Adapter
Terminator used to align and join two fiber optic connectors.
Aramid
Type of high-strength nylon yarn, such as Kevlar, woven into fiber cable that strengthens, protects and supports fiber bundles.
Attenuation
Loss of signal intensity due to system elements, expressed in dB at a certain wavelength and calculated between two points in a fiber optic network or as a network's total loss.
Attenuator
Component that reduces the intensity of a signal in a fiber optic network by adding a specific amount of loss.
Broadband
Signal transmission over a wide frequency range.
Buffer tubes
Tubes extruded over fibers in a cable to protect and isolate them.
Buffering
Protective material extruded onto the fiber coating that guard the individual fibers from damage and the environment.
Cable assembly
Fiber optic cable with installed connectors, used to connect to optical equipment. Assemblies can be either pigtails (one side with a connector) or jumpers (both sides with connectors).
Cladding
Glass surrounding the core of an individual fiber that keeps the light from escaping the core.
Coating
Protective acrylic layer added to the surface of a fiber during the manufacturing process.
Connector
Device installed on a fiber optic cable to connect it to optical equipment. Types of fiber connectors include SC, ST, LC, FC, D4, MU, MTRJ, DIN and E2000.
Core
Center of an optical fiber through which light is transmitted.
Decibel
Unit of measurement, abbreviated dB, indicating the relative strength of light signals.
Demultiplex
To separate two or more combined signals from a single transmission.
Dielectric
Non-metallic material, such as glass used in fiber.
Digital
Signal format composed of two discrete, noncontinuous levels illustrated by ones and zeros.
Dispersion
Phenomenon that produces a broadening of input pulses along the length of the fiber, causing signal degradation.
Duplex
Two single-core fiber optic cables joined together. Also known as ZipCord.
Fan out
Type of fiber optic cable in which individual fibers are separated and strengthened for termination at nodes and other equipment. Also known as breakout or furcation.
Ferrule
Mechanical component, usually a rigid tube, that protects and aligns the fiber in a connector.
FDDI
Fiber Distributed Data Interface, a standard for a 100 Mbps fiber optic LAN.
Fiber
Optical waveguide consisting of a core and cladding made of glass.
Furcation
End of a fiber optic cable that is separated out for termination at nodes and other equipment. Also known as fan out or breakout.
Hybrid cable
Fiber cable containing both singlemode and multimode fiber.
Index of refraction
Characteristic of a medium, such as glass fiber, that indicates the velocity of light traveling through it relative to the velocity of light in a vacuum.
Insertion loss
Total amount of signal loss, expressed in dB, caused by a component in the network.
Jumper
Length of cable terminated on both ends. Also known as cable assembly.
MDPE
Medium density polyethylene, a plastic material used to make cable jackets.
Media converter
Equipment that modulates fiber optic signals for transmission over paired cable.
Micron
Millionth of a meter, abbreviated µm. Also known as micrometer.
Minimum bending radius
Fiber optic cable rating that indicates how tightly it can be bent or installed around corners.
Multifiber cable
Type of cable that contains more than one fiber.
Multimode
Type of fiber optic cable that allows multiple lightwave paths.
Multiplex
To combine two or more discrete signals into a single transmission.
Narrowband
Signal transmission over a small, restricted frequency range.
OFNP
Optical Fiber, Nonconductive, Plenum. Type of fiber cable that meets fire protection standards for use in environmental air spaces.
OFNR
Optical Fiber, Nonconductive, Riser. Type of strong fiber cable for use vertically between floors.
OSP
Type of armored cable used in outside plant.
PE
Polyethylene, a plastic material used in jackets for outside plant cable.
Pigtail
Length of cable permanently attached to equipment at one end and terminated with a connector at the other end.
Polish
Finishing process applied to a connector during manufacturing to produce a certain return loss.
PVC
Polyvinyl chloride, a plastic material used in cable jackets.
Reflection
Light in an optical cable that is sent back (reflected) into the fiber. Also known as return loss.
Return Loss
The ratio of the power of an optical signal in a cable to the power of the cable's reflected signals.
Scattering
Loss of signal power caused by fiber impurities or changes in the fiber's index of refraction.
Simplex
Type of fiber optic cable with a single core.
Singlemode
Type of fiber optic cable that allows only one lightwave path.
Tight-buffered cable
Type of cable in which each fiber is protected by a 900µm thermoplastic coating to improve ease of handling and connectorization.
Total internal reflection
Characteristic of glass fiber that completely reflects the light off the cladding and back into the core, without any loss of light.
Wavelength
Distance between two successive points of a signal's cycle, usually measured in nanometers (nm).
Wavelength Division Multiplexer
Equipment that allows multiple optical frequencies to combine onto a single fiber.
Window
Range of wavelengths within which a fiber operates best.
ZipCord
Two single-core fiber optic cables joined together. Also called duplex cable.
To view this page in context, click here: Fiber Optic Glossary