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QUICKSTART GUIDE
MULTILINK ETHERNET COMMUNICATIONS SWITCH – QUICKSTART GUIDE 25
micrometer fiber is 8 microns in diameter (almost an eighth of that of the Multi-Mode fiber)
surrounded by a second outer clad. This clad can pass a light signal, so for this reason the
fiber is referred to as 9 by 125 micrometer fiber.
FIGURE 13: Differences between Multi-Mode and Single-Mode Cable
7.2.2 Single mode fiber - Less attenuation per unit distance
The difference between multi-mode and single mode cable can be best described as
follows:
With multi-mode fiber the index of refraction at the surface between the core and the
cladding is such that there is total internal reflection of the light being transmitted down
the core. Picture this by imagining that the clad is a tube whose interior surface is polished
so smooth, it is like a mirror. Light shinning at one end of the tube will either travel straight
down the tube or will travel down the tube by reflecting of the inner mirrored surface.
Single mode fiber can be described as an elongated lens that is continuously focusing the
light into the centre of the fiber. Using these two analogies it can be imagined that in the
single mode fiber more light travels through far less fiber medium resulting in far less
attenuation per unit distance than it does in multi-mode fiber. As a result, for a given
wavelength of light, single mode fiber typically has less attenuation per unit distance than
multi-mode fiber.