Bend Radius—How It Can Impact Your Cable Performance?
Moreover, if you want to keep the cables as organized as possible to allow for easier servicing of the rack equipment in the future and also want to keep things organized to save space and maintain good airflow within the racks. It’s important to know the bend radius of the cables you are purchasing and using.
What is Fiber Optic Cable Bend Radius?
What is bend radius? The bend radius is defined as the minimum radius a cable can be bent without damaging it or degrading its performance. If a cable is bent beyond its bend radius, it will kink it, damage it, shorten its life, or increase crosstalk or interference.
During installation, cables are bent or flexed to accommodate various environmental conditions such as obstacles and elevation or directional changes. Minimum bend radius refers to the smallest radius the cable may be bent without getting damaged. Minimum cable bend radius guidelines vary per cable type and industry standards.
How Fragile are Fiber Optic Cables
When you deploy the fiber optic cable, it is inevitable to flex, pull and bend it due to the practical conditions. However, it is the bend radius that determines how much you can bend a cable. It represents as the safe value that can prevent your cable from damaging or degrading its performance. If a cable is bent beyond its allowed radius, it will generate crosstalk or interference in data transmission, or even shorten its life. That’s why it’s important to know the bend radius of the cables, especially the minimum bend radius,which is the smallest allowed radius the cable can be bent around without signal loss or impairment.
How Much can Fiber Optic Cable Bend
The bend radius may differ from cables. The fact is the smaller the minimum bend radius, the more flexible the cable. Here list some factors that may affect this radius of cable. Here are some factors which impact bend radius of cable:
- The Cable Size
- Outer Jacket Thickness
- Core Diameter
- Material Ductility
What is the Minimum Bend Radius for Fiber Optic Cable
The minimum bend radius (R) is typically determined by the outer diameter (d) of the cable times a multiplier (see diagram to the right). So how to calculate the minimum bend radius for fiber cabling? Below are the bend radiuses of some typical data center cables:
- Category 5, 5e, and 6 cables: Eight times the cable diameter
- Fiber patch cord: Ten to fifteen times the cable diameter
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- 24AWG: 1.5 inches (38 mm)
- 26AWG: 1.3 inches (33 mm)
- 28AWG: 1.0 inch (25 mm)
- 30AWG: 0.9 inch (23 mm)
Moreover, bend radius can typically be calculated with this formula:
(Minimum bend radius = cable outer diameter x cable multiplier)
What are my Options for Fiber Optic Cable Protection
- Strain relief bushings: Fiber strain relief glands protect against damage caused by rough-edged holes
- Corner fiber guides: Help with reeling your cable and maintaining a bending radius through a 90°turn
- Fiber optic connector boots: Strain relief for micron fibers while also providing protection during routing through holes
- Fiber bend limiting tubing: Protects cables from crushing, kinking and micro bending – also a self-managing solution to routing
- Fiber splice protectors: Maintain your cable’s strength and environmental stability
- Wire saddles: Secure your fiber optic cables while protecting them from damage
Conclusion
To sum up, the bend radius of cables is paramount for fiber patch cable installations. Factors which influence the minimum radius of fiber optic cable include the outer jacket thickness, material ductility and core diameter. To protect the integrity and performance of cable, we shall not bend the cable beyond its allowed radius what you want to make sure the cables are not bent too much so that you optimize the lifespan and performance of the cables. Lastly, do not hesitate to contact us if you need advice in choosing the right cables for your projects.