Black Box Duplex Fiber Optic Cable manual 2 of, Overview, Features, Technically Speaking

FEATURES

•Provides three times the bandwidth of 62.5-micron fiber cables.

•Greater performance over longer distances.

•Built for today’s and tomorrow’s high-speed networks.

•Ceramic connectors provide low signal loss, high reliability, and long life.

•Two 900-µm buffered fibers are surrounded by aramid yarn and PVC jacketing.

•Immune to EMI/RFI.

OVERVIEW

Holler if you like having greater amounts of bandwidth. We hear you.

That’s why Black Box brings you 50-Micron Multimode Duplex Fiber Optic Cables. These cables provide three times the bandwidth of 62.5-micron cables! That means you get reliable performance over long distances.

Speaking of distance, these cables support longer link lengths than 62.5-micron cable at 850 nm. While 62.5-micron fiber cables support 850-nm links up to 220 meters (721.8 ft.), our 50-Micron Multimode Duplex Fiber Optic Cables can be used in links as long as 550 meters (1804.5 ft.)!

Our 50-micron fiber cables are built for today’s and tomorrow’s networks. They’re perfect for Ethernet, storage area networks, high-speed parallel optics interconnects, and other high-speed/high-capacity interconnect applications. This is the fiber cable you’ll want to have for emerging technologies.

The 50-Micron Multimode Duplex Fiber Optic Cables feature two 900-µm TBII® buffered fibers surrounded by aramid yarn that protects the fibers from crushes and bends. Ceramic connectors provide low signal loss, high reliability,

and extra durability. In addition, the cables have a flame- retardant jacket.

Like all fiber optic cables, our 50-micron solutions provide total immunity to electrical interference. They meet National Electrical Code® (NEC®) requirements, and are listed as Type OFNR and CSA FT-4.

Technically Speaking

As a general rule, use ceramic ferrules (used in the 50-Micron Multimode Duplex Fiber Optic Cables) for critical network connections, such as backbone cables or for connec- tions that will be changed frequently. Ceramic ferrules are more precisely molded and fit closer to the fiber, which gives the fiber optic cables a lower optical loss.

Technically Speaking

As today’s networks expand, the demand for more bandwidth and greater distances increases accordingly. Thus, there is a renewed interest in 50-micron fiber optic cable. Although introduced in 1976, 50-micron cable has not experienced the widespread use in North America that 62.5-micron cable has, which was introduced in 1986.

These cables share many characteristics. Although 50-micron fiber cable features a smaller core, which is the light-carrying portion of the fiber, both 50- and 62.5-micron cable use the same glass cladding diameter of 125 microns. Because they have the same outer diameter, both types of cable are equally strong and are handled in the same way. Also, 50-micron cable and 62.5-micron cable both use LED and laser light sources.

As with 62.5-micron cable, you can use 50-micron fiber in all types of applications: Ethernet, FDDI, 155-Mbps ATM, Token Ring, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet. It is recommended for all premise applications—backbone, horizontal, and intrabuilding connections—and it should

be considered especially for any new construction and installations.

The big difference between 50-micron and 62.5-micron cable is in bandwidth—50-micron cable features three times the bandwidth of standard 62.5-micron cable. At 850 nm, it’s rated at 500 MHz/km versus 160 MHz/km. The 850-nm wavelength is becoming more important as lasers are being developed and used more frequently as light sources for networks.

Other differences are distance and speed. The bandwidth an application needs depends on the data transmission rate. Usually, data rates are inversely proportional to distance.

As the data rate goes up (MHz), the distance that rate can

be sustained goes down. So a higher fiber bandwidth enables you to transmit at a faster rate or for longer distances. In short, 50-micron cable provides longer link lengths and/or higher speeds in the 850-nm wavelength. For example, the proposed link length for 50-micron cable is 550 meters versus 220 meters for 62.5-micron cable.

9/11/2007	724-746-5500	blackbox.com
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