OM4 future-proof optical fibre cabling
October 2014
Enclosures, Cabling & Connectors
OM4 is a laser-optimised, high bandwidth 50 m multimode fibre. As increased bandwidth requirements are called for in new installations, particularly 40 and 100 Gb/s, transmission distances over fibre optic cables contained in existing infrastructure may become increasingly limited. It is these higher bandwidth system requirements that have dictated a need to transition from cost-effective multi-mode systems to more costly single-mode systems. Until OM4 was formally specified, many next-generation 40 and 100 Gb/s applications would have had to make the leap to single-mode system solutions. OM4 effectively provides an additional layer of performance that supports these applications at longer distances, thereby limiting the number of installations that truly require OS2 single-mode fibre. OM4 can provide a minimum reach of 125 m over multimode fibre within the 40 and 100 GbE standards.
It is important to note that OM4 glass is not necessarily designed to be a replacement for OM3. For most systems, OM3 glass is sufficient to cover the bandwidth needs at the distances of the current installation base. Most system requirements can still be reliably and cost effectively achieved with OM3, and this glass type will remain available for the foresee-able future. Despite the availability of OM4 glass, OM3 is quite capable of 40 and 100 Gb/s applications albeit at significantly shorter distances than OM4. The primary benefit that OM4 provides is additional reach at extended bandwidth at an overall cost still less than that of an OS2 single-mode system. In other words, OM4 provides a solution that allows more installations to avoid the significantly higher costs of single-mode systems.
Additionally, OM4 provides an opportunity to future-proof cabling infrastructure. OM4 is completely backwards-compatible with existing OM3 systems. As a result, these two grades of glass are interchangeable within the transmission distance limitations outlined above. The additional bandwidth and lower attenuation of OM4 provide additional insertion loss margin. As a result, users of OM4 gain additional safety margin to help compensate for less-than-ideal cabling installations as well as provide margin for degradation due to moves, adds, and changes over the life of the installation.
For more information contact Greg Pokroy, Jaycor International, +27 (0)21 447 4247, greg@jaycor.co.za, www.jaycor.co.za
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