Fiber Optic Technology
WHAT IS FIBER OPTIC TECHNOLOGY?
Fiber optics or optical fiber refers to the medium and the technology associated with the transmission of information as light pulses along with a glass or plastic strand or fiber. Fiber optics is used long-distance and high-performance data networking. Fiber optics are also commonly used in telecommunication services such as the Internet, TV, and telephones. Fiber optic cables are used since they hold a number of advantages over copper cables, such as higher bandwidth and transmit speeds. A fiber optic cable can contain a varying number of these glass fibers, from a few up to a couple hundred. Surrounding the glass fiber core is another glass layer called cladding. A layer known as a buffer tube protects the cladding, and a jacket layer acts as the final protective layer for the individual standard.
HISTORY OF FIBER OPTICS
As far back as Roman times, glass has been drawn into fibers. Yet, it was not until the 1790s that the French Chappe brothers invented the first “optical telegraph.” It was a system comprised of a series of lights mounted on towers where operators would relay a message from one tower to the next. Over the course of the next century, great strides were made in optical science.
In the 1840s, physicists Daniel Collodion and Jacques Babinet showed that light could be directed along with jets of water for fountain displays. In 1854, John Tyndall, a British physicist, demonstrated that light could travel through a curved stream of water thereby proving that a light signal could be bent. He proved this by setting up a tank of water with a pipe that ran out of one side. As water flowed from the pipe, he shone a light into the tank into the stream of water. As the water fell, an arc of light followed the water down.
HOW FIBER OPTIC WORKS
Fiber optics transmit data in the form of light particles or photons that pulse through a fiber optic cable. The glass fiber core and the cladding each have a different refractive index that bends incoming light at a certain angle. When light signals are sent through the fiber optic cable, they reflect off the core and cladding in a series of zig-zag bounces, adhering to a process called total internal reflection. The light signals do not travel at the speed of light because of the denser glass layers, instead of traveling about 30% slower than the speed of light. To renew, or boos, the signal throughout its journey, fiber optics transmission sometimes requires repeaters at distant intervals to regenerate the optical signal by converting it to an electrical signal, processing that electrical signal, and retransmitting the optical signal.
TYPES OF FIBER OPTIC CABLES
Multimode fiber and single-mode fiber are the two primary types of fiber optic cable. Single-mode fiber is used for longer distances due to the smaller diameter of the glass fiber core, which lessens the possibility for attenuation -- the reduction in signal strength. The smaller opening isolates the light into a single beam, which offers a more direct route and allows the signal to travel a longer distance. Single-mode fiber also has a considerably higher bandwidth than multimode fiber. The light source used for single-mode fiber is typically a laser. Single-mode fiber is usually more expensive since it requires precise calculations to produce the laser light in a smaller opening.
Multimode fiber is used for shorter distances because the larger core opening allows light signals to bounce and reflect more along the way. The larger diameter permits multiple light pulses to be sent through the cable at one time, which results in more data transmission. This also means that there is more possibility for signal loss, reduction, or interference, however. Multimode fiber optics typically use an LED to create a light pulse.
While copper wire cables were the traditional choice for telecommunication, networking, and cable connections for years, fiber optics has become a common alternative. Most telephone company long-distance lines are now made of fiber optic cables. Optical fiber carries more information than conventional copper wire, due to its higher bandwidth and faster speeds. Because glass does not conduct electricity, fiber optics is not subject to electromagnetic interference, and signal losses are minimized.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
Fiber optic cables are used mainly for their advantages over copper cables. Advantages include:
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Support of higher bandwidth capacities.
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Light can travel further without needing as much of a signal boost.
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They are less susceptible to interference, such as electromagnetic interference.
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They can be submerged in water- fiber optics are used in more at-risk environments like undersea cables.
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Fiber optic cables are also stronger, thinner and lighter than copper wire cables
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They do not need to be maintained or replaced frequently.
However, it is important to note that fiber optics do have disadvantages users should know before handling them. These disadvantages include:
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Copper wire is often cheaper than fiber optics.
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Glass fiber also requires more protection within an outer cable than copper.
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Installing new cabling is labor-intensive.
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Fiber optic cables are often more fragile. For example, the fibers can be broken or a signal can be lost if the cable is bent or curved around a radius of a few centimeters.