Historically, tight-buffered cable was used best for indoor applications while loose-tube cable was considered best for outdoor applications. And they were typically not to be used in the other’s place due to their material features. But is it still the case after so many years?
Tight-buffered cable and loose-tube cable are both fiber optic cables that consist of multiple fiber counts inside a single line of fiber cable, for the sake of better protection and cabling. There are some similarities in their designed purpose, but differences are obviously more than similarities between them.
The Tight-Buffered Cables With Versatility
Tight-buffered construction uses 900μm buffered fibers. The core is protected by two-layer coating. The first is plastic and the second is waterproof acrylate. The core of the cable is never at risk of exposure, unlike the loose-buffered cable which can escape its confines. Fibers are surrounded by dielectric strength members (FRP) and are protected by a rugged polyurethane outer jacket and provides superior environmental and mechanical protection. The fiber count for tight-buffered fiber cable varies from 1 to 144 fibers, but generally cables with 2, 6, 12, 24 fibers are the most commonly used. Larger fiber counts such as 48 fibers, 96 fibers and 144 fibers are also available for specific applications.
Figure 1: Construction and sub construction of 48 fibers tight-buffered fiber optic cable.
Tight-buffered cable can be unitized or non-unitized. The only difference between them is that the former is unitized with individual jacket. The unitized design makes the bundled fibers easier to install and manage than non-unitized. Conversely, non-unitized cable is designed just with a single outer jacket, but it is more flexible in cabling and has much smaller packages and cost advantages.
Figure 2: Non-unitized cable and unitized cable.
The Gel-Filled Loose-Tube With Large Fiber Capacity
In loose-tube gel-filled cable construction, 250μm coated fibers are contained in small, rigid tubes, inside which the space is filled, not otherwise occupied by fiber, with water-blocking gel or tapes. There are seven elements in a loose tube cable. Each element plays an important role in the cable according to its own feature.
Figure 3: Construction of loose-tube fiber optic cable.
1. Multiple 250µm bare fibers (in loose tube)
2. One or more loose tubes holding 250µm bare fibers. Loose tubes strand around the central strength member.
3. Moisture blocking gel in each loose tube for water blocking and protection of 250µm fibers.
4. Central strength member (in the center of the cable and is stranded around by loose tubes).
5. Aramid Yarn as the primary tensile strength member.
6. Ripcord (for easy removal of outer jacket).
7. Outer jacket (the common material is the polyethylene).
In general, a loose-tube cable consists of 12 strands of fiber, but can range anywhere as low as 6, all the way up to 244 strands. Because the fiber is not connected to the buffer tubes, the cable can be pulled and stretched without causing any fractures from bending or tension.
According to the different materials or the processing technology for different applications, there are many types of loose-tube fiber optic cables.
Table: Different types of loose-tube fiber optic cables.
| Type | Construction | Features |
|---|---|---|
| GYXTW |  | Aerial & Duct, Single, Armor, Waterproof |
| GYXTY |  | Aerial, Strength Steel Wire, Central Loose Tube |
| GYFXTY |  | Aerial, FRP Strength Member, Lightning-Proof |
| GYFTY |  | Aerial & Duct, Non-Metallic Stranded Loose Tube |
| GYTA |  | Aerial & Duct, Single Armor, Stranded Loose Tube |
| GYFTY53 |  | Direct Burial & Duct, Single Armor, Double Jacket |
| GYTA53 |  | Direct Burial & Duct, Double Armor, Double Jacket |
| GYXTC8Y |  | Aerial, Central Loose Tube, Figure 8 Self-Supporting |
| GYTC8S |  | Aerial, Single Armor, Figure 8 Self-Supporting |
Tight-Buffered Cable vs. Loose-Tube Cable
Both tight-buffered cable and loose-tube gel-filled cable have color coded fibers for easy identification when used as distribution cables. And either armored or non-armored is optional. When the cables are deployed in where rodents are a problem or cables are direct buried and crush loads can be a problem, cables featured with armor is recommended. Popular armored types include interlocking armored and corrugated steel tape.
