This document discusses different types of fiber optic cables, including their uses, properties, and applications. It covers indoor and outdoor cable types, such as loose tube cables for outside plant installations and tight buffered cables for indoor use. Characteristics like fire ratings, fiber counts, constructions, and jacket materials are examined. Specific cable varieties like distribution, breakout, high density, indoor/outdoor, ADSS, and OPGW cables are also outlined. The document provides information on choosing the right cable type for different environments and applications.

1. Fiber Cable
Where To Use and Why.
•Troy Bowen – JFC Solutions

2. Agenda
Cable Types
What?
Why?
Which used Where?
Inside Plant
Distribution
Break-out
Fire Rating - OFN, OFNR, OFNP
Outside Plant
Loose Tube
Central Tube
Water Blocking
Armoring
High Density
Ribbon Cable
Loose Tube
Operation Specific
Indoor / Outdoor
ADSS
OPGW
Figure 8
2
CONFIDENTIAL

3. Fiber Optic Cables
How do you choose the type of cable to use?
Why use one over the other?
What’s the big deal?
3
CONFIDENTIAL

4. Cable Types
Primary Cable Types
Indoor (ISP) – Tight Buffered design
Tight-buffered cable is primarily used inside buildings.
With tight-buffered cable designs, the buffering material is in direct contact with the fiber.
This design is suited for
"jumper cables" which connect outside plant cables to terminal equipment.
linking various devices in a premises network.
Multi-fiber, tight-buffered cables often are used for intra-building, risers, general building
and plenum applications.
Outdoor (OSP) – Loose Tube design
Loose-tube cable is used in the majority of outside-plant installations.
It is a modular design of buffer tubes which typically holds up to 12 fibers per buffer tube.
They can be all-dielectric or armored.
The modular buffer tube design permits easy drop-off of groups of fibers at intermediate
points, without interfering with other protected buffer tubes being routed to other locations.
The loose-tube design also helps in the identification and administration of fibers in the
system.
Why
Environmental
Heat, cold, water
Physical Protection
Sheath composition, number of sheaths, armoring, type of armor, number of armored wraps
NFPA, OSHA, MSHA
Non-rated, riser, plenum, LSZH, ship board, mining.
Which used where
4
CONFIDENTIAL

5. Fiber Cables – Inside Plant (ISP)
Indoor – Inside Plant (ISP) cables are available in a variety of fiber
counts, constructions and jacket materials.
They are designed to perform in inside plant applications such as
Connecting outside plant cables to terminal equipment.
Linking various devices in a premises network.
Intra-building, risers, general building and plenum
applications.
5
CONFIDENTIAL

6. ISP Cables – Distribution
Indoor Tight Buffer Distribution Fiber Optic Cable
Has individually thermoplastic color coded 900μm buffered fibers.
The buffered fibers are then surrounded by all-dielectric aramid
strength members for strength and minimization of stress during
installation.
The core groups are then protected with an overall jacket.
On cables with higher (>24) fiber counts the fibers are bundled in
groups of 6 or 12. these are called subunits.
6
CONFIDENTIAL

7. ISP Cables – Breakout
Indoor Tight Buffer Breakout Fiber Optic
Cable
900 μm tight buffered
fibers
Color coded for easy
termination
Flame Retardant
UL listed for code
compliance
Direct connectorization
7
CONFIDENTIAL

8. ISP Cables – Fire Rating
National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) NEC The NFPA/NEC develops and produces fire and safety
codes relating to telecommunications. Article 770 of the National Electrical Code (NEC), also known as NFPA
70, covers requirements for optical fiber cables.
Fire Rating – Optical Fiber Cables are normally rated OFN, OFC, OFCR, OFNR, OFCP and OFNP
OFN, stands for Optical Fiber Nonconductive Non-rated / OFC, stands for Optical Fiber Conductive Non-rated
OFNR, stands for Optical Fiber Nonconductive Riser-rated/ OFCR, stands for Optical Fiber Conductive Riser-rated
OFNP, stands for Optical Fiber Nonconductive Plenum-rated / OFCP, stands for Optical Fiber Conductive Plenum-
rated
NEC dictates where and how cables my be used within buildings.
Non rated and General cables can be used in non-fire rated environments and these cables can be brought into a
building < 50 ft.
Riser Rated cables can be used in riser rated and non-fire rated environments.
Plenum Rated cables can be used in plenum, riser and non-fire rated environments.
8
CONFIDENTIAL

