‫بسم هللا الرحمن الرحيم‬

)‫اكاديمية سوداتل لالتصاالت(سوداكاد‬

Sudatel Telecommunications Academy

Fiber optic cable course

Eng: Salaheldeen Khider Khalfalla
fiber optic cable specialist

1
 Course Time table
Topics Estimated hours
Theory 1
Splicing (practical) )break in between( 2
Measurements(practical) 2
  
-:Over view of optical fiber communication
• Introduction:-
• There are four types of media that can be used for
transmitting information in telecommunications
system, which are:
1. Copper wire
2. Coaxial cable (actually an adaptation of copper wire)
3. Wireless
4. Fiber optic cable

1
 Advantages of fiber optic cables:
• SPEED: Fiber optic networks operate at high
speeds - up into the gigabits.
• BANDWIDTH: large carrying capacity.
• DISTANCE: Signals can be transmitted further .
• RESISTANCE: Greater resistance to electromagnetic noise
such as radios, motors or other nearby cables.
• Small size & weight(many KM’s can be delivered)
• MAINTENANCE: Fiber optic cables costs much less to
maintain.
 Refraction & reflection of light

• As a light ray passes from one transparent medium to

another, it changes direction; this phenomenon is called
refraction of light.
• How much that light ray changes its direction depends on
the refractive index of the mediums.
:Total internal reflection
Light pulses move easily down the fiber-optic line because of a principle known as total internal
reflection. "This principle of total internal reflection states that when the angle of incidence
exceeds a critical value, light cannot get out of the glass; instead, the light bounces back in.
When this principle is applied to the construction of the fiber-optic strand, it is possible to
.transmit information down fiber lines in the form of light pulses
 - :Refractive index (n) of the medium
• This can be define as, is the ratio of the speed of light in vacuum (air) (Cn=1) to the speed of
light in the medium) (e.g. glass, for the glass n=1.5).
• n=C/V
• WHERE: C= is the velocity of light in the vacuum, which is constant(300000 km/s).

• V= is the velocity of light in glass, which depends on the density of the glass.
• Snells law:
• C1/C2= n2/n1
• C1= first medium( AIR), C2 = second medium GLASS).
• n2=second medium(1.5), n1= first medium(1).THERE FOR C for the glass is:
• Cg= 300000 km/s X 1/ 1.5=200000 km/s.
• Also there is basic relation between C , f & λ which is:
• C= f x λ.
• WHERE : C= is the speed of propagation.
• f= frequency.
• λ = wave length. (windows wavelengths for the for the light in fiber optic).

1
 - :Definition of O.F
• Physically optical fiber is a very thin flexible medium
having solid cylindrical waveguide consisting of three
layers, which are:
1. The core.
2. The cladding.
3. The coating or jacket
• And the fiber raw material is SILICA.
• Scientific name is silicon dioxide(Sio2).
• So the fiber normally manufactured from pure glass(not
100%).
1
Fibre Construction

2
1

CORE = 1

CLADDING = 2

COATING = 3
 -:.TYPES OF O.F

• There are three types of fiber optic

commonly used:
1. plastic optical (POF),
2. multimode fiber ,
3. single mode.
Transparent plastic or glass fibers allow light to be
guided from one end to the other with minimal
loss with accepted wavelength.

1
 :Multimode step index

•Specifications:
1. Core diameter: 50-100 µm
2. Cladding diameter:125 µm
3. Coating diameter: 250-1000 µm
•Light source(Tx): LED diode.
•Detector(Rx): PIN diode.
•Operating wave length: 850 nm- 1300 nm
•Applications: short distances.
1
 :Multimode graded index

Specifications:
1. Core diameter: 30-100 µm(many layers)
2. Cladding diameter:125 µm
3. Coating diameter: 250-1000 µm
•Light source(Tx): LED diode.
•Detector(Rx): PIN diode.
•Operating wave length: 850 nm- 1300 nm
•Applications: short distances.1
 :Single mode step index

Specifications:
1. Core diameter: 5-10 µm
2. Cladding diameter:125 µm
3. Coating diameter: 250 µm
•Light source(Tx): Laser diode.
•Detector(Rx): AVD(Avalanche photo diode)
•Operating wave length: 1310 nm- 1550 nm
•Applications: long distances.
1
 :Fiber optic communication system

User device User device

information electrical electrical

destination
source Tx(switch) Rx(switch)

Electrical Rx………Tx Electrical

signal signal

eel Fiber cable eel

Optical Optical
signal Tx………Rx signal

Tx equipments)A( Tx equipments)B(

1
 Maxi-tube cable

P.E sheath fibers

corrugated
sheath
Jelly filling Maxi-tube
compound

Ripcord
Buffer tube cable
 Samples of fiber cables
• Direct buried cable • Submarine cable
-:Optical fibers connections
:Definition
• The purpose of fiber termination is to provide easy ways for fiber cross connection
and light wave signal distribution. There are two types of fiber terminations:
1. connectors and 2. splicing.
• Splicing:
• Splicing is the process of connecting two bare fibers directly by fusion without any
connectors. There are two methods of fiber optic
• splicing:
1. mechanical splicing
2. and fusion splicing.

