Fiber Optic Loose Tube Vs Tight Buffered

Loose tube fiber optic cable is typically used for outside plant installation in aerial duct and direct buried applications.

Fiber optic loose tube vs tight buffered.

In loose tube cables a high level of isolation from water penetration and extreme temperatures are possible while tight buffered cables being more robust than loose tube cables are better suited for lan or wan connections long indoor runs and direct burial. Tight buffered and loose tube fiber are the two styles of constructions fiber optic cables offered. The acrylate coating keeps moisture away from the cable as the gel filled sleeves do for loose tube cables. Both contain a type of strengthening member such as aramid yarn stainless steel wire strands or gel filled sleeves.

Loose tube fibers are designed for harsh environmental conditions in the outdoors. Loose tube and tight buffered. The other is waterproof acrylate. Instead of a gel layer or sleeve to protect the fiber core tight buffered cables use a two layer coating.

However in tight buffered cables there are not so many cables as loose tube fibers. In loose tube cables the coated fiber floats within a rugged abrasion resistant oversized tube which is filled with optical gel. Between them there are several common denominators like the fact that both have in their interior a strengthening member of sorts that can be made of stainless steel in the form of wire strands aramid yarn or gel filled sleeves. Loose tube fiber contains multiple strands of fiber in a single jacket.

Fiber optic cables are constructed in two ways. Tight buffer fiber contains a thick coating of a plastic type material which is applied directly to the outside of each individual fiber. Each however is designed for very different environments. Tight buffer or tight tube cable designs are typically used for isp applications.