November 3, 2004 Leominster, MA -- Fiber-optic and copper cable products manufacturer Mohawk has unveiled a versatile indoor and outdoor plenum cable, VersaLite, that targets campus environments. As part of Mohawk's Mini-Distribution product line, VersaLite was originally developed to provide data center-type installations with a compact, flame retardant cable that meets stringent OFNP (plenum)-rated requirements. By combining unique cable properties with rugged jacketing materials, VersaLite is now ideal for outdoor installations.
"Traditionally, non-rated loose tube, gel-filled cables have been specified for outside plant, which are spliced to a termination point within fifty feet inside the building to meet NEC requirements," explains Mike Connaughton, RCDD, fiber-optic sales manager, Mohawk "From there, tight buffered cables have been installed for runs within the facility."
According to Connaughton, VersaLite employs a 'dry' water blocking system that includes an absorbent polymer filling throughout the length of the inner tubes to halt any moisture migration. Its added UV-resistant jacketing prevents additional sunlight degradation needed for diverse outdoor environments. "Because of its plenum flame rating, this cable can also be installed indoors, eliminating transition points between buildings and closets, which dramatically saves on installation time and money," notes Connaughton. "In addition, dry blocking, loose tube cables are easier and cleaner to handle during installation versus previous gel-filled cables."
Fiber-optic cable splicing affects link attenuation, which contributes to overall optical power loss. With the increasing demands of high-speed, high-bandwidth 10-Gigabit backbones, it becomes even more vital to minimize insertion loss. "By installing VersaLite cable, splice point insertion loss is eliminated and can result in 1.5 dB of improved attenuation per cable run, which is 20% of the total power budget for Gigabit Ethernet applications," adds Connaughton.