Fiber Optic Cable Types: Single Mode vs Multimode

Fiber Cable

John
March 22, 2017

Although single mode fiber (SMF) and multimode fiber (MMF) cable types
are widely used in diverse applications, the differences between single mode
fiber and multimode fiber is still confusing. This article will focus on the basic
construction, fiber distance, cost, fiber color, etc., to make an in-depth
comparison between single mode and multimode fiber types.

Overview of Single Mode vs Multimode Fiber

Single mode means the fiber enables one type of light mode to be
propagated at a time. While multimode means the fiber can propagate
multiple modes. The differences between single mode and multimode fiber
mainly lies in fiber core diameter, wavelength & light source, bandwidth,
color sheath, distance and cost.

Core Diameter

Single mode fiber core diameter is much smaller than multimode fiber. Its
typical core diameter is 9 µm even if there are others available. And
multimode fiber core diameter is 50 µm and 62.5 µm typically, which enables
it to have higher "light gathering" ability and simplify connections. The
cladding diameter of single mode and multimode fiber is 125 µm.

The attenuation of multimode fiber is higher than SM fiber because of its

larger core diameter. The fiber core of single mode cable is very narrow, so
the light that passes through these fiber optical cables is not reflected too
many times, which keeps the attenuation to a minimum.
9/125 Single Mode Fiber Simplex 50/125 OM3 Multimode Fiber
Attenuation at 1310nm 0.36 dB/km Attenuation at 850 nm 3.0 dB/km

Attenuation at 1550nm 0.22 dB/km Attenuation at 1300 nm 1.0 dB/km

Wavelength & Light Source

Due to the large core size of multimode fiber, some low-cost light sources
like LEDs (light-emitting diodes) and VCSELs (vertical cavity surface-emitting
lasers) that works at the 850nm and 1300nm wavelength are used in
multimode fiber cables. While the single mode fiber often uses a laser or laser
diodes to produce light injected into the cable. And the commonly used
single mode fiber wavelength is 1310 nm and 1550 nm.

Bandwidth

Multimode fiber bandwidth is limited by its light mode and the maximum
bandwidth at present is 28000MHz*km of OM5 fiber. While single mode fiber
bandwidth is unlimited theoretically because it allows only one light mode
to pass through at a time.

Color Sheath

According to the TIA-598C standard definition, for non-military applications,

single mode cable is coated with yellow outer sheath, and multimode fiber is
coated with orange or aqua jacket. Find more details about the Fiber Optic
Cable Color Code here.

Single Mode vs Multimode Fiber Distance

It’s known that single mode fiber is suitable for long-distance applications,
while multimode optical fiber is designed for short-distance runs. Then when
it comes to single mode vs multimode fiber distance, what’s the quantifiable
differences?
Fiber Optic
Fiber Cable Distance
Cable Type
 Fast 1Gb
1Gb Ethernet 10Gb 25Gb 40Gb 100Gb
Ethernet Ethernet
1000BA SE- Base Base Base Base
100BA 1000BASE-
LX SE-SR SR-S SR4 SR10
SE-FX SX
Single
OS2 200m 5,000m 5,000m 10km / / /
mode fiber
OM1 200m 275m / / / /

OM2 200m 550m 550m (mode / / / /

Multimode conditioning
OM3 200m 550m 300m 70m 100m 100m
fiber patch cable
OM4 200m 550m required) 400m 100m 150m 150m

OM5 200m 550m 300m 100m 400m 400m

From the chart, we can see that single mode fiber distance is much longer
than that of multimode fiber cables at the data rate from 1G to 10G, but
OM3/OM4/OM5 multimode fiber supports a higher data rate. Because
multimode optical fiber has a large core size and supports more than one
light mode, its fiber distance is limited by modal dispersion which is a
common phenomenon in multimode step-index fiber. While single mode
fiber is not. That’s the essential difference between them. In addition, OS2
single mode fiber could support longer distances in 40G and 100G links,
which is not listed in the table.

Single Mode vs Multimode Fiber Cost

“Single mode vs multimode fiber cost” is a hot topic in some forums.

Numbers of people have expressed their own opinions. Their views mainly
focus on the optical transceiver cost, system cost and installation cost.

