Installation
INSTALLATION AND USER GUIDE
21
Fiber-Optic Cable Terminology
When
specifying
and
using
fiber
‐
optic
cable
and
systems,
often
there
is
considerable
confusion
surrounding
various
common
terms
relating
to
them.
Single
‐
Mode
vs
Multi
‐
Mode:
These
terms
refer
to
the
TYPE
and
SIZE
of
glass
fiber.
Specifically,
how
the
glass
fiber
‐
optic
core
is
manufactured.
Both
types
have
an
outer
(buffer)
diameter
of
approximately
125
microns,
and
an
outer
protective
jacket
structure.
For
typical
fiber
‐
optic
cables,
multi
‐
mode
and
single
‐
mode
fiber
have
the
following
general
features:
Multi
‐
mode
fiber:
Fiber
core
diameter:
50
or
62.5
microns
in
diameter.
Outer
buffer
diameter
is
typically
125
microns.
Fiber
quality
ratings:
OM4
is
currently
the
recommended
best
quality.
Lower
grades,
OM3,
OM2
and
even
OM1,
can
likely
still
function
with
Voyager,
though
with
reduced
extension
capability.
Extension
distance
is
more
a
function
of
fiber
quality
rating,
not
fiber
loss
(dB
loss
per
meter).
Signal
quality
degrades
(signal
distortion
increases)
more
quickly
than
the
rate
at
which
light
is
attenuated.
Patch
cords
and
other
fiber
‐
to
‐
fiber
coupling
methods
will
certainly
introduce
some
additional
signal
distortion
and
losses
which
must
be
accounted
for.
Typical
extension
range
for
Voyager,
using
a
single
length
of
high
quality
OM4
cable
is
2km.
Multi
‐
mode
fiber
optic
transceivers
are
generally
much
less
expensive
than
single
‐
mode
optics.
Single
‐
mode
fiber:
Fiber
core
diameter:
9
microns
in
diameter.
Outer
buffer
diameter
is
typically
125
microns.
Fiber
quality
ratings:
OS1
is
currently
the
recommended
best
quality.
Lower
grades,
such
as
ungraded
single
‐
mode
fiber,
can
likely
still
function
with
Voyager,
though
with
reduced
extension
capability.
Extension
distance
is
more
a
function
of
fiber
dB
loss
rating
not
fiber
quality.
Signal
integrity
is
maintained
fairly
well
with
SM
fiber
–
but
the
dB
loss
in
optical
power
is
the
primary
limit
for
extension
distance.
Patch
cords
and
other
fiber
‐
to
‐
fiber
coupling
methods
will
certainly
introduce
additional
dB
signal
losses
which
must
be
accounted
for.
Typical
extension
range
for
Voyager,
using
a
single
length
of
high
quality
OS2
cable
is
4km
(with
short
‐
range
SM4K
optics)
or
30km
(with
long
‐
range
SM30K
optics)
Single
‐
mode
fiber
optic
transceivers
are
generally
much
more
expensive
than
multi
‐
mode
optics.
It
can
be
difficult
to
determine
visually
whether
the
fiber
‐
core
is
the
single
‐
or
multi
‐
mode
type.
Primarily,
the
most
reliable
means
of
checking
the
type
is
to
refer
to
the
jacket
color,
LC
‐
connector
color,
and
printing
on
the
outer
jacket
of
the
fiber
‐
optic
cable.
It
should
always
identify
the
manufacturer’s
name
and
series
or
model
number
of
the
cable
material.
Simplex
vs
Duplex:
These
terms
no
NOT
refer
to
the
type
of
glass
fiber,
only
whether
you
use
a
single
or
dual
fiber
cable
to
interconnect
Voyager
units.
In
a
Simplex
system
configuration,
a
single
fiber
is
used
between
a
transmitter
and
receiver.
This
allows
video,
audio
and
serial
data
to
be
sent
to
the
receiver;
however,
there
can
be
no
return
traffic
(such
as
upstream
‐
serial
data
or
EDID
data).
While
Simplex
mode
has
some
limitations,
it
is
a
good
solution
for
those
applications
that
must
use
only
1
fiber
(for
a
variety
of
reasons),
or
simply
don’t
need
the
extra
functionality
that
a
Duplex
connection
offers.
In
a
Duplex
system
configuration,
a
dual
‐
fiber,
also
called
twin
‐
fiber,
between
a
transmitter
and
receiver.
This
allows
video,
audio
and
serial
data
to
be
sent
to
the
receiver,
and
also
support
upstream
traffic
such
as
serial
data
and
EDID
data.
It
is
also
more
robust
and
secure
in
terms
of
managing
and
monitoring
receivers
and
their
attached
displays.
