What is the difference between optical fiber and optical cable

1 Definition of optical cable

The center of the optical fiber is usually a core made of glass, and the core is surrounded by a glass envelope with a lower refractive index than the core, so that the optical signal injected into the core is reflected by the cladding interface, so that the optical signal can propagate in the core. go ahead. Because the optical fiber itself is very fragile and cannot be directly applied to the wiring system, it is usually bundled with a protective shell on the outside and a tensile wire in the middle. This is the so-called optical cable, which usually contains one or more optical fibers.

2 Classification of optical cables

According to different use environments, optical cables can be divided into indoor optical cables and outdoor optical cables.

3 Features of optical cable

Indoor optical cable is a cable formed by optical fiber (optical transmission carrier) through a certain process. It is mainly composed of optical fibers (thin glass filaments such as hair), plastic protective sleeves and plastic sheaths. There is no metal such as gold, silver, copper and aluminum in the optical cable, and generally has no recycling value.

Outdoor optical cable is a kind of communication line that realizes optical signal transmission. The cable core is composed of a certain number of optical fibers in a certain manner, and is covered with a sheath, and some are also covered with an outer sheath.

4 The characteristics of each category of optical cable

The characteristics of indoor optical cable: The tensile strength of indoor optical cable is small, the protective layer is poor, but it is relatively lighter and more economical. Indoor optical cables are mainly suitable for horizontal wiring subsystems and vertical backbone subsystems. Outdoor optical cables are mostly used in the subsystems of the building group, and can be used for outdoor direct burial, pipeline, overhead and underwater laying and other occasions.

Features of outdoor optical cable: It is mainly composed of optical fiber (thin glass filament such as hair), plastic protective sleeve and plastic sheath. There is no metal such as gold, silver, copper and aluminum in the optical cable, and generally has no recycling value. Outdoor fiber optic cables have higher tensile strength, a thicker protective layer, and are usually armored (that is, wrapped in metal skin). Outdoor optical cables are mainly suitable for interconnection between buildings and between remote networks.