical cables, PVC sheathed flame-retardant optical cables and nylon ant-proof and rodent-proof optical cables.

• According to the transmission conductor and medium condition

The optical cable can be divided into Metal-free optical cables, ordinary optical cables and integrated optical cables.

• According to the structure

Optical cables can be divided into flat structural optical cables, layer-stranded structural optical cables, skeleton structural optical cables, armored structural optical cables (including single and double armored) and high-density user optical cables.

• At present, optical cables for communication can be divided into

A. Indoor (field) outdoor optical cable - used for outdoor direct burial, pipeline, channel, tunnel, overhead and underwater laying of optical cables.

B. Flexible optical cable - a movable optical cable with excellent flexural properties. Indoor (office) optical cable - suitable for indoor laying of optical cables.

C. In-equipment fiber optic cable—the fiber optic cable used in equipment. Submarine fiber optic cable - fiber optic cable for laying across oceans.

D. Special optical cables - in addition to the above-mentioned types, optical cables for special purposes.