Tight-buffered is more suitable for indoor use since it’s sturdier than loose-tube cable. However, tight-buffered cables are much more expensive than loose-tube cables, and hold less fibers versus loose-tube cables using a similar diameter due to the difference of the 900μm fiber and the 250μm fiber. Loose-tube gel-filled cable is the best for outdoor use, but since it’s inconvenient to be spliced and terminated, it’s not the first choice for indoor/outdoor use.
Tight-Buffered Cable for Indoor and Outdoor Use
In fact, properly designed and manufactured tight-buffered cable has been sufficiently proved to be suitable for both indoor and outdoor applications in the past two decades. Tight-buffered fiber optic cables offer the flexibility, direct connectability and design versatility necessary to satisfy the diverse requirements existing in high performance fiber optic applications. Such applications include medium distance transmission for telco local loop, LANs, SANs, WANs, and point-to-point links in cities, buildings, factories, office parks and campuses.
Tight-buffered cable has many advantages over traditional outdoor cable spliced to indoor cable. The first advantage is an improvement in reliability. Link reliability will be reduced anytime there is a splice transition. Tight-buffered indoor/outdoor cable comes in the building directly as far as needed for final termination. Thus connectors are assembled onto the fiber cable at the final patching center, not at an inappropriate, hard to reach transition zone. Second advantage is that tight-buffered indoor/outdoor cable is generally easier to terminate than traditional outdoor rated cables. There is no injected gel to clear off prior to the termination process. Overall, we can say tight-buffered cables provide fast, easy, economical termination with no chemical cleaning required.
Loose-Tube Cable for Outdoor Use
Loose-tube cable protects the fiber from stresses caused by the environment, namely moisture and temperature. The gel within the loose-tube construction stops the penetration of water and keeps it away from the fiber. Since fibers can move within the tube, the expansion and contraction that temperature variations produce in other materials does not transmit stress to the fibers. In this sense, loose-tube gel-filled cables offer the best protection in outdoor environment. They are suitable for outdoor applications, including aerial, duct, CATV, long-distance, computer network systems, and LAN communication.
Although loose-tube fiber optical cables are used for high-fiber-count, long distance telco applications, they are an inferior design for LAN applications where reliability, attenuation stability over a wide temperature range and low installation cost are priorities. Since this cable is generally incompatible with indoor flammability codes, when it needs to be installed indoor, it must be normally terminated or spliced close to the cable entryway of a building. Due to the fragile bare fibers and gel filling, which must be cleaned prior to termination, loose-tube gel-filled cable is the most difficult to splice and terminate and also has the highest termination material costs. In the final termination process, all fibers must be either spliced or fed through the tubes of a breakout kit. These processes all add the complexity in termination and the splices inevitably decrease the reliability of the link. All above reasons make loose-tube gel-filled cable an inappropriate choice for indoor/outdoor deployment. But it’s still good as an outdoor cable for its features.
Summary
Tight-buffered cable and loose-tube cable are both excellent rugged fiber optic cables, the former of which is usually used for moderate length indoor and indoor/outdoor applications, while the latter is for long-distance outdoor applications.
Key acronyms:
LAN = Local area network
SAN = Storage area network
WAN = Wide area network
FRP = Fiber-reinforced plastic, a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibers.
PE = Polyethylene
FAQs
Which is better tight buffered fiber or loose tube fiber? ›
Loose Tube vs Tight Buffered
Due to the diameter of the of the fibres used in loose tube cables, they generally hold more fibres than tight buffered cables. On the other hand, tight buffered cables are perfect for indoor use and medium length LAN/WAN connections as they are the sturdier option.
The fundamental difference between tight buffered and loose tube fibre cables is the construction of the fibre optic cable. In tight buffered cables, there isn't a gap between the fibre cores' coating and cladding layers. Whereas loose tube fibre cables have a gap, either filled with gel or are loose in the cable.
