Deployment KB: Dell EMC Unity: How to identify the supported Fiber Cables

Fiber patch cord can be classified into various types based on different standards, such as fiber cable mode, transmission mode, jacket type, connector type and polishing type. 

The selection of cable depends on distance we need to cover and connectors (SFP/SFP+) we are using in devices. In Dell EMC storage we are using Multimode SFP connectors which we connecting for short distance communication. The following table lists the optical cables that are available for Dell EMC Unity Family storage system.


                   

Maximum Speed supported by each type of Fiber Patch Cord and Color Code

               
 

Fiber Patch Cord Color Code for Outer Jacket

The differences in colors are based on different levels of OM and OS fiber (Optical Multimode & Optical Singlemode). Single mode means the fiber enables one type of light mode to be propagated at a time. While multimode means the fiber can propagate multiple modes. The differences between single mode and multimode fiber mainly lies in fiber core diameter, wavelength & light source, bandwidth, color sheath, distance and cost. According to the TIA-598C standard definition, for non-military applications, single mode cable is coated with yellow outer sheath, and multimode fiber is coated with orange or aqua jacket.


                     

                   
                   
                   
                     

Single Mode vs Multimode Fiber Distance

It s known that single mode fiber is suitable for long-distance applications, while multimode optical fiber is designed for short-distance runs.