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Training Manual
FIBER OPTIC
COMPONENTS

FIBER OPTIC COMPONENTS • Version 3.0 September 1994 • 1

 Fiber Optic Cable
Training Manual

Fiber optic cables come in many shapes and sizes. Three fiber optic cable parts are
common to all types of cable: core, cladding, and coating. The core is the path for the light
to travel. The cladding is the outer layer of the glass that constrains the light traveling through
the core and reflects it back into the core. The coating, usually silicone, provides protection
and flexibility to the fiber and can be color-coded for identification purposes.
The coating needs to be stripped back to splice the cable, but once the coating is removed
and the glass is exposed great care must be taken. After these three components are
manufactured the cable is bundled in a variety of ways.

Black
Polyurethane
Outer Jacket
Strength
Members

OOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOO

Core Buffer Tube

Silicone Coating
Cladding

Optical Fiber

Outside Plant Fiber Optic Cable

Outside plant cable has a number of strands of glass in buffer tubes which provide
additional protection for the glass cable and are color coded for identification purposes. The
buffer tube is then surrounded by strength members which add mechanical strength to the
cable. The most common strength members are kevlar and steel or fiberglass rod. During
and after installation the strength member handles the stresses applied to the cable so that the
fiber is not damaged.

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Connectors

Training Manual
Connectors allow termination of the fiber into the end equipment ( multiplexors, power
meters, power sources, light terminal equipment ). Connectors provide a temporary
connection between equipment.

Standards have not been set for fiber optic connectors, so various types of connectors are
employed in fiber optic systems. Because there are so many connectors in use, it is important
to know what type a customer uses so it can be compatible with the test equipment.

D4 Connector

SMA Connector

FC Connector

ST Connector

SC Connector

Biconic Connector

FIBER OPTIC COMPONENTS • Version 3.0 September 1994 • 3

Training Manual

Connector Finishes

To achieve acceptable return loss measurements, connector manufacturers provide polished

physically contacting connectors (PC), angle polished connectors (APC), or high return loss
(HRL) connector types. These types of connectors will provide an acceptable return loss,
ranging from 40 to 65 dB. The diagram below shows the different types of connectors and
their characteristics.

Standard Connector • 14 - 20 dB ORL

Air Gap

PC Connector • 40 dB ORL
Air Gap eliminated

Contact on
edges
APC Connector • 65 dB ORL
• Air Gap eliminated
• Reflections de-
flected
• Low insertion loss

o
12
Reflections
HRL Connector • 65 dB ORL
Cladding
• Air Gap
Core
• Fibers are offset
Offset More Insertion Loss
than APC

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Jumper Cables and Pigtails

Connectors can be purchased in jumper cable or pigtail form. A jumper cable is a short
piece of fiber optic cable with a connector on each end. Jumpers provide connections
between different cables, and can be easily moved from point to point.

Fiber optic jumper cable.

A pigtail cable is a fiber optic cable with a connector on one end and bare fiber on the
other. Once the bare fiber end of the pigtail is spliced to the fiber transporting the
information, the pigtail allows easy manipulation of a fiber optic cable.

Fiber optic pigtail.

FIBER OPTIC COMPONENTS • Version 3.0 September 1994 • 5

 Light Distribution Frame
Training Manual

Light Distribution Frames (LDFs) serve two purposes; they act as patch panels and as
demarcation points.
As patch panels they allow accessibility to and maneuverability of the fiber cable. A
jumper cable is used to connect the equipment to the LDF, and a pigtail is used to connect the
fiber from the span to the LDF. By bringing these two points together at the LDF, access is
gained to allow testing toward the span or equipment.
Maneuverability is available at the LDF if dark or spare fibers are employed. If a problem
occurs on an active fiber, the jumper containing the equipment’s signal can be moved or rolled
down to a spare fiber on each end of the system at the LDF.
The LDF also acts as a demarcation point between users to allow sectionalization of areas
of responsibility.

Toward Equipment

Toward Span

Bulkhead

LDF

LDFs are equipped with bulkheads which allow proper alignment between fiber connectors.

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Splicing

Splices are either temporary or permanent connections between two ends of a fiber.
Splices fall into two categories: mechanical and fusion. Fusion splicing is used in the long
haul, and mechanical splices are used in the local loop and LAN areas. The following is a
comparison between the two types of splices:

Mechanical Fusion
• Easy to use • Some degree of expertise required
• Training time nominal • Training time required
• Less than $20 per splice • Fusion welder (approximately $25,000)
• Loss approximately .2 dB per splice • Loss approximately .02 dB per splice
• Mechanically spliced together • Electrodes physically weld the glass
together
• Minimal Return loss • No return loss

Splicing Steps
1) Strip cable to the bare fiber.
2) Cleave the end of the fiber. A good cleave will result in a clean break.

A Good Cleave A Poor Cleave

3) Employ mechanical splice or fusion welder.

