Understanding the network.pdf - Back to Home

NOTE
Cladding is the glass "shell" that surrounds the fiber inside the plastic casing. Its
reflective properties affect the performance of the fiber.
However, both single-mode and multimode still fall victim to chromatic and material
dispersion. Chromatic and material dispersion result from imperfections in the
transmission source. Ideally, the laser wants to send each pulse at the optimum
wavelength specified for the media. This is not possible, however, so there is some
variation on the wavelengths, which results in reduced signal strength. This is
known as chromatic dispersion. Material dispersion is a result of imperfections in
core and cladding.
Three types of connectors are used with fiber optic cabling:
• FDDI-MIC—The FDDI-MIC type of connector was specified as part of the
FDDI PHY standard; it is only used for this purpose. The MIC connector uses
two fiber cable strands on a special slotted connector. When used properly,
the MIC connector only permits the connector to be inserted one way.
• ST—ST-type connectors, also known as "bayonet style" connectors, are used
with 10Base-FL. ST connectors are the most common type of fiber optic
connectors. Today, they are used almost exclusively for fiber optic patch
panel applications.
• SC—SC-type or "box" connectors are used for 100Base-FX and 1000Base-X
applications. They are easier to work with than the ST-type connectors.
Quite often, ST-type to SC-type patch cables are needed to patch fiber optic
equipment together or to build wide fiber cabling infrastructures.
The FDDI-MIC, ST-type, and SC-type connectors are depicted in Figure 4.4.