2 of 4
9/11/2007
#26035
724-746-5500
blackbox.com
FEATURES
• Provides three times the bandwidth
of 62.5-micron fiber cables.
• Greater performance over longer
distances.
• Built for today’s and tomorrow’s
high-speed networks.
• Ceramic connectors provide low signal
loss, high reliability, and long life.
• Two 900-µm buffered fibers are
surrounded by aramid yarn and
PVC jacketing.
• Immune to EMI/RFI.
OVERVIEW
Holler if you like having greater amounts of bandwidth.
We hear you.
That’s why Black Box brings you 50-Micron Multimode
Duplex Fiber Optic Cables. These cables provide three times
the bandwidth of 62.5-micron cables! That means you get
reliable performance over long distances.
Speaking of distance, these cables support longer link
lengths than 62.5-micron cable at 850 nm. While 62.5-micron
fiber cables support 850-nm links up to 220 meters (721.8 ft.),
our 50-Micron Multimode Duplex Fiber Optic Cables can be
used in links as long as 550 meters (1804.5 ft.)!
Our 50-micron fiber cables are built for today’s and
tomorrow’s networks. They’re perfect for Ethernet, storage
area networks, high-speed parallel optics interconnects, and
other high-speed/high-capacity interconnect applications.
This is the fiber cable you’ll want to have for emerging
technologies.
The 50-Micron Multimode Duplex Fiber Optic Cables
feature two 900-µm TBII
®
buffered fibers surrounded by
aramid yarn that protects the fibers from crushes and bends.
Ceramic connectors provide low signal loss, high reliability,
and extra durability. In addition, the cables have a flame-
retardant jacket.
Like all fiber optic cables, our 50-micron solutions provide
total immunity to electrical interference. They meet National
Electrical Code
®
(NEC
®
) requirements, and are listed as Type
OFNR and CSA FT-4.
As a general rule, use ceramic ferrules (used in the
50-Micron Multimode Duplex Fiber Optic Cables) for critical
network connections, such as backbone cables or for connec-
tions that will be changed frequently. Ceramic ferrules are
more precisely molded and fit closer to the fiber, which gives
the fiber optic cables a lower optical loss.
Technically Speaking
As today’s networks expand, the demand for more
bandwidth and greater distances increases accordingly.
Thus, there is a renewed interest in 50-micron fiber optic
cable. Although introduced in 1976, 50-micron cable has
not experienced the widespread use in North America
that 62.5-micron cable has, which was introduced in 1986.
These cables share many characteristics. Although
50-micron fiber cable features a smaller core, which is the
light-carrying portion of the fiber, both 50- and 62.5-micron
cable use the same glass cladding diameter of 125 microns.
Because they have the same outer diameter, both types of
cable are equally strong and are handled in the same way.
Also, 50-micron cable and 62.5-micron cable both use LED
and laser light sources.
As with 62.5-micron cable, you can use 50-micron fiber
in all types of applications: Ethernet, FDDI, 155-Mbps ATM,
Token Ring, Fast Ethernet, and Gigabit Ethernet. It is
recommended for all premise applications — backbone,
horizontal, and intrabuilding connections — and it should
Technically Speaking
be considered especially for any new construction and
installations.
The big difference between 50-micron and 62.5-micron
cable is in bandwidth — 50-micron cable features three times
the bandwidth of standard 62.5-micron cable. At 850 nm,
it’s rated at 500 MHz/km versus 160 MHz/km. The 850-nm
wavelength is becoming more important as lasers are being
developed and used more frequently as light sources for
networks.
Other differences are distance and speed. The bandwidth
an application needs depends on the data transmission rate.
Usually, data rates are inversely proportional to distance.
As the data rate goes up (MHz), the distance that rate can
be sustained goes down. So a higher fiber bandwidth enables
you to transmit at a faster rate or for longer distances. In
short, 50-micron cable provides longer link lengths and/or
higher speeds in the 850-nm wavelength. For example, the
proposed link length for 50-micron cable is 550 meters versus
220 meters for 62.5-micron cable.