Optical Transceiver Cost

Compared to single-mode transceivers, the price of multimode transceivers
is nearly two or three times lower. The following table takes FS compatible
Cisco single-mode transceivers and multimode transceivers as an example.
Price
Speed Transceiver Transceiver Description Price
Difference
FS Compatible GLC-LH-SMD
Single mode US$
1000BASE-LX/LH SFP 1310nm
SFP 10.00
10km DOM Transceiver
1G US$ 1.00
FS Compatible GLC-SX-MMD
US$
Multimode SFP 1000BASE-SX SFP 850nm
9.00
550m DOM Transceiver
FS Compatible SFP-10G-LR
Single mode US$
10GBASE-LR SFP+ 1310nm
SFP+ 27.00
10km DOM Transceiver
10G US$ 7.00
FS Compatible SFP-10G-SR
Multimode US$
10GBASE-SR SFP+ 850nm
SFP+ 20.00
300m DOM Transceiver
Single mode FS Compatible SFP-25G-LR-S US$
SFP28 1310nm 10km 59.00
25G US$ 20.00
Multimode FS Compatible SFP-25G-SR-S US$
SFP28 850nm 100m 39.00
FS Compatible QSFP-40G-LR4
Single mode 40GBASE-LR4 and OTU3 US$
QSFP+ QSFP+ 1310nm 10km LC 309.00
DOM Transceiver
40G US$ 270.00
FS Compatible QSFP-40G-SR4
Multimode 40GBASE-SR4 QSFP+ 850nm US$
QSFP+ 150m MTP/MPO DOM 39.00
Transceiver
 FS Compatible QSFP28 Cisco
Single mode QSFP-100G-LR4-S 100GBASE- US$
QSFP28 LR4 1310nm 10km 499.00
Transceiver
100G US$ 400.00
FS Compatible QSFP28 Cisco
Multimode QSFP-100G-SR4-S US$
QSFP28 100GBASE-SR4 850nm 100m 99.00
Transceiver
From the table, we can see that the price difference gains greatly with the
speed increasing.

System Cost

To utilize the fundamental attributes of single mode fibers, which are

generally geared towards longer distance applications, requires transceivers
with lasers that operate at longer wavelengths with smaller spot-size and
generally narrower spectral width. These transceiver characteristics
combined with the need for higher-precision alignment and tighter
connector tolerances to smaller core diameters result in significantly higher
transceiver costs and overall higher interconnect costs for single mode fiber
interconnects.
Fabrication methods for VCSEL based transceivers that are optimized for use
with multimode fibers are more easily manufactured into array devices and
are lower cost than equivalent single-mode transceivers. Despite the use of
multiple fiber lanes and multi-transceivers arrays, there are significant cost
savings over single-mode technology employing single or multichannel
operation over simplex-duplex connectivity. Multimode fiber system offers
the lowest system cost and upgrade path to 100G for standard-based
premises applications using parallel-optic based interconnects.

Installation Cost

Single-mode optical fiber often costs less than multimode fiber. When
building a 1G fiber optic network that you want to be able to go to 10G or
faster on eventually, the savings on cost of fiber for single-mode saves about
half-price. While the multimode OM3 or OM4 fiber increases 35% in cost for
SFP modules. The single-mode optics are more expensive, but the labor costs
of replacing the multimode are significantly higher, especially if that followed
OM1—OM2—OM3—OM4. If you are willing to look at used ex-Fibre Channel
SFPs, the price of single-mode 1G drops through the floor. If you have the
budget and need for 10G short connections, the economics at last check still
support multimode. Keep an eye on those economics though, as history
suggests that the price premium for single-mode will drop.

Frequently Asked Question about Single Mode vs Multimode Fiber

Cable
Q: What is better single mode or multimode fiber type?
A: As has mentioned above, single mode fiber and multimode fiber cable
have their own advantages on cost and applications. There is no such thing
that single mode optical fibers are better than multimode ones. Just choosing
the best-fit one for your applications is ok.
Q: Can I mix single mode and multimode fiber type?
A: This answer for this question is “no”. Multimode fiber and single mode
fiber have different core sizes, and the number of light modes that they
transmit is also different. If you mix the two fibers, or connect them together
directly, you’ll lose a large amount of optical loss, resulting in a link flapping
or being down. Keep in mind that never mix different types of cabling
randomly.
Q: Can I use a multimode transceiver on single mode fiber cable?
A: Generally speaking, the answer is "no". Large optical loss will occur if a
multimode transceiver is connected with single mode fiber. However, the
opposite will work. For example, 1000BASE-LX single mode SFP can work on
multimode fiber cable by using mode conditioning fiber cable. Sometimes,
fiber media converters also can be used to solve such problems between
single mode transceivers and multimode transceivers.
Q: Single mode vs multimode fiber cable type: which should I choose?
A: When making a decision between single mode and multimode fiber
cables, the first factor to consider is the fiber distance which you need
actually. For example, in a data center, multimode fiber cables are enough
for the distance of 300-400 meters. While in applications that require
distance up to several thousands of meters, the single mode fiber is the best
choice. And in applications that can use single mode and multimode fiber,
other factors like cost and future upgrade requirements should be taken into
consideration for your choice.
Summary
From the comparison—single mode vs multimode fiber, it can conclude that
single-mode fiber cabling system is suitable for long-reach data transmission
applications and widely deployed in carrier networks, MANs and PONs.
Multimode fiber cabling system has a shorter reach and is widely deployed
in enterprise, data centers and LANs. No matter which one you choose, on
the basis of total fiber cost, choosing the one that best suits your network
demands is an important task for every network designer.