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By: Carol Everett Oliver, RCDD, Berk-Tek, a Nexans Company
Just when you thought you were set with your aqua-colored OM3 50-micron fiber to carry you through the next generation of multi-gigabit applications, along comes its heir – OM4. But, when it comes to cable performance (copper or fiber) it’s all about bandwidth and speed; and there’s always a “next generation” waiting to be born.
Defining OM (Optical Multi-mode) cables, as designated by ISO/IEC 11801 international standards, includes characterizing fiber performance (bandwidth), light sources and distance relative to bandwidth. Minimum bandwidth is determined by the light source from the transceiver -- either OFL (overfilled launch) or EMB (effective modal bandwidth or “laser”). The light source will become key as we progress through the OMs.
Get the full story: Reel Time January 2009
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