Jacket Material
Most indoor fiber optic cables use a low-cost, fire resistant polyvinylchloride (PVC) jacket. Some installations (e.g. confined spaces, but not risers or plenum) may opt for the more expensive Low Smoke Zero Halogen (LSZH) jacket, which is made of thermoplastic or thermoset compounds and offers superior flame retardant and produces little smoke or toxic fumes when burned.
Polyethylene (PE) is preferred for outdoor applications due to its resistant to moisture and sunlight (UV rays), abrasion resistance and flexibility over a wide range of temperatures.
Jacket Color
Colored jackets and connectors are used to identify the mode and OM rating of indoor and military cables, making it easy to identify at a glance the capabilities of a cable and ensuring that installers use the correct cable type for each connection. Outdoor cable jackets are typically black so they can resist damage from the sun, precluding the use of any color coding.
Mode | Cable Type | Jacket Color | Connector Color |
---|---|---|---|
Multimode | OM1 | Orange | Beige |
OM2 | Orange | Beige | |
OM3 | Aqua | Beige | |
OM4 | Aqua | Light Green | |
OM5 | Lime Green | Light Blue | |
Singlemode | OS1/OS2 (PC/UPC) | Yellow | Blue |
OS1/OS2 (APC) | Yellow | Green |