Belden announces the addition of a new series of Indoor/Outdoor Tight Buffer Distribution Cables to its Belden IBDN FiberExpress line of fiber optic cabling solutions. The new 900 µm tight buffered fiber optic cables are fully compliant with the industry standard specification ICEA S-104696. The new cables complement Belden's existing line of FiberExpress Loose Tube Fiber Optic cables, offering users greater flexibility in selecting the most appropriate optical fiber cables for their specific applications.

    Available with fiber counts from 6 to 48, the new series of Indoor/Outdoor Tight Buffer Distribution cables includes a selection of 62.5/125 and 50/125 Multi-Mode cables and a Single-Mode Enhanced cable. They are also available in Breakout constructions. In addition, several options are available for special order, including aluminum or steel interlock armor, LSZH Riser rated construction, and a selection of UV-resistant colored jackets.

    Designed to fulfill the structured cabling requirements of the building and campus networking markets, Belden's Indoor/Outdoor Tight Buffer Distribution cables are easier to install and faster to terminate than loose tube cables. They are UL Riser and Plenum rated OFNR/OFNP and are well-suited for duct and aerial installations, with no need for costly transition points at the building entrance.

    Their construction consists of 900 µm color-coded buffered fibers surrounded by water-swellable aramid strength members, with a ripcord, under an overall UV-resistant, flame-retardant black jacket. For cables with fiber counts over 24, bundles of 6 or 12 fibers are utilized. An overall water-swellable tape barrier provides additional water-blocking to protect the interstices from axial moisture migration. Belden's Indoor/Outdoor Tight Buffer Distribution cables are designed and constructed to ensure they are rugged enough to withstand harsh environmental and mechanical conditions.

    This new series is intended for use in horizontal cable installations in data centers, high speed Local Area Networks, server farms, storage area networks, network access nodes, campus backbones, metropolitan area networks and short distance backbone connections — anywhere there is a high concentration of data traffic. Still another major bonus to the redesigned cross-web is that it keeps Alien Crosstalk – crosstalk between neighboring cables – to the same impressively low level that was offered by its 10GX predecessor. To allow for the data rates of 10 Gb/s that are typical in data centers and the like, signals must be transmitted at frequencies up to a minimum of 500 MHz, in contrast to Cat. 6 transmissions that only run to 200 MHz.

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