Can single-mode/multi-mode fibers be mixed with single-mode/multi-mode optical modules?

There are two types of optical fibers and optical modules, single-mode and multi-mode, so how can single-mode/multi-mode optical fibers and single-mode/multi-mode optical modules be used together? Can they be mixed? The following ZR Cable will answer this question for you through a question and answer.

Optical module

Q: What is the difference between single mode fiber and multimode fiber?

Answer: single-mode fiber uses solid-state laser as light source; multi-mode fiber uses light-emitting diode as light source; single-mode fiber has a long transmission frequency bandwidth and long transmission distance, but because it requires a laser source, the cost is high; multi-mode fiber transmission speed is low, The distance is short, but its cost is relatively low; the core diameter and dispersion of single-mode fiber are small, allowing only one mode of transmission; the core diameter and dispersion of multi-mode fiber are large, allowing hundreds of modes to transmit.

Q: What is the difference between a single-mode optical module and a multi-mode optical module?

Answer: The working wavelength of the multi-mode optical module is 850nm; the working wavelength of the single-mode optical module is 1310nm and 1550nm; the devices used in the single-mode optical module are twice that of the multi-mode optical module, so the overall cost of the single-mode optical module should be Much higher than multi-mode optical modules; the transmission distance of single-mode optical modules can reach 150 to 200km; the transmission distance of multi-mode optical modules can reach 5km.

Q: Where are single-mode/multi-mode optical fibers and single-mode/multi-mode optical modules used?

Answer: Single-mode fiber can directly launch the fiber to the center, which is generally used for long-distance data transmission; in multi-mode fiber, the optical signal propagates through multiple channels, so multi-mode fiber is often used in short-distance data transmission.

Single-mode optical modules are often used in long-distance and relatively high transmission rate metropolitan area networks; multi-mode optical modules are used in short-distance transmission.

Q: Can single-mode/multi-mode optical fibers be mixed with single-mode/multi-mode optical modules?

Answer: Single-mode/multi-mode optical fiber can be mixed with single-mode/multi-mode optical module. The results are shown in the following table. We can see that they cannot be mixed. The optical fiber and the optical module must be well matched before they can be used normally.

Q: Can multimode fiber be used with single mode optical modules? If not, what is the reason?

Answer: No. Multi-mode fiber is best used with multi-mode optical modules, because multi-mode and single-mode converters must have corresponding wavelengths and optical transceiver functions to achieve photoelectric conversion, so multi-mode fibers can be used with single-mode optical modules. The use cannot be guaranteed. Effect.

Q: All the optical modules in our computer room are single-mode optical modules, and the optical fibers are multi-mode. Is it necessary to replace all the optical modules in the computer room with multi-mode optical modules?

Answer: It is best to replace all optical modules with multi-mode optical modules. Single-mode and multi-mode optical modules cannot be mixed, because the core diameters of single-mode optical fibers and multi-mode optical fibers are very different, which will cause the insertion loss to be too large when the two are matched.

in conclusion:

After reading this article, the answer to the mix of single-mode/multi-mode fiber and single-mode/multi-mode optical modules is undoubtedly no, they cannot be mixed. For more tutorials and solutions about single-mode optical modules and multi-mode optical modules, please refer to ZR Cable official website.