38
Hardware Installation and User’s Guide
Fibre Channel Cabling and Connections
Fibre Channel Cabling and Connections
B
Fibre Channel Arbitrated Loop (FC-AL) configurations that include ICP RAID Controller
products can use both optical and copper cabling media.
B.1
Optical Cabling
Fiber optic cabling provides a reliable way to transmit data over long distances in an
FC-AL configuration. Fiber optic cables are often more expensive than copper, but they
provide greater distance and are less susceptible to EMI (Electro Magnetic Interference).
B.1.1
Multimode Cable
Multimode cable is the dominant fiber optic cabling for short distances of 2Km or less.
This cable can have an inner diameter of either 62.5 or 50 microns. Although light enters
the cable in multiple modes, modal dispersion limits the distance for this cable.
B.1.2
Single Mode Cable
Single mode fiber optic cabling is typical for long distance cable runs. This cable can have
an inner diameter of either 7 or 9 microns. Because only a single ray of light enters the
cable, there is no dispersion, distance is limited only by the power of the laser at the
transmitter and the sensitivity of the receiver.
B.2
Copper Cabling
The most common copper cabling in Fibre Channel configurations is shielded twisted-
pair. Copper cabling is a viable and less expensive solution that fibre optic cabling.
However, copper is limited to shorter cable runs and is highly susceptible to Electro
Magnetic Interference.