What is the difference between loose tube and gel filled fibre? ›The primary difference between gel-free and gel filled fiber optic cable is the method used to block water from migrating into the cable itself. This type of loose tube fiber optic construction means that between the fiber optics and outer jacket there is some form of water swellable material.
What are the advantages of loose buffer tube fiber? ›The loose buffer tube offers lower cable attenuation from microbending in any given fiber, plus a high level of isolation from external forces. Under continuous mechanical stress, the loose tube permits more stable transmission characteristics.
Which is the best method for connecting two fiber? ›Splicing in the Field
This offers the best quality connection of all in-field options in that the fiber ends are lined up and welded together. No excess cable is left over when the process is complete.
Overall, loose tube fiber optic cables offer the best protection in an outdoor environment, especially in the less-sheltered applications involving aerial or direct-buried installations. The loose-tube design isolates the fibers from outside environmental and mechanical stresses.
Where are tight simplex buffer cables used? ›Generally, tight buffer cables are used indoors and loose tube/ribbon cables outdoors. These types are used mostly for patch cord and backplane applications, but zipcord can also be used for desktop connections.
What is loose tube cable? ›Loose-tube cables, the older of the two cable types, are specifically designed for harsh outdoor environments. They protect the fiber core, cladding and coating by enclosing everything within semi-rigid protective sleeves or tubes.
Why is loose tube construction preferred when cables must be pulled through ducts? ›Loose tube cables are the most widely used cables for outside plant trunks because it offers the best protection for the fibers under high pulling tensions and can be easily protected from moisture with water-blocking gel or tapes.
What is the greatest advantage of gel testing over the tube method? ›This study shows that gel card method is better than conventional spin tube method because of its simplicity, stability of results, dispensation of controls, absence of wash phase with comparable sensitivity and specificity.
In which application would you not normally use loose tube fiber? ›
Although loose-tube cables are subject to tough environmental conditions, they are not applicable when cables need to be submerged or where cables are routed around multiple bends.
What are the advantages of using a gel tube in the lab? ›GEL testing has a number of important advantages over routine TUBE testing, particularly when testing large numbers of samples. These include standardization, stability, smaller sample volume, ease of performance and analysis, and rapidity.
Does tight buffered fiber need fan out kits? ›Another perk is that there's no need for a fan-out kit for splicing or termination. The connectors can be crimped directly to each fiber.
What is the purpose of a buffer tube? ›Buffer tubes are an aluminum housing attached to the rifle's lower receiver, and they contain the AR15 buffer and the recoil spring. They also act as a mounting point for the buttstock or pistol brace. There are different types of buffer tubes available on the market, and they both function well in firearms.
What are the two types of buffer tubes? ›Mil-Spec vs.
Carbine length buffer tubes are available in two styles: Mil-Spec and Commercial spec. Mil-Spec buffer tubes are designed to a certain standard that is universal across the U.S. military. So, any buffer tube labeled "Mil-Spec" is the same.
The most commonly used connectors today are ST, SC, FC, MT-RJ, & LC connectors while Plastic FOC, Opti-Jack, LX-5, Volition, MU, and E2000 are less used options. Finally, MPO / MTP connectors are fiber connectors that have become widely used in today's data centers.
What is the fastest fiber connection? ›The fastest fiber-optic cable speed today in a business gigabit network service is 100 Gbps. With fiber cables, data is transmitted via pulses of light across thin strands of glass, enabling fiber-optic cable speed that is near the speed of light.
Which are types of fiber cable choose two answers? ›Fiber Optic Cable Types
Fiber optic cable is available in two "modes": multimode or singlemode.
There are three types of fiber optic cable: single mode, multimode and plastic optical fiber (POF).
What are the 2 types of fiber optic cable and what are their functions and how they it works? ›There are two types of fibre optic cables – multimode and single-mode. Multimode optical fibre or OFC is capable of carrying multiple light rays (modes) at the same time as it has varying optical properties at the core. Single-mode fibre has a much smaller core size (9 microns).
What are the two types of fiber optic cables used in the Marine Corps? ›
Military fiber optic cables traditionally use either OM1 MM fiber or OS2 SM fiber allowing for use in a variety of applications.
