A ruggedized fiber optic cable offering superior coupled power and bandwidth capabilities

A tactical fiber optic cable utilizing an 85 micron core/125 micron cladding/0.26 numerical aperture fiber was designed, manufactured, and tested. The 85/125/0.26 fiber was selected because of its high bandwidth capability and low cost for the power benefits gained. This cable design used a composite buffer for superior environmental performance, and an epoxy fiberglass reinforced double polyurethane jacket to obtain the mechanical performance required. Rigorous environmental and mechanical testing (in accordance with the applicable DOD or EIA standards) was conducted. Testing included attenuation performance over temperature, tensile strength, cyclic flex, twist bend, radial compression, impact, cold bend, freezing water immersion, and flammability. This cable design exhibited outstanding performance in both environmental and mechanical testing, with less than a 0.3 dB increase over the entire temperature range and no measurable increase in attenuation from mechanical testing. Storage temperatures of -70 C to +85 C and operating temperatures of -55 C to +85 C were achieved.