4) Check splice loss using a power loss test set or an OTDR.

3M Fiber Lok GTE Elastomeric

Mechanical Splice Mechanical Splice

Mechanical Splices

FIBER OPTIC COMPONENTS • Version 3.0 September 1994 • 7

 Splice Trays and Enclosures
Training Manual

When two different fibers have been spliced together by means of mechanical or fusion
welding, the splice point will be stored in a splice tray. It is important to secure the splices
in the tray and ensure that there are no excessive bends to cause loss of light.

Splice tray

Once the cable splices have been completed and placed in a splice tray, the splice trays
are placed in an enclosure. In outside plant facilities splice enclosures are used which can
be sealed tight for protection against the elements. In inside plant facilities the splice tray can
be placed in the LDF.

Splice enclosure

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Transmitters

Training Manual
Transmitters are broken down into two categories: LASERs and LEDs. The following is a
comparison between the two types:

LEDs LASERs

• Multimode or singlemode • Multimode or singlemode

• Used for short distances • Used for long distances

• -10 to -30 dBm coupled power • +3 to -10 dBm coupled power

• Wide linewidth • Narrow linewidth

• Relatively inexpensive • Expensive

LASERs have a more narrow linewidth than LEDs which allows a much higher amount of power
to be coupled into the fiber optic cable.

Power from a laser is many times

higher than from an LED.

Laser<5nm linewidth

LED <30-50 nm linewidth

Wavelength

FIBER OPTIC COMPONENTS • Version 3.0 September 1994 • 9

 LEDs
Training Manual

The basic operation of an LED is shown below. A small voltage is applied across the
semiconductor, causing current to flow across the P junction which has more electrons than
the N junction. As current flows across the junction, energy is released from the LED in the
form of photons or light.

Holes
+
+ p Region

Light Waves
+ Junction
+-
+- n Region

-
- Electrons

- Recombination

Light Emission

Light emitted in other directions

is lost or blocked by package.

LEDs

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LASERs

Training Manual
LASER is the acronym for Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation.
Since LASERs provide stimulated emission, and LEDs provide spontaneous emission,
LASERs provide a higher power output. LASERs produce this stimulated emission by
incorporating an optical cavity for lasing. The lasing cavity is called a Fabry-Perot cavity
which is formed by cleaving the end of the chip and giving it a reflective mirror-like finish.
The lasing action relies on a high current density. After the current passes a certain threshold
photons are emitted. Some of these photons are trapped in the cavity and reflect back and
forth. These photons combine with other photons causing amplification of light .

Stripe
Contact
Cleaved
End

Oxide

Substrate

Optical
Light Cavity
Output Cleaved
End

LASER

FIBER OPTIC COMPONENTS • Version 3.0 September 1994 • 11

 Receivers
Training Manual

Receivers convert the optical signal that has been transmitted through the fiber optic
cable into an electrical signal. Sometimes receivers are referred to as O to E converters
(optical to electrical converters). Most receivers employed in a fiber optic system operate
in the -15 to -35 dBm range. If the signal is too hot, or higher than -15 dBm, the receiver can
become saturated and cause bit errors. If the signal is too low, bit errors can result due to poor
signal-to-noise ratio (S/N). To ensure that errors don’t occur in the system, proper light levels
must be maintained by engineering the proper span lengths, splice loss, insertion loss, and
return loss.

-3 dBm -15 to -35 dBm

Tx Rx

Fiber Optic Span

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Receivers

Each receiver has a detector which detects the amount of light present at the input of the
receiver. Detector sensitivity strongly depends on the wavelength of the light being received.
The appropriate wavelength operating range of 4 main types of detectors is as follows:

InGaAs Indium Gallium Arsenide 350 nm to 1700 nm Greatest sensitivity

Ge Germanium 700 nm to 1700 nm Lower cost

Ge/Si Germanium/Silicon 400 nm to 1700 nm Widest range

SI Silicon 400 nm to 1050 Lowest cost

Detectors work best in specific wavelength regions. The following are typical
wavelength responses.

Note different curves for different materials.

100 Ge
Si InGaAs
Quantum Efficiency – (%)*

80

60

40

20
0.4 0.6 0.8 1.0 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
Wavelength–Micrometers

Wavelength Response

*Quantum efficiency = Electrons generated

Input photons

FIBER OPTIC COMPONENTS • Version 3.0 September 1994 • 13

 Transceivers
Training Manual

Transceivers are a combination of transmitter and receiver and provide both input and
output interfaces for equipment. Transceivers are employed in FDDI, for instance. FDDI has
a standard transceiver which can be connected directly to a computer terminal or a power
meter if they have the appropriate adapters.

Electrical
output

Electrical
input Optical FIBERTECH
Signal FDDI ADAPTER
FIBER UNDER TEST
out

Optical
Signal
in

FDDI Connector for Test Equipment

Transceiver

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