Superior Essex recently introduced PowerWise Fiber, which the company described as “a premises optical fiber cable coupled with copper conductors to support Power over Ethernet applications, including those with distances that exceed the standard 100 meters provided by category cables.” It cited several smart-building applications—including Nest, intelligent LED lighting and security systems—as appropriate uses for PowerWise Fiber’s ability to support device power as well as control through a single cabling system. “With the launch of this cable, Superior Essex now offers a complete Power over Ethernet cabling solution, with PowerWise Cat 5e+ 4-pair PoE cable powering and controlling devices at distances of up to 100 meters, and PowerWise Fiber cable supporting additional power and data transmission over greater lengths throughout an environment,” the company added.
The PowerWise Fiber cable comprises two, 2-mm bend-resistant G.657.B3 singlemode fiber simplex interconnect cables and two stranded 16-AWG copper conductors. Superior Essex explained, “The use of G.657.B3 fiber allows the cable to be installed in environments where the pathway may require a number of 90-degree turns, yet the attenuation loss will be the lowest of any other typical singlemode fiber type. The two simplex interconnect cables allow direct and secure connection to LC or SC type mechanical connectors. The core is surrounded by strength yarns that provide the cable with the tensile strength to meet the distribution requirements of ANSI/ICEA S-83-596. The cable is UL Listed CL3R-OF, CMR-OF and FPLR-OF.”
Dr. Paul Neveux, director of global product management for premises fiber products at Superior Essex, added, “Our customers required a small, flexible and durable cable for applications that exceeded the 100-meter reach limitation of Power over Ethernet and twisted-pair category cables. We designed this composite power and fiber cable especially for security camera applications where the reach often exceeds 100 meters. In addition, using G.657.B3 singlemode fiber assures that the signal will not be attenuated even with bend radii as small as 5 mm.”