The Fiber Optic Association - Tech Topics

 

Specifications For Fiber Optic Networks

Per current standards and specs as of November, 2008

 

Maximum supportable distances and attenuation for optical fiber applications by fiber type

Multimode

Single-mode

62.5/125 μm

50/125 μm

850 nm laser-optimized
50/125 μm

TIA 492CAAA

(OS1)

TIA 492AAAA (OM1)

TIA 492AAAB (OM2)

TIA 492AAAC
(OM3)

TIA 492CAAB (OS2)

Parameter

Application

Nominal wavelength (nm)

850

1300

850

1300

850

1300

1310

1550

Ethernet

10/100BASE-SX

Channel attenuation (dB)

4.0

-

4.0

-

4.0

-

-

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

300
(984)

-

300
(984)

-

300
(984)

-

-

-

Ethernet

100BASE-FX

Channel attenuation (dB)

-

11.0

-

6.0

-

6.0

-

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

-

2000
(6560)

-

2000
(6560)

-

2000
(6560)

-

-

Ethernet

1000BASE-SX

Channel attenuation (dB)

2.6

-

3.6

-

4.5

-

-

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

275
(900)

-

550
(1804)

-

800
(2625)

-

-

-

Ethernet

1000BASE-LX

Channel attenuation (dB)

-

2.3

-

2.3

-

2.3

4.5

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

-

550
(1804)

-

550
(1804)

-

550
(1804)

5000
(16405)

-

Ethernet

10GBASE-S

Channel attenuation (dB)

2.4

-

2.3

-

2.6

-

-

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

33
(108)

-

82
(269)

-

300
(984)

-

-

-

Ethernet

10GBASE-LX4

Channel attenuation (dB)

-

2.5

-

2.0

-

2.0

6.3

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

-

300
(984)

-

300
(984)

-

300
(984)

10000
(32810)

-

Ethernet

10GBASE-L

Channel attenuation (dB)

-

-

-

-

-

-

6.2

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

-

-

-

-

-

-

10000
(32810)

-

Ethernet

10GBASE-LRM

Channel attenuation (dB)

-

1.9

-

1.9

-

1.9

-

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

-

220
(720)

-

220
(720)

-

220
(720)

-

-

Ethernet

10GBASE-E

Channel attenuation (dB)

11.0

Supportable distance m (ft)

40000

(131240)

Fibre Channel

100-MX-SN-I (1062 Mbaud)

Channel attenuation (dB)

3.0

-

3.9

-

4.6

-

-

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

300
(984)

-

500
(1640)

-

860
(2822)

-

-

-

Fibre Channel

100-SM-LC-L (1062 Mbaud)

Channel attenuation (dB)

-

-

-

-

-

-

7.8

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

-

-

-

-

-

-

10000
(32810)

-

Fibre Channel

200-MX-SN-I (2125 Mbaud)

Channel attenuation (dB)

2.1

-

2.6

-

3.3

-

-

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

150
(492)

-

300
(984)

-

500
(1640)

-

-

-

Fibre Channel

200-SM-LC-L (2125 Mbaud)

Channel attenuation (dB)

-

-

-

-

-

-

7.8

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

-

-

-

-

-

-

10000
(32810)

-

Fibre Channel

400-MX-SN-I (4250 Mbaud)

Channel attenuation (dB)

1.8

-

2.1

-

2.5

-

-

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

70
(230)

-

150
(492)

-

270
(886)

-

-

-

Fibre Channel

400-SM-LC-L (4250 Mbaud)

Channel attenuation (dB)

-

-

-

-

-

-

7.8

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

-

-

-

-

-

-

10000
(32810)

-

Fibre Channel

1200-MX-SN-I (10512 Mbaud)

Channel attenuation (dB)

2.4

-

2.2

2.6

-

-

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

33
(108)

-

82
(269)

-

300
(984)

-

-

-

Fibre Channel

1200-SM-LL-L (10512 Mbaud)

Channel attenuation (dB)

-

-

-

-

-

-

6.0

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

-

-

-

-

-

-

10000
(32810)

-

FDDI PMD

ANSI X3.166

Channel attenuation (dB)

-

11.0

-

6.0

-

6.0

-

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

-

2000
(6560)

-

2000
(6560)

-

2000
(6560)

-

-

FDDI
SMF-PMD

ANSI X3.184

Channel attenuation (dB)

-

-

-

-

-

10.0

-

Supportable distance m (ft)

-

-

-

-

-

-

10000
(32810)

-

 

- means Not Applicable

 

Specifications For Legacy Fiber Optic Networks

Here is a listing of many fiber optic LANs and links available in the last 20 years, with basic operational specs.

 Application Wavelength
 Max distance (m)
for fiber type
Link Margin (dB)
for fiber type
 62.5/125 50/125 SM  62.5 50 SM
 10Base-F  850  2000 2000 NS 12.5 7.8 NS
 FOIRL 850 2000 NS NS 8 NS NS
T oken Ring 4/16  850 2000 2000 NS 13 8.3 NS
 Demand Priority
(100VG-AnyLAN)
 850 500  500 NS 7.5 2.8 NS
 Demand Priority
(100VG-AnyLAN)
 1300 2000 2000 NS 7.0 2.3  NS
 100Base-FX
(Fast Ethernet)
 1300  2000 2000 NS 11 6.3  NS
 10/100Base-SX 850  300 300 NS 4.0 4.0  NS
 FDDI  1300  2000 2000 40,000 11.0 6.3 10-32
 FDDI (low cost)  1300  500 500 NA 7.0 2.3 NA
 ATM 52  1300 3000 3000 15,000  10 5.3 7-12
 ATM 155  1300 2000 2000 15,000 10 5.3 7-12
 ATM 155  850(laser) 1000 1000 NA 7.2 7.2 NA
 ATM 622  1300 500 500 15,000 6.0 1.3 7-12
 ATM 622  850(laser)  300 300 NA 4.0 4.0 NA
 Fibre Channel 266  1300  1500 1500 10,000 6.0 5.5 6-14
 Fibre Channel 266  850(laser) 700 2000 NA 12.0 12.0 NA
 Fibre Channel 1062  850(laser) 300 500 NA 4.0 4.0 NA
 Fibre Channel 1062  1300 NA NA 10,000 NA NA 6-14
 1000Base-SX  850(laser)  220 550 NA 3.2 3.9 NA
 1000Base-LX  1300 550 550 5000 4.0 3.5 4.7
 ESCON 1300 3000  NS 20,000 11  NS 16

NA = Not Applicable

NS = Not Specified. Most LANs and links not specified to run on SM fiber have media converters available to allow them to run on SM fiber.

 

 

Proposed 40 and 100 gigabit Ethernet Standards
These are only proposals at this time (11/2008) so the final version may differ significantly

NetworkCabling TypeWavelengthDistance Goal
40GBASE-LR4SM G.652/0211310 nm10 km
40GBASE-SR4MM OM3850 nm100 m
40GBASE-CR4CopperNA10 m
40G BackplaneNot SpecifiedNA1 m
100GBASE-ER4SM G.652/0211310 nm40 km
100GBASE-LR4SM G.652/0211310 nm10 km
100GBASE-SR10MM OM3850 nm100 m
100GBASE-CR10CopperNA10 m

Higher performance multimode fiber called OM3+ or OM4 with 850 nm bandwidth of 3500-4000 MHz-km is being investigated for 40G and 100G networks.

 

 

(C) 2004-8 The Fiber Optic Association, Inc.

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