Known as Broadband Multimode Fiber Patchcord (WBMMF), OM5 fiber is a laser-optimized multimode fiber (MMF) with bandwidth characteristics specified for wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). The purpose of this new fiber classification method is to provide support for a wide range of "short" wavelengths between 850nm and 950nm, which, when aggregated, are suitable for high bandwidth applications. The OM3 and OM4 are designed mainly to support a single wavelength of 850nm.
Features of OM5 Multimode Fiber
1. Fewer fibers support higher bandwidth applications
The working wavelength of OM5 fiber jumper is 850/1300nm, and can support at least 4 wavelengths. Typical operating wavelengths for OM3 and OM4 are 850nm and 1300nm. That is to say, the traditional OM1, OM2, OM3, and OM4 multimode fibers have only one channel, while the OM5 has four channels, which increases the transmission capacity by four times.
Combining shortwave wavelength division multiplexing (SWDM) and parallel transmission technology, OM5 only needs 8-core broadband multimode fiber (WBMMF) to support 200/400G Ethernet applications, greatly reducing the number of fiber cores. To a certain extent, the wiring cost of the network is reduced.
2. longer transmission distance
The transmission distance of OM5 fiber is longer than that of OM3 and OM4. OM4 fiber is designed to support lengths of at least 100 meters with 100G-SWDM4 transceivers. But OM5 fiber can support up to 150 meters in length with the same transceiver.
3. lower fiber loss
The attenuation of the OM5 broadband multimode optical cable has been reduced from 3.5 dB/km of the previous OM3 and OM4 optical cables to 3.0 dB/km, and the bandwidth requirement on the 953nm wavelength has been increased.
OM5 has the same fiber size as OM3 and OM4, which means that it is fully compatible with OM3 and OM4. If you want to use OM5 in existing cabling, you don't need to change it.
OM5 fiber is more scalable and flexible, and can support higher-speed network transmission with less multi-mode fiber cores, and the cost and power consumption are much lower than single-mode fiber. Therefore, it will be widely used in 100G/ 400G/1T super-large data center.
