TABLE OF CONTENTS So far we have studied the principles and characteristics of individual optical fibers. While they are certainly adequate for the job of carrying signals from one place to another, they are neither large enough nor strong enough to withstand the rigors of handling, transportation, and installation. In addition, some installations require multiple fibers for sending and receiving or for routing to a number of sites.
For a fiber to be suitable for everyday use, it must be incorporated into cables that provide standardized fiber groupings, protection for the fibers, and suitable size for handling.
In this chapter, we will describe standard fiber optic cables used in most installations. We will detail different types of fiber optic cables and the uses for which they were designed. We will also describe some of the basic techniques used for handling and installing fiber optic cable.
You may already be familiar with cables used for electrical wiring. These cables typically consist of two or more wires bundled together and held by a protective outer covering. In addition to holding the wires in place, cables also protect the wires from damage and insulate them from electrical interference.
Some of the largest cables, used for telephone transmissions, can be several inches in diameter and carry a hundred pairs of wires, with each pair being used for a single telephone conversation.
Fiber optic cables, on the other hand, are usually much smaller, because a single fiber can carry several thousand transmissions. With the addition...
