Why Use POF?
(Polymer Optical Fiber) Polymer optical fiber (POF for short) looks like a nylon rope, and is transparent to visible light. It is typically made of Polymethyl Methacrylate Polymer (PMMA) as the core material, and a fluorinated polymer as the cladding material. Light travels inside the core of a polymer optical fiber; the cladding is the external ‘cover’ that generates the guiding effect, which forces the light to follow the path of the fiber. Polymer fiber works like a common optical fiber, but there are some significant differences. SIZE PMMA-based POF has a typical outer diameter of 1000µm (i.e. 8 times larger than glass fiber), and a core diameter of 980µm. To obtain a cable, polymer fiber is covered with a 2.2mm-diameter jacket. The material commonly used for jacketing is a high-density Polyethylene (PE-HD). Due to its small size, immunity to RF noise and its insulating characteristics, plastic fiber cable fits into conduits, in compliance with international standards (EIA/TIA 569,
