Installation guide

Appendix: Handling fiber
108 FTTH Application Guide
Parts of the fiber optic cable
Fiber cable consists of three main parts: the fiber core, cladding and coating.
The core is the media where the light travels.
Figure 25: Parts of the cable
• Fiber Core
The glass transport media
• Cladding
Cladding is a cushioning layer of glass resin which reflects light back into
the core.
• Coating
The coating layer is usually a durable plastic, teflon, rubber, or similar
material to protect the cladding and fiber core.
• End eace
The End face is the part of the connector which makes contact with the
fiber transceiver. Connector failure is usually due to dirty or damaged end
face.
Fiber cables need to be aligned to pass light correctly. The mechanical
part of the connector is keyed so the cable will be aligned properly.
Fiber connector types
There are two types of Fiber connectors which Zhone uses:
• UPC (Ultra Physical Contact) connectors