Which cable can suffer attenuation if it is bent beyond the minimum bend radius?
A.
UTP
B.
STP
C.
Co-axial
D.
Fiber optic
Explanation:
Fiber-optic cables can suffer attenuation if they are bent beyond the minimum bend radius. Fiber-optic cables
work on the principle of total internal reflection. The fiber optic cable uses a laser and glass tubes with refractive
internal coating to achieve total internal reflection. If a light ray travelling in the tube is bent at a certain angle,
the light ray will be reflected inside the medium instead of passing through the medium. If the fiber optic cables
are bent beyond the minimum bend radius, the signal will be lost and the cable will suffer attenuation. Fiber
cables are expensive and are typically used for outdoor campus backbone. However, as the fiber cables use
light to carry signals, they are not affected by the electro-magnetic interference (EMI) generated by electric
cables.
Another advantage of fiber optic cabling is its applicability to situations where electrical issues may exist in the
environment. Even in situations where the length of the cable run is well within the attenuation limits of STP (for
example 55 meters), voltage differences between buildings can cause issues. That is a problem that can be
solved by using fiber on the run, which is not impacted by electrical issue.All other cables typically use copper to carry low voltage signals and are not affected by normal bending.
However, even copper cables may suffer some signal loss if there are bends in the cable.
Objective:
Network Fundamentals
Sub-Objective:
Select the appropriate cabling type based on implementation requirementsCisco > Articles > Network Technology > General Networking > Fiber-Optic Technologies