What Kinds of Optical Fibers Do You Know?

Optical fibers can be divided according to the material from which they are made. As mentioned earlier, the optical fiber can be made of glass, but it can also be made of plastic. Both materials have pros and cons.

Fibers made of glass are great for long-distance transmission, but are very expensive. They are divided into two different types: single-mode and multi-mode. The main difference between the two is the core diameter and the number of beams in the fiber. Single-mode fibers only allow the transmission of one beam of light, while multi-mode fibers can transmit multiple beams at a time.

As we have already said, we also know optical fibers made of plastic, also known as POF fibers (Polymer optic fibers). Plastic fibers are used for shorter distances and have larger core diameters. Their transmission paths are not as reliable as fiberglass, but their main advantage is their low cost. Compared to fiberglass, plastic fiber is very cheap. So, if we combine the pros and cons, we can conclude that plastic fibers are mainly used for short distances (in our house etc.) to keep costs down. Most of the time, POFs are found when connecting audio equipment at home. The attenuation of glass fiber is 0.2dB/Km, and the attenuation of POF is 100dB/Km.