The difference between glass optical fiber and plastic optical fiber

Both glass and plastic optical fiber have different advantages and disadvantages. Below, we will provide readers with some important information in this regard.

glass fiber

Fiberglass is nothing more than a few tiny strands of glass -- nothing more. Anything else we find in fiber optic cables like cladding and jacketing etc. is just for reinforcement. Glass has an inherent property of refracting light, which is how it works. In fiberglass, we achieve complete inner refraction to keep the light enclosed and propagated along the fiber optic cable made of glass. In fiber optic cables, the core wires of the fiber bundles are surrounded by a cladding medium. The sole purpose of the cladding is to reject any refracted light. Therefore, light passing through the core is still trapped. Here, it is important to understand the use of glasses with different refractive indices in cladding structures.

In fiber optic based communication systems, specially designed network hardware is used. There are various communication standards and protocols available for networking over fiber optic cables. Different grades and types of fiber optic cables are available for a variety of short, medium and long distance applications. In fiber optic network systems, we use specially designed LEDs or photoelectric sensors that provide us with light that travels through fiber optic cables.

fiber optic connection

These light sources are connected and controlled by a communication controller, which turns the light sources on and off in a certain pattern to convert the supplied digital data into light signals. For '0' the light will be 'off', for '1' the light will be 'on'. Sounds easy, right? Here's how it works. Now, let's move on to some of the biggest benefits of using fiberglass as our digital communication medium.

Fiberglass - Advantages

Glass optical fibers are an excellent choice for a variety of application and networking needs. Glass is one of the most abundant natural elements, so we don't have to worry about its availability. Networking via glass fiber optics has become a global phenomenon, and you can easily source the parts you need to meet your specific needs and applications.

In addition, there are different types of glass fibers with different data-carrying capabilities. Another great advantage of using fiberglass is that it can withstand harsh operating environments. Unlike plastic, you can easily deploy fiber optic cables near furnaces or heat wave emitting equipment. Glass' inherent ability to transmit light makes it ideal for long-distance applications. In addition, glass fibers can also be used at the same time. Infrared and visible light. As we mentioned for high temperature applications, fiberglass is also suitable for very low temperature regions.

Basic Knowledge of Plastic Optical Fiber

Well, there is not much difference between glass optical fiber and plastic optical fiber in terms of structure and main working principle. In plastic optical fiber, the glass is replaced by plastic - and that's it. In these cables we get a core made of thin plastic strands, reinforced and surrounded by different grades of plastic cladding. What remains constant, however, is the intervention of light. For clarity, assume we're talking about the same car, but on different roads.

Unlike glass, a natural element, plastic is synthetic. We can't manipulate the properties of glass, but we can make plastic to control it! We can produce web grade plastic for best results. Due to their low cost, plastic optical fibers are often considered "consumer" optical fibers. This fiber is widely used in home networking, digital appliances, and other short-distance, low-speed applications. The distortion and attenuation characteristics of plastic optical fiber make it a second-best choice for long-distance, high-speed, and wide-bandwidth applications.

Technically speaking, both glass optical fiber and plastic optical fiber solve a similar phenomenon. In plastic optical fiber, a core made of plastic is used to transmit data. In these cables, specially formulated fluorinated polymers are used as cladding material.