Changes in technology are inevitable, from computers to mobile phones these are always subject to change, upgrading and improvements. The one thing that has seen a slow progress is the wire. Wiring has always been made from copper with a plastic covering. These are still used as a great conductor of electricity and heat. Many people will be more familiar with copper wiring as it is one of the oldest forms of wiring and still maintains a very good strong component.
In recent times people have switched from copper to fibre optic cabling, especially for use on broadband internet connectivity. This in comparison to copper wiring has proven to be much more efficient, accurate, speedy and all round better! Fibre optic works in a similar way to copper, however instead of transmitting electronic pulses for information down a copper line, this uses light pulse to transmit information - making it much faster.
A fibre optic cable is made from three layers, the core, the cladding and the buffer coating. These are filled with strands of glass fibre that has the same diameter of the human hair. The core is the thin fibre glass positioned at the centre of the cable where the light travels. The cladding is the outer layer that surrounds the core, which keeps the light from escaping reflecting it all back into the core for it to continue travelling down. The buffer coating is the protective outer layer that protects the wire from damage or moisture. The cables outer layer is normally known as a jacket.
There are two types of optical cables, which are single mode fibre and multi-mode fibres. The difference between the two lies on the amount of light transmitted down the core, in this case a single mode fibre has a very thin core and transmits infrared laser light. A multi mode fibre cable has a thicker core transmitting infrared light from light emitting diodes. Some of these optical fibres can be made from plastic and have a larger core that transmits visible red lights.
How is it possible the fibre optic cable is faster than a copper wiring? Imagine shining a beam of light down a long hallway, as long as the hallway is straight then there is no problem in the receiving end to see the light. However, when the hallway is bendy with corners, the light does not travel as efficiently, but when strategically placing mirrors on each bend on every corner, the light can bounce off each other to reach to its destination. This is exactly how an optical cable works, the core is the hallway in which the light travels and the cladding is the mirrored covering that helps the light bouncing and travel down. The cladding does not absorb the light, making it travel at greater distances and at a faster rate. The entire process is called total internal reflection.
The downside to the fibre optic cable is that the light begins to degrade, possibly due to impurities in the fibre glass. Premium optical cables tend to have a reduced amount of light degradation, hence they are much more efficient. The purity of the fibre glass is essential for the transmission of light, which is why these are produced meticulously in a controlled area.
The cable works effectively so as to cater for distance, this possible by using these four principles; transmitter, optical fibre, optical regenerator and optical receiver. The transmitter produces the light and directs its emission by turning it on and off in the right sequence. The optical fibre helps to conduct the light to travel over a long distance. This is where light signals maybe lost or degraded, hence the optical regenerator. This is spliced through the cable and boosts the light signal. The optical receiver is the one which receives the signal, decodes it and sends the signal to either a computer, telephone or television set.
The entire process is extremely fast and the end result is an accurate transmission of vital information. Fibre optic cables are much cheaper than normal copper wiring; they are lighter in weight, non flammable, low powered and are good for use on digital equipment. This is said to be taking over normal copper wire, due to its effectiveness and popularity, which is why many large conglomerate companies are switching to using this technology.
Author Resource:-
Anna Stenning is an expert on fibre optic cabling, having recently purchased an optical cable for internet usage.
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