9. Fiber Cables – Outside Plant (OSP)
Outdoor – Outside Plant (OSP) cables are available in a variety of
fiber counts, constructions and jacket materials.
They are designed to perform in outside plant applications such as
ducts,
aerial and
direct buried applications.
9
CONFIDENTIAL

10. OSP Cables – Duct, Conduit, Aerial
Loose Tube Cable
All dielectric central strength member
Excellent attenuation performance
Water blocking for moisture protection
Polyethylene jacket for weather and UV protection
Recommended Applications
Building interconnections and data trunk
Long haul networking
Ducts between buildings and aerial lashing
Applications requiring good ozone, moisture, weather resistance
10
CONFIDENTIAL

11. OSP Cables
In a Loose tube cable design the optical fibers are
placed inside “filled” buffer tubes.
The core is constructed by stranding the buffer tubes
around a central member using a reverse oscillated lay.
The core is then wrapped with flexible strength
members, then either covered with a water blocking
tape, gel or ,
Then encased with a black polyethylene jacket. Ripcords
are included for ease of entry.
11
CONFIDENTIAL

12. OSP Cables
OSP cable design can vary in many different ways. Some typical
variations are:
Central Tube
Water Blocking – Liquid / Tape / Powder / Gel
Full / Partly Flooded
Armored – Aluminum / Steel / Interlocked
12
CONFIDENTIAL

13. ISP / OSP Cable Commonalities
Fiber Types Supported
Multimode
Single mode
Hybrid
Physical Protection
Armoring
Aramid Yarn
Fire Rating
Riser –CMR or FT-4(indoor/outdoor)
Plenum CMP or FT-6(tight buffer/MSHA)
13
CONFIDENTIAL

14. High Density
One of the significant advantages of
fiber cable is the density it can
achieve. This density can be
accomplished via 2 methods
1. Ribbon Fiber – 1008 fibers
(1.06 OD) 144 fibers per tube
(12x12)
14
CONFIDENTIAL

15. High Density
2. High Count Loose Tube – 432
fibers (.91 OD) 12 fibers per tube –
36 tubes
15
CONFIDENTIAL

16. Application Specific
In general, “indoor” implies that the cable has at minimum an NEC Fire Resistance Rating so that the
cable is not subject to the typical 50-foot indoor length limitation that applies to outside plant (OSP)
cables. “Outdoor” generally implies that the construction of the cable is such that it will withstand
certain environmental extremes typically only experienced outdoors.
Designs are available in loose-tube and tight-buffered construction and are suitable for all fiber
types.
Indoor/outdoor fiber optic cables are generally all-dielectric and thus exempt from the grounding
issues inherent to copper conductor cables.
Indoor / Outdoor Cable – This cable is water-blocked/sunlight resistant indoor/outdoor tight buffer –
Riser Rated OFNR
Indoor/outdoor cable offers a premises fiber optic cable versatility.
Can be extended inside the building and not require a transition splice.
Can be installed in open spaces, trays, conduits, inner-ducts, trenches, steam tunnels and building
riser locations.
Dry-water blocking technology eliminates the need to clean off the traditional gel-based water-
blocking compounds
Breakout kits and or other special termination equipment are not required
Outer jacket is UL listed sunlight resistant polymer for exposure to long-term direct sunlight
without the concern of material degradation.
16
CONFIDENTIAL

17. Application Specific
ADSS - for use on distribution and
high voltage transmission lines as it
is unaffected by electromagnetic fields
OPGW - dual functioning cable a
static ground wire incorporating
optical fibers into the design of the
cable
Figure 8 - black polyethylene outer jacket with integrated EHS steel messenger
17
CONFIDENTIAL

18. Obsolete Fiber Optic Connectors
Optimate
The AMP Optimate was
popular in the early
80s. It used a conical
plastic ferrule and
screw-on nut. It was
available for every fiber
size including plastic
fiber. Some may still be
in use in utility and
industrial systems.
18
CONFIDENTIAL