What is the difference between OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, OM5?

SHENZHEN, China - Aug. 21, 2019 - PRLog -- "OM" is abbreviated for optical multimode, and it is specified by the ISO/IEC 11801 international standard. Currently, TIA and IEC defined fiber patch cord standards are OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, and OM5.

What are single-mode and multi-mode? There are two different kinds of optical fiber cables, single-mode(OS) and multimode(OM). Single-Mode Fiber is an optical fiber that allows only one mode of transmission. The core diameter is about 8 to 9μm and the outer diameter is about 125μm. Multimode Optical Fiber allows different modes of light to be transmitted over a single fiber with a core diameter of 50μm and 62.5μm. Generally, single-mode fiber supports longer transmission distances than multi-mode fiber. In 100Mbps Ethernet to 1G Gigabit, single-mode fiber can support transmission distances over 5000m. Multimode fiber is only suitable for a medium and short distance and small capacity fiber optic communication systems. Multi-mode is cost-effective for installations where the lengths don't exceed a few hundred meters.

What is the difference between OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, OM5?
In general, OM1 is conventional 62.5/125μm; OM2 is conventional 50/125μm; OM3 is 850nm laser-optimized 50μm core multimode fiber, and in 10Gb/s Ethernet with 850nm VCSEL, the fiber transmission distance can reach 300m; OM4 is an upgraded version of OM3. OM4 multimode fiber optimizes the differential mode delay (DMD) generated by OM3 multimode fiber during high-speed transmission. Therefore, the transmission distance is greatly improved, and the fiber transmission distance can reach 550m; OM5 is a new standard for fiber patch cords defined by TIA and IEC with a fiber diameter of 50/125μm. Compared to OM3 and OM4 fiber patch cords, OM5 fiber patch cords can be used for higher bandwidth applications. The bandwidth and maximum distance are different for different levels of transmission.

What is OM5 fiber?
OM5, previously known as wideband multimode fiber or WBMMF. Known as Wideband Multimode Fiber Patch Cable (WBMMF), OM5 fiber is a laser-optimized multimode fiber (MMF) designed to specify bandwidth characteristics for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). The new fiber classification method is designed to support a variety of "short" wavelengths between 850 nm and 950 nm, which are suitable for high bandwidth applications after polymerization. The OM3 and OM4 are designed primarily to support a single wavelength of 850 nm.

HYC offers various kinds of fiber optic patch cords, including OS, OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4 OM5 fibers. HYC also provides fiber optic cables adapted to customers' specific requirements. http://www.hyc-system.com