3M LC-LC OM3 10 Gig 50/125 Multimode Duplex Fiber Patch Cable

3 Meters | LC Fiber Cable | OM3 Fiber Optic Patch Cable | 10 Gigabit | Multimode Duplex | Laser Optimized (50/125) | Standard Connector | Lifetime Warranty

Fiber optic cabling is the medium of choice for longer distance and challenging cabling runs. These cables are thinner than copper patch cords and immune to EMI (Electromagnetic Interference) making them perfect for riser runs and uplink cables.

There are two basic types of fiber cabling, single-mode and multi-mode. The cables listed here are multi-mode, but a special version which is laser optimized. These cables are manufactured using a process that eliminates manufacturing anomalies and conditions which cause the glass cores to be prone to modal dispersion when the transmission distance is great. Modal dispersion is the optical equivalent to EMI and causes confusion at the receiving end. The binary 1's and 0's cannot be differentiated.

Inside these cables you will find three basic layers. Starting from the inside, you have the core which is surrounded by the cladding. Both are protected with the jacket on the outside. Multi-mode cables have a thicker "core size". The core size is simply the thickness of the optical fiber inside the cladding. The cladding is material that surrounds that core which basically serves as the boundary for the signal, keeping the light refined to the core and not allowing it to escape. The thicker the core size, the more refraction the signal exhibits, the more signal degradation that occurs and the shorter the distance an intelligible signal can transmit. For example, these cables are 50/125. 50 is the diameter of the core, and 125 is the diameter of the cladding, both in micrometers. Lastly, the jacket is the part of the cable you see. This layer protects the cable and provides easy identification based on its color. TIA-598C recommends aqua for OM3 multi-mode.