MACROBEND

A relatively large-radius bend in an optical fiber , such as might be found in a splice organizer tray or a fiber-optic cable that has been bent. Note: A macrobend will result in no significant radiation loss if it is of sufficiently large radius. The definition of "sufficiently large" depends on the type of fiber. Single- mode fibers have a low numerical aperture , typically less than 0.15, and are therefore are more susceptible to bend losses than other types. Normally, they will not tolerate a minimum bend radius of less than 6.5 to 7.5 cm (2.5 to 3 inches). Certain specialized types of single-mode fibers, however, can tolerate a far shorter minimum bend radius without appreciable loss. A graded-index multimode fiber having a core diameter of 50 m and a numerical aperture of 0.20 will typically tolerate a minimum bend radius of not less than 3.8 cm (1.5 inches). The fibers commonly used in customer-premises applications (62.5- m core) typically have a relatively high numerical aperture, (approximately 0.27), and can tolerate a bend radius of less than an inch (2.5 cm). [After FAA ]