·
A technology that uses glass (or plastic)
threads (fibres) to transmit data.
·
A fibre optic cable consists of a bundle of
glass threads, each of which is capable of transmitting messages modulated onto
light waves.
The
optical fibre consists of three layers:
·
Core
·
Cladding
·
Buffer Coating
· Core is used to send the
light signals.
· Cladding is used to improve the
critical angle.
· Buffer coating is used to protect
the core and cladding from the environment.
Advantages
·
Fibre optic cables have a much greater
bandwidth than metal cables. This means that they can carry more data.
·
Fibre optic cables are less susceptible than
metal cables to interference.
·
Fibre optic cables are much thinner and lighter
than metal wires.
·
Data can be transmitted digitally (the
natural form for computer data) rather than analogically.
