Pangea Premier Optical Digital Interconnect Cable

Designed by Jay Victor, the entry-level Pangea Premier optical cable uses a single Multi-Mode Plastic Optical Fiber (POF), and this is what most optical cables on the market use. However, there are many quality levels available from the various fiber manufacturers, so how do you know what you are getting? In general, you don’t. Most brands will never tell you any specifications for their fiber, so it’s difficult to make a choice or to compare choices. This promotes the idea that all-optical cables are the same, but they definitely are not. For the Pangea Premier optical cable, Jay Victor selected a very high-end Japanese fiber that has an attenuation spec. of <.16 dB/meter, "which is much lower than normal fibers (some I've tested are as much as .8 dB/m), and of course, much more expensive," says Jay.

Another critical factor in optical cable performance is how the fiber is terminated. Most optical cables are “hot plate terminated”, which is exactly what it sounds like. The end is simply pressed up against a hot steel plate to hopefully create a flat surface. However, this is not really the best way to ensure an optically transparent termination, which is desirable for obvious reasons. A better termination results in less loss.

For this reason, the Pangea Premier optical cable has a polished termination, which is far superior in optical transparency, results in less loss, and is seldom used in any single POF cables because of cost. Essentially, the termination is polished mechanically, using a very fine grit abrasive material to end up with a very fine, optically transparent end. This is an expensive method, but, if the best performance is desired, this is the method to use.

Step-Index Multimode Fiber (Single POF)
Plastic optical fiber is a step-index multimode optical fiber, composed of a cylindrical "core" surrounded by a "clad" layer. The light refraction index of the core is higher than that of the cladding. Light traveling through the core is therefore reflected at the core-clad interface, so long as the angle of its incidence with the interface is smaller than a certain "critical angle" (theta max). In this way, the light is repeatedly reflected from the interface as it progresses through the core to the end of the optical fiber.

Due to its large core, some of the light rays that make up the digital pulse may travel a direct route, whereas others zigzag as they bounce off the cladding. These alternate paths cause the different groups of light rays, referred to as modes, to arrive separately at the receiving point. "The pulse, an aggregate of different modes, begins to spread out, losing its well-defined shape. The need to leave spacing between pulses to prevent overlapping limits the amount of information that can be sent," notes Jay Victor. "This is the primary drawback of Single POF cables, and I believe the various modes and conversion processes can cause jitter."

Jay Victor's design for Pangea Premier optical cable takes maximum advantage of the benefits of Single POF cables, including low cost compared to multi-core cable, while minimizing any inherent drawbacks and optimizing performance. Compare it to any other entry-level optical cable for a nice upgrade.

Specifications

• Superior quality optical digital cable
• Designed by industry legend Jay Victor
• Type: Step-Index Multimode Fiber (Single POF)
• Attenuation: <.16 dB/meter
• Termination: Polished