TABLE OF CONTENTS Now that we have discussed fiber optic link design considerations and the advantages of optical fiber over copper cable, let's look at how to analyze the performance of a fiber optic link. This section focuses on link performance analysis using Optical Fiber Cabling Components Standard TIA/EIA-568-B.3.
Industry standard TIA/EIA-568-B.3 defines optical fiber components' performance. We will use three parts of this standard to analyze the performance of a link: section 4.2, cable transmission performance; section 5.6, optical fiber splice; and annex A, optical fiber connector performance specifications.
When analyzing link performance using TIA/EIA-568-B.3, you are performing a worst-case analysis. In other words, your link should perform no worse than the standard. Typically a link will outperform the standard or greatly exceed the standard. The standard sets the minimum requirements for cable transmission performance, slice performance, and connector performance.
TIA/EIA-568-B.3 section 4.2 addresses the performance of 50/125 ?m multimode optical fiber, 62.5/125 ?m multimode optical fiber, and single-mode inside and outside plant optical fiber. Maximum attenuation and minimum information transmission capacity is defined for each fiber type by wavelength, as shown in Table 14.5.
| Optical Fiber Cable Type | Wavelength (nm) | Maximum Attenuation (dB/km) | Minimum Information Transmission Capacity for Over-filled Launch (MHz km) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50/125 ?m multimode | 850 | 3.5 | 500 |
| 1300 | 1.5 | 500 | |
| 62.5/125 ?m multimode | 850 | 3.5 | 160 |
| 1300 | 1.5 | 500 | |
| Single-mode inside | 1310 | 1.0 | N/A |
| plant cable | 1550 | 1.0 | N/A |
| Single-mode outside |