What are the three types of cables used in the data transmission? ›There are three main types of data cables: Coaxial cable, Fiber Optic cable, and Twisted Pair. If you are not an IT professional, it can be difficult to understand which type of cable needs to be used for your project.
What is the name of the tight buffered cable used for indoor applications? ›Plenum / Riser Tight-Buffered Fiber Cable for Indoor Applications. Among these different rating cables, the plenum tight-buffered distribution cable is being run through environmental airflow spaces. In vertical runs, we usually use riser tight-buffered distribution cable.
What is the diameter of tight buffer? ›Tight buffer or tight tube cable designs are typically used for ISP applications. Each fiber is coated with a buffer coating, usually with an outside diameter of 900m.
What are the two most common types of drop cable used today? ›The jacket material for general use is usually PVC or polyethylene.
What is central loose tube fiber? ›Description. Central loose tube cable contains one tube with 2 - 24 fi bers, which is fi lled with water blocking gel. Either aramid yarn or fi ber glass is wound around the tube to provide physical protection and tensile strength. The cable can be jacketed with either PE or LSZH.
Which is better OS1 or OS2? ›OS1 fiber optic cable is designed for premises where the maximum distance is 2,000 metres with transmission speeds of 1 to 10 gigabit Ethernet. OS2 fiber optic cable is designed for larger transmission distances in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 metres with similar transmission speed of 1 to 10 gigabit Ethernet.
Which method of cable line is suitable for congested areas? ›Draw in System
This method is adopted in the congested area where direct laying of cable is expensive. In this method of cable laying, a line of conduits, duct or tube made of either iron or stone / cement concrete are laid in the trenches side by side. The cable is pulled in the manholes.
Draw-in system: This method of cable laying suitable for congested areas where excavation is inconvenient. In this method a line of conduits, ducts or tubes made of either iron, glazed stoneware clay or cement concrete are laid in ground with manholes at suitable positions along the cable rotate.
What are used to protect bare fibers that are removed from the loose tube cables? ›Loose tube cables with singlemode fibers are generally terminated by spicing pigtails onto the fibers and protecting them in a splice closure. Multimode loose tube cables can be terminated directly by installing a breakout kit, also called a furcation or fan-out kit, which sleeves each fiber for protection.
What is the disadvantage of gel technology? ›
Disadvantages of gel testing include the inability to perform testing on hemolyzed, icteric, or lipemic samples because color interference can lead to false- positive results.
Which is more sensitive gel method or solid phase adherence method? ›Conclusion: Solid-phase red cell adherence assay is more precise and capable of detecting red cell adherence assay than tube method and indirect Coombs test gel technology.
What is the difference between tube method and gel method? ›The sensitivity and specificity of the spin tube method and the gel card method are comparable to each other. But the gel card method is easy to perform, rapid, reliable procedure and results can be recorded. In contrast, spin saline tube method is more time consuming, and results cannot be preserved.
What is the difference between loose tube and tight buffered? ›The difference between them is the tight buffered design makes bundle fibres easier to instal and manage. Meanwhile, the loose tube cable is designed with just a single outer jacket, but more flexible when cabling. Their construction usually consists of 900µm buffered fibre with its core protected by two-layer coating.
What is the difference between loose tube and tight buffer fiber? ›The fundamental difference between tight buffered and loose tube fibre cables is the construction of the fibre optic cable. In tight buffered cables, there isn't a gap between the fibre cores' coating and cladding layers. Whereas loose tube fibre cables have a gap, either filled with gel or are loose in the cable.
What are the advantages of gel? ›It often provides greater moisturising benefits and is better for mature or dry skin. Gel is lighter than cream which makes it easy for the skin to absorb. Gels are also good for targeting specific areas, and are often used around the delicate eye area where heavy creams can build up.
Which blood tube must be filled completely? ›Gently invert the tube 3 to 4 times immediately after collection. NOTE: Light Blue top tubes must be allowed to fill completely; the ratio of blood to anticoagulant is critical. Under filled tubes will be rejected.
