Why use multimode fiber

This is due to the difference in core diameters between fiber types, as well as light wavelengths used for transmission. Both single mode and multimode fibers provide excellent solutions for durable, high bandwidth installations. Being aware of the differences between the two types of fiber will allow you to select the fiber most appropriate for your installation and data requirements.

Download your printable copy of this guide to Single Mode vs Multimode fiber, including all the charts and diagrams! Donovan, James. Gannon, Mary. Kartalopoulos, Stamatios V. Rosenberg, Paul. Skip to content Single Mode vs. Multimode Fiber Optic Cables. Access Now. Single Mode vs. While it's not impossible to get the two types to interact with the right transceivers and intermediate hardware , there's significant signal loss involved in the transition and, therefore, much higher power requirements to re-boost it.

It's best to simply lay the kind of fiber that best meets your needs. Today, we'll take a look at Multimode fiber optic cable, and the uses it's put to. Tomorrow, we'll examine Single-Mode in more depth. While Single-Mode uses a very thin core, which isolates the laser to a single beam, Multi-Mode allows it to reflect back and forth within the core.

Several beams can be sent at once. This allows Multi-Mode to handle far higher data rates than Single-Mode, because the larger core simply allows more light to pass through at once.

More light means more data. The downside is that because the light is consistently bouncing around inside the core, there are constant interference issues. Multi-Mode fiber has much shorter effective transmission distance before signal degradation starts corrupting the data being sent.

RF broadband signals, such as what cable companies commonly use, cannot be transmitted over multimode fiber. Due to its large core, some of the light rays that make up the digital pulse may travel a direct route, whereas others zigzag as they bounce off the cladding. These alternate paths cause the different groups of light rays, referred to as modes, to arrive separately at the receiving point. The pulse, an aggregate of different modes, begins to spread out, losing its well-defined shape.

The need to leave spacing between pulses to prevent overlapping limits the amount of information that can be sent. This type of fiber is best suited for transmission over short distances. Remember that OM5 I mentioned - well here is why it came to be.

OM5 multiplexes , , , and nm to achieve the needed 40 Gig. Isn't it getting interesting? So now the real question, what about Single mode? We know that as a technology nothing is better than Single mode fiber, this is a given, but what about the huge price differences in equipment costs?

As I stated earlier, the delta between Multimode and Single mode equipment was as high as 10 times more for the Single mode but this was the past. Over the last several decades we have seen a dramatic decrease in the price of Single mode LASERs and with that, a large cost savings in the related equipment. So is an all Single mode installation something we should consider?

In my opinion, it isn't something we should just consider, it is something we should encourage. An important fact regarding fiber pricing is that Single mode fiber is always less expensive.

How can Single mode fiber today be a more expensive installation? When considering 40 and Gig applications OM3 and OM4 require 8 and 20 fiber minimums for multi lane transmission - the optical fiber price savings compared to Single mode is staggering. One of the more important facts I have mentioned in this article was the cost of installation and life span future proofing of your fiber.