Fiber Optic Cables

During the past years a new technology has become increasingly accepted in the field of communication transmission via cables. In contrast to copper cable technology, here signals are transmitted optically with the aid of optical waveguides - also called optical fibres. This development was supported by the availability of suitable semiconductor components such as lasers, light emitting diodes and photodiodes. At the same time, digital transmission systems already in operation were upgraded to meet the demands of optical fibre technology. This book is intended to make the topic of optical cable technology and plant design understandable to a wider circle of readers. In order to achieve this, physical and chemical contexts are discussed, but without attempting to provide scientific precision of detail. The second edition contains major revisions to include details of important new developments in the field of fibre optics. All chapters concerning cable plants were rewritten to discuss public (ISDN and FITL) and private (LAN) network configurations in greater detail.
Following chapters on the fundamental principles, the design, the manufacture and the measurement methods of optical fibres, the subject of fibreoptic cable technology and plant design is described in depth. This is followed by chapters on fibre optic components, transmitters and receivers as well as networks and transmission systems. This publication is directed towards all who deal with the design, construction and maintenance of optical cable plants. Furthermore, it provides basic information in a field dominated by highly technical literature. In order to make the study of specialized publications easier, it contains a detailed glossary of specialized terms.