In a world constantly seeking new ways to do things faster and more efficient, data transfer is no exception. Traditional copper wiring is rapidly making way for fiber optic cables. This innovative data transfer medium offers a faster, more efficient way to send and receive information as well as provide a great deal of communication networks for commercial offices and industrial buildings.
Here is a guide to how they work.
Speed: Light versus Electricity. Traditional copper cables send the information down the copper line to the other end. Fiber optics transfer data using light pulses as opposed to electric signals, like those transmitted with copper cables. Light sends a much clearer and faster signal.
This might seem unlikely, considering cables are enclosed in rubber tubing. But fiber optic cables are made from long, thin strands of glass or plastic. These pieces work to reflect light down the strip. To give yourself a visual, picture a hollow tube. Now mentally line the casing with tiny mirrors. Any light shined in would reflect off the mirrors one by one until it exited through the opposite end. Since light travels faster than electricity, the result of this set-up is a rapid, clear signal with less disturbances than traditional materials experience.
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