Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd. now offers ultra-high-fiber-count ribbon cables for data center networks. The new fiber cables come in counts of 1152, 1728, and 3456 fibers.
The company says the slotted configuration of the ribbon cables simplifies handling and speeds fiber identification. Sumitomo Electric offers the cables in two types: with a steel strength member or an all-dielectric strength member in the center of the cable.
The 3456-fiber cable features an outer diameter of 34 mm and supports direction-free bending. Combined, the two features enable the cable to be installed in a 2-inch duct space. The pliable ribbon technology enables a 12-fiber ribbon to conform to small diameters and to be spliced with a conventional 12-fiber mass fusion splicer.
The cables use a dry water-blocking tape that requires no cable flooding gels, thereby eliminating the cleaning and blocking preparation of standard gel-filled cables, the company notes. The use of a completely dry cable accelerates installation, termination, and splicing, which Sumitomo Electric says saves time and costs.
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