Fiber Optic

Optical fiber consists of thin glass fibers that can carry information at frequencies in the visible light spectrum and beyond. The typical optical fiber consists of a very narrow strand of glass called the core. Around the core is a concentric layer of glass called the cladding. A typical core diameter is 62.5 microns (1 micron=10^-6 meters). Typically Cladding has a diameter of microns. Coating the cladding is a protective coating consisting of plastic, it is called the Jacket.

An important characteristic of fiber optics is refraction. Refraction is the characteristic of a material to either pass or reflect light. When light passes through a medium, it "bends" as it passes from one medium to the other.

If the angle of incidence is small, the light rays are reflected and do not pass into the water. If the angle of incident is great, light passes through the media but is bent or refracted.
Optical fibers work on the principle that the core refracts the light and the cladding reflects the light. The core refracts the light and guides the light along its path. The cladding reflects any light back into the core and stops light from escaping through it-it bounds the medium.

1. Advantages of Fiber Optic Line (Glass Fibers):
   • Smaller
   • Lighter
   • Faster (speed of light)
   • No interference.
2. Disadvantages of Fiber Optic Line (Glass Fibers)
• Expensive
• Harder to install and modify