| Cable |
One
or more optical fibers enclosed, with strength members,
in a protective covering. |
| Cable
assembly |
A cable
that is connector terminated and ready for installation. |
| C-Band |
The
wavelength range between 1530 nm and 1562 nm used
in some CWDM and DWDM applications |
| Channel
Capacity |
Maximum
number of channels that a cable system can carry
simultaneously. |
| Chromatic
Dispersion |
Different
wavelengths travel along an optical medium at different
speeds. Wavelengths reach the end of the medium
at different times, causing the light pulse to spread.
This chromatic dispersion is expressed in picoseconds
(of dispersion) per kilometer (of length) per nanometer
(of source bandwidth). It is the sum of material
and waveguide dispersion. |
Cladding
|
The
layer of material, usually glass, that immediately
surrounds the fiber core. The cladding is usually
coated with another material to provide protection
when handling. |
| Cladding
Mode |
A mode
confined to the cladding; a light ray that propagates
in the cladding |
| Cleave |
The
process of cutting an optical fiber by a controlled
fracture of the glass, for the purpose of obtaining
a fiber end, which is flat, smooth, and perpendicular
to the fiber axis. Coating A material applied to
the cladding for protective purposes. |
| Coarse
Wavelength-division Multiplexing (CWDM) |
CWDM
allows eight or fewer channels to be stacked in
the 1550 nm region of optical fiber, the C-Band. |
| Concentricity |
In
a wire or cable, the measurement of the location
of the center of the conductor with respect to the
geometric center of the circular insulation. |
| Connector |
A mechanical
or optical device that provides a demountable connection
between two fibers or a fiber and a source or detector. |
| Connector
Receptacle |
The
fixed or stationary half of a connection that is
mounted on a panel/bulkhead. Receptacles mate with
plugs. |
| Core |
The
central part of the glass construction through which
light is transmitted. |
| Cut-off
Wavelength |
The
wavelength at which a singlemode fiber transmits
a single mode of light. |
