What is the difference between Multi-mode and Single-mode?
Multi-mode Fibre cable is available with two different ‘core’ sizes, which are 50 micron or 62.5 micron and they both have the same cladding size, so they are typically shown as ’50/125u’ and ‘62.5/125u’. These types of cables were originally produced for deployments over short distances, such as within premises or small campus environments, being used by LED based devices. So predominantly used for much lower speeds, with the distance achievable, degrading as the speed rises. This is due to way light is transmitted from the LED source into the Fibre core, in a kind of ‘scatter gun’ style. Single mode cable has a similar physical attribute but with the core size being 9microns, so typically shown as ‘9/125u’. This type of cable would be used by Laser enabled devices which provide a more ‘coherent’ light source to fire into the core, such as a rifle would do.
