Indoor/Outdoor Cable

50-µm multimode fiber cable

LaserCore is a 50-µm optical-fiber cable designed for 10-Gbit Ethernet applications. The manufacturer says it can be used across essentially all communication infrastructures, including LANs, SANs, MANs, and WANs. The cable is 802.3ae-compliant for 10-gigabit transmission to 300 meters, and does not require mode-conditioning patch cords to handle a laser launch into a multimode fiber. It is available in pair counts of 2 to 288, and comes in outside-plant, indoor/outdoor, and premises cable designs.
COMMSCOPE
www.commscope.com

All-weather and 10-Gbit fiber cable

The All-Weather SuperCAT 360 cable from Draka Comteq is a Category 5e-rated four-pair cable available in unshielded or shielded twisted-pair constructions. Meeting TIA/EIA-568B.2 as well as MIL-C-24640A water-penetration specifications, the cable can withstand temperatures between –70°C and +70°C, the manufacturer says. Standard jacketing is an abrasion-resistant black polyethylene, and an armored version is also available. The cable is designed to perform in harsh industrial environments, which can range from solvents, water, and oil, to radio-frequency interference.
Draka Comteq's MaxCap is a 50-µm multimode fiber cable for high-speed LAN and SAN backbone applications. MaxCap is available in tight-buffer and loose-tube constructions, and can be installed in both indoor and outdoor environments. The cable is optimized for an 850-nm VCSEL source. The manufacturer says it is a cost-effective solution to replacing expensive hardware because it supports backward compatibility to legacy systems, in addition to supporting 10-Gbit/sec speeds over 300 meters.
DRAKA COMTEQ
www.drakacomteq.com

Laser-optimized cable series

The FiberExpress 2000 series of optical-fiber cables are made with laser-optimized 50-µm multimode fiber, and can be installed in lengths of up to 300 meters for 10-Gbit Ethernet applications using VCSELs at 850 nm. Compliant with both TIA/EIA and ISO/IEC specifications, the cables are available in several configurations.
NORDX/CDT
www.nordx.com

Conventional, blown-fiber media

Sumitomo's FutureFLEX indoor/outdoor cabling offering is a blown-fiber solution, featuring a system through which the same fiber bundle can be blown through a variety of empty outside-plant, plenum, and riser-rated tube cables. This type of distribution allows for a splice-free, point-to-point installation. The system uses various tube cables, with up to 19 tubes per cable, and fiber bundles in 2-, 6-, 12-, or 18-fiber arrangements per tube, for a capacity of 342 fibers. The FutureFLEX system meets TIA, ICEA, UL, CUL, and IEEE standards.

Also available from Sumitomo is DriCore, a conventional media indoor/outdoor offering. Designed for both indoor and outdoor areas, DriCore meets the NEC-required Type OFNR riser rating, and eliminates the need for a separate point of demarcation within 50 feet of where the outdoor cable enters the building. Dry water-blocking elements are used in place of flooding compounds. DriCore cables are all-dielectric, have an ROL tube stranding design for midspan access, and are available in counts up to 144 fibers. The cables meet TIA/EIA, Telcordia, RUS, ICEA, and IEC requirements, as well as OFNR UL 1666, CSA Ft4, tray-rated OFN IEEE-383, and UL 1581.
SUMITOMO ELECTRIC LIGHTWAVE
www.futureflex.com, www.sumitomoelectric.com

25-year-warranted cable

The AMP Netconnect line of optical-fiber cables are backed by the manufacturer's standard 25-year warranty. The indoor/outdoor cables are available in 4- to 144-fiber counts. Cables with 4 to 12 fibers include gel-filled buffer tubes for water-penetration protection; cables with more than 12 fibers include the gel-filled tubes and water-swellable yarns. All of the manufacturer's indoor/outdoor cables include flame-retardant UV-protected jackets, and are UL and cUL listed OFNR. The products are designed and tested in accordance with TIA/EIA-568B, Telcordia GR-409-CORE, GR-20-CORE, IEC 793-1/794-1, and ISO/IEC 11801:2000.
TYCO ELECTRONICS/AMP NETCONNECT
www.ampnetconnect.com

Tight-buffered distribution cable

The indoor/outdoor cable from The Light Connection (TLC) is a tight-buffered distribution cable that is available in a number of jacket compound and color options. Jacket compounds include PVC, PE, and low-smoke/zero-halogen. The cables are available with any of Corning's optical fiber types. TLC's indoor/outdoor cable uses water-blocking technology and durable outer jackets to stand up to most outdoor applications, the manufacturer says.
THE LIGHT CONNECTION
www.thelightconnection.com