What are the disadvantages of tube method in blood typing? ›Disadvantages are that the testing must be done at the time of obtaining the sample, whereas tube testing allows for storage and testing at a later date.
Do you need fan out kits for loose tube fiber? ›In order to ensure proper connections, Fan Out Kits are often needed. Fan Out Kits not only enable the termination of large fiber counts fiber cables, they also provide additional protection to them.
Which buffer is most important and why? ›The Carbonic Acid-Bicarbonate buffer system is the most important buffer for maintaining the pH homeostasis of blood. In this system, gaseous metabolic waste carbon dioxide reacts with water to form carbonic acid, which quickly dissociates into a hydrogen ion and bicarbonate (see below).
What are the 3 types of buffer systems? ›
The body's chemical buffer system consists of three individual buffers: the carbonate/carbonic acid buffer, the phosphate buffer and the buffering of plasma proteins.
Why we use buffer instead of wire? ›A buffer can translate the voltage of the source to the voltage needed by the load; It can allow a subcircuit with only low or modest current-source/sink capability to drive a load which requires more current to operate.
What are the four types of buffer? ›- (a) Acidic Buffer: It is formed by the mixture of weak acid and its salt with a strong base. ...
- (b) Basic Buffer: It is formed by the mixture of a weak base and its salt with strong acid. ...
- (c) Simple Buffer: ...
- (a) Acidic Buffer: ...
- (b) Basic Buffer:
A buffer consists of a weak acid and its conjugate base or a weak base and its conjugate acid. Buffer capacity is the amount of acid or base that can be added before the pH of a buffer changes. An example of a buffer solution is bicarbonate in blood, which maintains the body's internal pH.
What does a heavier buffer do? ›With a heavier buffer weight, the BCG encounters more resistance rearwards. The entire action becomes smoother, especially the felt recoil. But an overly heavy buffer isn't good for a rifle, either. It will prevent the AR-15 from cycling, leading to improper extraction and ejection.
Which type of fiber optic cable is best? ›- AmazonBasics Digital Optical Audio Cable. ...
- BlueRigger Digital Optical Audio Cable. ...
- KabelDirekt Optical Audio Cable. ...
- iVANKY Optical Audio Cable. ...
- Syncwire Fiber Optic Audio Cord. ...
- FosPower Digital Optical Audio Cable. ...
- CableCreation Digital Fiber Optical Cable.
Another perk is that there's no need for a fan-out kit for splicing or termination. The connectors can be crimped directly to each fiber.
What are the 3 types of fiber optic cable? ›There are three types of fiber optic cable: single mode, multimode and plastic optical fiber (POF).
What kind of fiber cable does AT&T use? ›If you see the 300, 500 or gigabit speed tiers offered at your address, you can access AT&T's fiber internet service, which uses 100% fiber technology.
What are the 2 types of fiber optic cable? ›There are two types of fibre optic cables – multimode and single-mode. Multimode optical fibre or OFC is capable of carrying multiple light rays (modes) at the same time as it has varying optical properties at the core. Single-mode fibre has a much smaller core size (9 microns).
Can you Ribbonize loose tube fiber? ›
For ribbonizing loose tube fibers, Prysmian recommends the use of either the AFL, Sumitomo, or USCONEC fiber arrangement tools. The kits are compatible with major commercially available mass fusion splicers. Always follow the tool kit manufacture procedures and practices when ribbonizing fiber.
How much buffer tube and fiber slack should be provided? ›What is the minimum amount of slack that must be provided for splicing fiber-optic cable in underground installations? 15 meters on both the inbound and outbound span.
How many types of buffer jackets are used in fiber buffering? ›There are three types of buffer jackets used in fiber buffering. They are tight buffer jackets, loose tube buffer jackets and filled loose tube buffer jacket.
Can you transmit power over fiber? ›Advantages of Power over Fiber
Non-conducting fiber cables (based on glass fibers or plastics) can be installed where high electric voltages occur. For example, a fiber can transmit power for a current transducer in a high-voltage transmission line.