Fibre Optics

Fibre Optics Technical Information

The graphs to the right show the transmission characteristics for fibre optic bundles and single fibre cables. The curves for the bundles have included in the transmission the losses due to packing factor, reflections at the entrance and exit, and the losses within the fibre itself. Please contact us if you need a more detailed explanation or to discuss your requirements.

Please contact us for information on the following subjects:

Individual Optical Fibre Bend Radius

Below is a table of the bend radius for a single fibre of the core sizes listed. Fibre bundle and cable bend radius may be further limited by sheath material, fibre quantity, and length.

Fibre Core Size (µM) Continuous Bend Radius (mm) Momentary Bend Radius (mm)
50 31 12.5
100 35 14
200 61 25
400 120 48
600 165 66
1000 275 110
1500 413 165

Optical Fibre Acceptance Angle

The acceptance angle of an optical fibre is dependent upon the refractive indices of its core and cladding materials. The table below shows the acceptance angle of the most common types of optical fibre:

Fibre Type (Core/Clad) Numerical Aperature Full Acceptance Angle F#
Silica/Silica 0.12 13.8 4.2
Silica/Silica 0.22 25.4 2.3
Silica/Plastic 0.39 46.0 1.3
Silica/Plastic 0.48 57.4 1.0
Borosilicate Glass 0.56 68.1 0.9
Plastic (PMMA) 0.55 66.7 0.9