Basic Knowledge About Armored Fiber Optic Cable

With the development of fiber optic communication, fiber optic cables are in need increasingly all over the world with its good repeatability and excellent adaptability. However, as we all know that cables should be under better protection in some harsh environment. Thus, armored fiber optic cables are designed to solve this problem. As its name indicates, this type of cable is wrapped by stainless steel tube inside the outer jacket to protect the cable from animal biting, humidity, crushing and stretching. So the use of armored fiber cable greatly reduces unnecessary cost. It plays an important role for connection between fiber optic devices inside computer rooms and buildings.

Structure of Armored Fiber Optic Cables

The outer jacket is usually made of plastics like polyethylene to prevent it from solvents and abrasions. The layer between the outer jacket and inner jacket is strength member which is an armored layer made of materials that are difficult to cut, burn or chew. In addition, this kind of material is able to protect the fiber optic cable from being stretched during cable installation. And the inner jacket is a protective and flame retardant material to support the inner fiber optic cable bundle.

Features of Armored Fiber Optic Cables

Armored fiber optic cables retain all the features of standard cables, but they are much stronger and tougher. The armored fiber optic cable will not get damage even it is stepped by an adult, while the standard cable may get distorted and be out of work. Furthermore, armored fiber optic cables are anti-rodent, which means that they can be easily used in harsh conditions and people no longer worry about animal biting. Besides, armored fiber optic cables are flexible as well, handling them are as easy as handling electric cables.

Types of Armored Fiber Optic Cables

There exist two kinds of armored fiber optic cables, namely indoor armored fiber optic cable and outdoor armored fiber optic cable.

Indoor armored fiber optic cable is usually used for indoor applications, consisting of tight-buffered or loose-buffered fiber optic cables, strengths members and an inner jacket. The inner jacket is commonly surrounded by a spirally wrapped interlocking metal tap armor. Armored fiber optic cables experience less temperature and mechanical stress, and most of them are deployed for building wiring applications, usually in walls, between floors, in plenum air handling ducts, and so on.

Outdoor armored fiber optic cables are designed to guarantee the operation safety of cables under complicated outdoor environment. Most outdoor armored fiber optic cables are composed of loose-buffered optical fibers, strength member and loose tubes. There is waterproof gel filled inside the loose tube which helps make the whole cable resist water.

Conclusion

In summary, when transmitting data or conducting power under terrible conditions, a strong protection is crucial to safe and reliable operation. Therefore, an armored fiber optic cable is a good solution to make the cables free from mechanical or environmental damages. But armored fiber optic cables are more expensive than normal cables which should be taken into consideration when you choose them.