Advantages of using fibre optic cables over copper cables
Fibre optic cable is made up of bundle of glass strands coated in insulated cover. Fibre optic cables nowadays widely used for networking and communication as it offers many advantages over copper cables. According to Collins (2015) here is the advantages of using fibre optic cables:
Fibre optic offers high bandwidth compared to copper wire. High bandwidth means that fibre optic cables are capable of carrying multiple signal over one cable instead of one signal over one wire with copper wire. Aircraft system sends multiple signals for one flight control and using conventional copper wire in FBW system, it needs a bundle of wires just for one flight control. Using fibre optic cable to replace copper wire will reduce significantly the amount of copper wire thus reducing the weight of the aircraft.
By understanding the concept of fibre optic cable, it has a faster signal transfer rate compare to copper wire. Fibre optic cable carries light signal in which the speed of light travels much faster than electrical current in copper wire.
Fibre optic cable capable of carrying signal on longer distance without degrading the quality of the signal as the light have less susceptibility to signal lost during transmission. It does not require any step up or step down voltage like copper wire does.
Copper wire are easily tap into and less secure compared to fibre optic cable. Electrical signal in a copper wire are also easy to be change by intercepting the signal and can be done by non-professional. Whereas fibre optic cable are made from glass strands which makes it incredibly difficult to intercept the signal without breaking the cable. Even with professionals, the cable are very challenging to intercept midway and if it were done at the source, it is still very tough to change the signal without the proper equipment.
Copper wire and fibre optic cable both susceptibility to worn out over time but instead of posing a fire hazard like copper wire does, fibre optics does not pose any risk of fire hazard as it only carries light signals. Temperature, moisture and severe weather condition could cause copper wire having signal loss or even complete loss of connectivity but it does not happen with fibre optic cable. In terms of studier, fibre optic cable can withstand around 100-200 lbs. of pressure without damaging the cable while copper wire typically are delicate and enough to withstand only at about 25 lbs. of pressure before damaging the wire.
Higher amount of connections require more copper wire to be able to process all the signals at a higher speed as copper wire performance in signal transferring is directly connected with the cable size. Fibre optic cable size does not determine by the size of the cable and by that, it can be used for multiple signals transfer without affecting the speed or the quality of the signal. Fibre optic cable are much simpler to use and relatively lighter than copper wire.
Although fibre optic cable today are still considered as more expensive than copper wire in a short term but with it being lighter, more reliable, and much better performance than copper wire makes it a valuable investment for a long run. Fibre optic cable are also easy to maintain which in turn less cost needed.
- IMMUNE TO ELECTROMAGNETIC INTERFERENCE (EMI)
Copper wire carries electrical signal which runs through in bundles of wire in close proximity. When electrical signal flow through a wire, it creates an electromagnetic field. Electrical signal are easily affected by electromagnetic field which then deteriorate the signals. Not only had it affected by its own electromagnetic field, it is also affected by electromagnetic frequency given out by other electronic devices such as a hand phone, microwave, or even lightning strike. Using light signals by fibre optic cable, it does not create any electromagnetic field or affected by other electromagnetic frequency. Being immune to EMI, fibre optic cable does not require shielding as copper wire does. No shielding means an extra weight loss using fibre optic cable rather than copper wire.
