INTRODUCTION OF OPTICAL FIBER

An optical fiber is a glass or plastic fiber

that

carries light along its length. An optical fiber is a

very thin strand of silica glass in geometry quite
like a human hair. In reality it is a very narrow ,
very long

glass

cylinder

with special character

istics. When light enters one end of the fibe r

it travels (confined within the fiber) until it

eaves the fiber at the other end.

An

optical

fiber

consists of two parts: the

core and the cladding. The core a narrow cylin

drical strand of glass and the cladding
ubular

jacket

is a t

surrounding it. The core has a

(slightly) higher refractive index than the clad

ding. Light

travelling along the coreis confin

ed by the mirror

to stay within it even when the

fiber bends around a corner. A fiber optic cable

has an additional coating around the cladding

called the jacket. The jacket usually consists

of one or more layers of polymer. Its role is

to protect the core and cladding from shocks
that might affect their optical or physical
properties. It acts as a shock absorber. Th
e jacket also provides protection from abrasi
ons, solvents and other contaminants. The
jacket does not have any optical properties that

might affect

the propagation of light within the

fiber optic cable.

ADVANTAGES OF OPTICAL FIBER :Fiber optic transmission systems a fiber optic
transmitter and
receiver, Connected by fiber optic cable offer a wide
range of
benefits not offered by traditional copper wire or
coaxial cable. These include:
1. Less Expensive
2. Thinner
3. Higher Information Carrying Capacity
4. Low Power Consumption
5. Light Weight
6. Non Flammable
7. Low Transmission Loss
8. Signal Security
9. Small Size & Weight

LIMITATIONS OF OPTICAL FIBER

1. The terminating equipment is still costly as
compared to copper wire.
2. Delicate so has to be handled carefully.
3. Communication is not totally in optical domain, so
repeated electric to optical to electrical conversion
is needed.
4.Optical amplifiers, splitters, MUX-DEMUX are still
in development stages.

5. Tapping

is

not possible. Specialized

equipment is needed to tap a fiber.

6. Optical fiber splicing is a specialized technique and
needs expertly trained manpower.
7. The splicing and testing equipments are very
expensive as compared to copper equipments.
8. Bending Cables
9.

Gamma Radiation

10. Electrical Fields

11. Sharks Eat the Cable

Applications of Optical Fiber

Cable TV,CCTV ,Optical Fiber Sensors, X-ray Imaging ,Night
Vision