-:Fusion splicing techniques

This type of connection is done by a certain machine called fusion splicer ,
this splicer is the microprocessor machine used to produce a fixed low loss
connection between the two fibers. This splicing is done, in the manner as
heating, melting and then two fiber fused together. When the two fibers are
totally fused, the machine displays a certain value of attenuation for this
fused point. This fusion process is shown in the figure below:-
Fusion & mechanical splicing
Fiber end mismatches
• Mechanical connections: - In this type the two fibers are
mechanically connected together, this can be done by two
methods:
1. Sleeves method: In this method the two fibers coatings are
stripped out of the fiber and cleared with ALCOHOL and then
cleaved (cut) with certain cleaving lengths, and then the two
end of the fiber are inserted in one sleeve and then pressed
with the certain tool.
2. Connector method: The two fibers are already prepared in
screw connector or any other form and then approached
together in female connector and then tightly closed.
• Closures:-
• Are solid tubes or containers used to protect the fibers at the
point of connection of two cables, manufactured from solid
plastic material.
 Optical measurement

• What test that have to be done for fibers?

• Continuity.
• Average loss in (dB).
• Splice loss and location.
• Optical return loss.
• End –to-end attenuation.
• Over all length.

1
 :Attenuation
• Is the decrease (loss) in magnitude of the signal power in transmission
between points?
• Attenuation usually measured in decibel (dB) at specific wavelength.
• As light is guided through the core of a fiber, four properties can cause
attenuation:
• 1. Absorption:
• Occurs when light strikes impurities in core glass and is absorbed.
• 2. Scattering:
• Occurs when light strikes an area where the material density changes.
• 3. Macro bending:
• Is large scale bending of the fiber bend which exceeds the fiber bend
radius and causes light to leave the core and travel in the cladding
(usually an installation problem).
• 4.Micro bending:
• Is microscopic distortion of the fiber, which causes light to leave the core
and travel in the cladding (created during manufacturing).
 Acceptable link loss calculation
• Link loss (dB) = Cable loss + Connectors loss + Splices loss.
• Cable loss (dB) = Cable length (km) x Loss coefficient
(dB/km)*
• Connector loss (dB) = number of connector pairs x connector
loss (dB)*
• Splice loss = number of splices x splice loss (dB)*
• At 1310 nm ,should be in the range of 0.3
dB/km to 0.35 dB /km.
• At 1550nm , should be in the range of 0.2
dB /km to 0.25 dB /km.
 Measurements methods:
:1. transmission method
• The simplest and most accurate method of
measuring the end-to-end loss of an optical
fiber is done by light source and power meter.
Shown here above is the proper method for
storing reference and then measuring loss.
• Multimode and single mode optical
measurements can be done perfectly by this
method .
Link Loss measurements
 Back scattering method.2
Coupler/
CONTROLLER LCD splitter

LASER SOURCE

DETECTOR Fiber under test

• The optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR),

sends out a pulse of light and measures the level of
light that is reflected back. An optical coupler
allows both optical source and optical receiver to
be connected to the same fiber.
Equation of distance measurements
Pulse width
OTDR TRACE
 Visual fault locator

• A "visual fault locator". It injects a bright red laser

light into the fiber to find faults. If there is a high
loss, such as a bad splice, connector or tight bend
stressing the fiber, the light lost may be visible to the
naked eye. This will find events close to the OTDR
or close to another event that are not resolvable to
the OTDR. It's limitation is distance too, it only
works over a range of about 2.5 miles or 4 km.
•  The visual fault locator is so valuable a tool that
many OTDRs now have one built into them.
 :Patch cords

SC-SC UPC 9/125µm Single mode Duplex

SC-SC UPC 9/125µm Single mode
Patch Cord
Simplex Patch Cord

LC-LC UPC 9/125µm Single mode Duplex

LC-LC UPC 9/125µm Single Patch Cord
mode Simplex Patch Cord
 :Single mode adapters

SC Single mode Simplex Adapter SC Single mode Duplex Adapter

LC Single mode Simplex Adapter LC Single mode Duplex Adapter

:Pigtails & Patch cords
•Fiber color code Fiber optic closure
system
1. Blue
2. Orange
3. Green
4. Brown
5. Gray
6. White
7. Red
8. Black
9. Yellow
10.Violet
11.Pink
12.Aqua
FSM-50S –Fujikura FUSION SPLICER