Understanding the Different From OM1 To OM5 Multimode Fiber

Multimode fiber is a staple of fiber-optic cable infrastructure in data centers and campus networks. The ISO/IEC 11801 standard defines five classes of multimode fiber: OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4 and OM5.we will review the basics of multimode fiber and the evolution of the different fiber standards.Multimode fiber is the kind of optical fiber that allows light to travel down many paths simultaneously.MMF cables are widely used for LAN enterprise and data center applications.

With so many options, it is difficult to choose the most suitable multimode fiber. Next, we will compare these fibers in detail in terms of core size, bandwidth, data rate, distance, color, and light source.

OM1 Fiber

OM1 fibers typically have an orange sheath and a core size of 62.5µm. It can support up to 33 meters of 10 GB Ethernet. It is most commonly used in 100 Mbit Ethernet applications. This type usually uses an LED light source.

OM2 Fiber

Similarly, the OM2 fiber also has an orange jacket and uses an LED light source, but the core size is smaller at 50µm. It supports 10Gb Ethernet up to 82 meters, but is more commonly used for 1Gb Ethernet applications.

OM3 Fiber

The OM3 optical fiber has a light green jacket. Like the OM2, its core size is 50 µm, but the cable is optimized for laser-based devices. OM3 supports 10 GB Ethernet up to 300 meters long. In addition, OM3 is capable of supporting 40G and 100G Ethernet up to 100 meters, but 10G Ethernet is most commonly used.

OM4 Fiber

OM4 fiber is fully backward compatible with OM3 fiber and shares the same unique aqua sheath. The OM4 was developed specifically for VSCEL laser transmission, with 10Gig/s links up to 550m, compared to the 300 m of the OM3. It is capable of running 40/100GB at a distance of up to 150 meters using the MPO connector.

OM5 Fiber

OM5 fiber, also known as WBMMF (Broadband Multimode Fiber), is the latest multimode fiber, backward compatible with OM4. Its core size is the same as OM2, OM3, and OM4. The color of the OM5 fiber jacket is lime green. Its design and specifications are designed to support at least four WDM channels through the 850-953 NM window, each with a minimum speed of 28Gbps.

What are the advantages of multimode fiber?

While single-mode fiber jumpers offer advantages in terms of bandwidth and longer distances, multimode fiber can easily support most of the distances required for enterprise and data center networks at a much lower cost than single-mode fiber. In addition, multimode fiber optic cables have many significant advantages.

Multimode fiber has the characteristics of carrying multiple signals in the same line at the same time. Most importantly, there is almost no loss of total power in the signal. Thus, a network user can send more than one packet in the cable at the same time, and all the information will be transmitted to the destination without interference and remain unchanged.

Multimode fibers can support a variety of data transmission protocols, including Ethernet, Infiniband, and Internet protocols. As a result, cables can be used as a backbone for a range of high-value applications.

With larger cores and good alignment tolerances, multimode fibers and components are cheaper and easier to use with other optical components, such as fiber connectors and fiber adapters, and multimode jumper cables are less expensive to operate, install, and maintain than single-mode fiber cables.

Due to their high capacity and reliability, multimode fibers are commonly used in backbone applications in buildings. Overall, multimode fiber optic cables remain the most cost-effective option for enterprise and data center applications in the 500-600 meter range. However, this does not mean that we can replace single-mode fiber with multi-mode fiber cables, and the choice of single-mode fiber jumpers or multi-mode jumpers depends on the specific application needs, such as the transmission distance to be covered and the overall budget.

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