Fiber optic cable consists of a core surrounded by cladding. The core is the center area through which the light signals are transmitted, the cladding completely surrounds the core to stop the light from escaping.

There are two types of fiber. Single-mode fiber has a small core diameter designed to carry light in a single line over long distances. It has high signal carrying capacities and low attenuation. Multi-mode has a wider core that allows light to travel in many paths simultaneously.

This document will describe the difference and help you correctly identify the cable and connector you are using.

Single mode

Single-mode fiber has a core diameter of 9 micrometer and an overall cladding size of 125 micrometer. This is identified as 9/125

Single-mode is used to transport data over long distances.

Identification of single-mode LC cable and connector:

Single-mode LC cable can be identified based on the following:

1. Connector is Blue
   
2. Cable is yellow
   

Identification of Single-mode connectors on Luminex equipment:

On the GigaCore 16RFO the OpticalCon or Fiberfox connectors will have a Blue pad around the connector.

On the Gigacore 10 The OpticalCon or Fiberfox connector has a Blue ring on the dust cover.

                             

GigaCore 16RFO OpticalCon                                    GigaCore 16RFO FiberFox

                         

GigaCore 10 OpticalCon                                          GigaCore 10 FiberFox 

Identification of Single-mode transceiver:

In order to know which transceiver we are dealing with we just need to look at the metal clip used to remove the transceiver from the cage.  On a single-mode transceiver the clip has a Blue plastic “handle”

Multi mode

Multi-mode fiber has a core diameter of 62.5 micrometer or 50 micrometer and an overall cladding size of 125 micrometer. This is identified as 62.5/125 or 50/125

Multi-mode is often used in data centers and local area networks as it is more cost effective.

Identification of multi-mode LC cable and connector:

Multi-mode LC cable can be identified based on the following:

1. Connector is Beige
   
2. Cable is Orange, Aqua, Violet or Lime green based on the spec of the cable (see Fiber Optic standards)
   

                             

                             

Identification of Multi-mode transceiver:

In order to know which transceiver we are dealing with we just need to look at the metal clip used to remove the transceiver from the cage.  On a multi-mode transceiver the clip has a Black plastic “handle"

Fiber Optic standards

ISO/IEC 11801

Supported rugged connectors on Luminex products

On the Luminex switches the following connectors are available:

                             

     

Neutrik OpticalCon Duo                              Neutrik OpticalCon Quad

                             

FiberFox 2-channel                                       FiberFox 4-channel

                             

FibreCo Junior 2-channel                              FibreCo Junior 4-channel