Things You Need to Know About Fiber Patch Cords

Fiber optic patch cords, consisting of a piece of fiber optic cable and a connectors on each end, are one of the simplest elements in any optical network. Despite its simplicity, the patch cord still has a strong effect on the overall performance of the network. It is very necessary to know something about fiber patch cords. The article mainly talks about single mode/multi-mode fiber patch cords, and simplex/duplex fiber patch cords.

Single Mode and Multi-mode Fiber Patch Cords

Single mode and multi-mode fiber patch cords are divided by the criterion of different sizes of fiber core. They both can be terminated at each end with the same or different connectors, such as ST-ST single mode patch cord and SC-FC single mode patch cord, or ST-ST multi-mode fiber patch cord and SC-FC multi-mode fiber patch cord. They also have their respective characteristics.

Single Mode Fiber Patch Cords

Single mode fiber patch cords have a core of 8 to 10 microns. In single mode cables, light travels toward the center of the core in a single wavelength, which decreases the number of light reflections created as the light passes through the core, lowering attenuation and improving the ability for the signal to travel fast and over long distances. Single mode fiber patch cable is the best choice for transmitting data over long distances. They are usually used for connections over large areas, such as college campuses and cable television networks.

Multi-mode Fiber Patch Cords

Multi-mode cables have a core of either 50 or 62.5 microns. In multi-mode cables, the larger core gathers more light compared to single mode, and this light reflects off the core and allows more signals to be transmitted. The signal "bounces" off the inside of the fiber, thus causes signals to weaken over time and therefore not able to travel far. Multi-mode fiber patch cable is a good choice for transmitting data and voice signals over short distances. They are typically used for data and audio/visual applications in local-area networks and connections within buildings.

Simplex and Duplex Fiber Patch Cords

Simplex and duplex fiber patch cords are divided by the criterion of different strands of fibers. They both are available in single mode and multi-mode. A simplex fiber patch cord has only one connector on each end. A duplex fiber patch cord has two connectors on each end.

Simplex Fiber Patch Cords

Simplex fiber patch cord has only one single strand of glass or plastic fiber. It is often used where only a single transmit or receive line is required between devices. One end of a simplex fiber patch cord is a fixed transmission end, and the other is a fixed receiving end. Single mode and multi-mode simplex optic patch cords can be used for applications that only require one-way data transfer.

Duplex Fiber Patch Cords

A duplex fiber patch cord consists of two strands of glass or plastic fiber which are typically found in a tight-buffered and jacketed "zipcord" construction format. One fiber transmits data in one direction and the other one transmits data in the reverse direction. Every connector can only be connected to the corresponding port, same as the simplex situation. Duplex fiber patch cables are used in applications where data needs to be transferred simultaneously and bi-directionally, such as backbone ports, workstations, Ethernet switches, fiber switches and servers.

Simplex and duplex fiber patch cords have their respective features and applications. And with different connectors, there can also be different categories of optic patch cords, like FC fiber patch cable or ST fiber patch cable. These fiber patch cables can be with custom length. Knowing more about fiber patch cords, you can understand whether to choose simplex or duplex, single mode or multi-mode, FC connector or ST connector, or other kinds of connectors, etc.