While fiber optic fibers have been around for a long time, studies show that most of the people have little information about them. To help you out, here are some of the things that you need to know about the cables:
They are of different types
To start with, it's good to define what fiber optic fibers are. These are units that are made from glass or plastic filaments and they are used to carry light signals from one place to another. They are of two main types: single mode and multimode. The single mode units carry light down a single path usually known as the fundamental mode. Single mode fibers feature a core diameter of 8-9 microns. While they are small, their main advantage is that you can use them to transmit light over long distances.
Multimode fibers, on the other hand, allow light to travel down multiple paths. They have a core diameter of between 50 and 62.5 microns. Since light travels in different paths and the diameter is large, these units are ideal when you use them to transmit light over short distances. Usually, within a building.
The fibers require regular inspection
Just like any other units that you might be having, you need to regularly inspect the optic fibers to ensure that they are running properly. If you have the skills you should inspect the units by yourself but if you don't have the skills you should hire a professional to help you out. During the inspection, you need to use certain tools. One of the most common tools that you can use is the optical power meter. This unit measures the brightness of the optical signals and gives you the results in milliwatts or dBm.
Another tool that you can use is the optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) that works by injecting a series of light pulses into the optic fiber strand. The unit then analyses the amount of light that is reflected back. You can use the information that you gather to characterize the optic fiber.
Cleanliness is of great importance to optic fibers
During installation of the fibers, you should pay close attention to cleanliness. According to experts, even minor dirt on the units can prevent them from running efficiently. Due to this, you should ensure that no dirt gets on the fibers. To keep the units clean you should regularly clean them with specialty kits designed for the work.
