Introduction

Generally, the Fiber Optic Cable is made of various components that are critical in defining its structure. However, there are basic components which are common in every Fiber Optic Cable. Despite the structure of the Fiber Optic Cable, the basic components are similar. Therefore, you should have knowledge of the basic components as an engineer or technician.   

Discussion 

Optical components include lasers, splitters, multiplexers, switches, photodetectors and other receiver types, silicon optical benches, and other building blocks of fiber optic communications modules, line cards, and systems. You find new product announcements and tutorial information on this page.

Basic structure of an optical fiber

The basic structure of an optical fiber consists of three parts; the core, the cladding, and the coating or buffer. The basic structure of an optical fiber is shown in figure 2-9. The core is a cylindrical rod of dielectric material. Dielectric material conducts no electricity. Light propagates mainly along the core of the fiber. The core is generally made of glass. The core is described as having a radius of (a) and an index of refraction n1. The core is surrounded by a layer of material called the cladding. Even though light will propagate along the fiber core without the layer of cladding material, the cladding does perform some necessary functions.

The cladding layer is made of a dielectric material with an index of refraction n2. The index of refraction of the cladding material is less than that of the core material. The cladding is generally made of glass or plastic. The cladding performs the following functions;

 Reduces loss of light from the core into the surrounding air 

 Reduces scattering loss at the surface of the core

 Protects the fiber from absorbing surface contaminants

 Adds mechanical strength

For extra protection, the cladding is enclosed in an additional layer called the coating or buffer. The coating or buffer is a layer of material used to protect an optical fiber from physical damage. The material used for a buffer is a type of plastic. The buffer is elastic in nature and prevents abrasions. The buffer also prevents the optical fiber from scattering losses caused by microbeads. Microbends occur when an optical fiber is placed on a rough and distorted surface. 

Conclusion

The basic components of Fiber Optic Cable include the central core, the covering sheath and other more. For the sake of identification, you should master those common components of Fiber Optic Cable otherwise, you will get confused when purchasing.