Skirt Full of Stars. Fiber Optic Dandelion Lamp. Fiber Optic Jellyfish Lamp. Sustainable Magic. Jenn Mann. Rachel Reichert. Elena Kozlova. Bulk fiber optics are still not widely available as a retail product, but they are not hard to find if you know where to look.
If you are planning a project that uses fiber optics, I recommend starting to gather your materials a few weeks ahead of time because the best sources are often overseas. Make sure you read the rest of this Instructable before you dive into ordering so you understand exactly which fiber optic product you are looking for.
Woven Fiber Optic Ribbon. Question 24 days ago. I have a couple of 3D Christmas scenes with fiber optics inside that light up the scene. They are so beautiful but some of the lights have gone out. Does anyone know how these can be fixed. On the bottom of the scene there is an opening but I have no idea how to do this. What type of expert do I need to try and get it fixed? An elecrician? Do any of you know how on would go about fixing it?
The scene is made of dsome type of poly resin. Tip 2 months ago. I'm a newbie to the fiber optic field, but I have a suggestion for your inner-bundle slippage problem. Optical epoxy would be best, however, regular epoxy or slightly cooled hot glue may be acceptable for plastic fiber optics Please let me know if this method doesn't work! It appears logical based on my experience with the adhesive properties and multiple object types, but again, I'm a newbie to fiber optics.
Question 2 years ago on Introduction. Hi, Thanks so much - this was an amazing intro guide! I have a question about using side emitting fibers for sensing light so basically the opposite of most of what's discussed here. I have a diagram that might clarify things, I'll try to attach it.
So — do you think this can work well? Have you ever seen an application like this before? Answer 4 months ago. Answer 1 year ago. Depending on a bunch of factors, a little of the laser should be visible at the ends though.
OR with side emitting fibers, possibly more! Question 5 months ago on Step The Fiber optic lights I have that I got from Amazon work very well but they get entangled at the tail ends. Is there a recommendation that children on the autism spectrum can sit in the lights without them getting entangled? I'm searching for a multistrand fiber optic cable cutter.
I am working on a bedroom decoration using fiber cables for lighting - not a data application. I have a bundle of about x. I need to cleanly cut through all of them at once. The cleaver's I'm finding are for data applications and cleve one cable at a time. What tool could I use to cut the bundle all at once to create a clean cut? There was no section over battery life of any of the products For my project, color of lights or patterns of glow aren't really important, but to make my project perfect, I need the longest battery life possible Great article.
Thank you. I found your article whilst searching for information on a project that I am about to embark upon. I am hoping that you or someone reading this post may be able to pass on some ideas or experiences with embedding fibre optics into resin. My project involves pouring a resin floor and embedding side emitting fibre optics of various sizes through the resin floor.
The size of the floor would be 3m x 4m. All of the strands of fibre optic would bundle at one end and connect into a light emitter which would connect to a DMX light controller. The floor will also have some metallic fleck added to the resin to increase the sparkle and effects of the lighting. I plan to pour the resin floor in 3 layers. First layer would be 1mm thick. Once this has set I will arrange the Fibre optic strands in the correct position, and connect to the light source to test the effects.
Once satisfied with the layout, I would then pour the second layer of resin covering all of the light strands. Once this has set, I would carefully sand back any exposed strands, hopefully none. I would then pour the finishing layer of floor. I plan on the total thickness of the floor to be mm. The entry point of the Fibre optics from the light box, into the floor would then be framed and protected.
Any information or experiences with this would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for any help. Question 3 years ago on Step 9.
Hello, I am adding a picture of what I am making with fiber optics, but the problem I am having is I'm not getting enough light through my fiber strands, i made the mistake of buying end light strands and tweaked the lines so they light up but still need more light, IS IT POSSIBLE to get more light maybe by a higher watt emitter box?. I have a 16 watt now.
Please bare with me I don't know nothing about fiber optic but love how it works, so please in dummy terms if explaining to me. Thank you I appreciate any kind of help or knowledge i can do or learn. Question 3 years ago on Step 3. Question 3 years ago on Introduction. I have purchased a couple of hats that have fiber optics pushed through the embroidered logo. These hats are available online. I am trying to create a hat that is not dealing with a major league team logo.
So I am at a loss where to buy the module that lights the fiber. I have patent numbers Any thought would be greatly appreciated. Great site. I have a question I am hoping someone that reads this can help with. I am using 5mm solid core side glow cable that is about 70 cm in length. I am lighting it from both ends with super bright 5mm white leds.
I am not getting nearly the full length of white light I expected. It is yellowing. When I remove one led and shine the end down, the light is yellow. But when I use a colored led is shines the right color. Help please. Reply 3 years ago. I'm sorry you're having this issue, but I think it's pretty much par for the course for side emitting fiber optics. Because more and more of the light escapes along the length of the fiber, the farther away from the source you get, the less pure the light is.
I don't fully understand the physics here, but I'm assuming that, because white light includes all the other colors of light, and the wavelength of light gets longer as it moves from the blue to red spectrum, the light on the more blue end of the spectrum bounces more often off the walls of the fiber, thus escaping escape more quickly, and leaving the yellower light to continue farther down the strand.
I am really surprised that it's happening so quickly with yours though, especially with a light on each end. There are definitely different qualities of fiber optics and some seem to hold the light on more than others, you could try using another kind. Hello there Mikaela, thanks for taking the time to put this guide together. It's a huge help. I've just ordered up all the goodies and am looking forward to sharing my own version of your fairy wings with you soon. One question if you happen to see this comment.
Just above in step 13 you mention the clear PVC casing on the side glow fibres to protect them from UV damage. My project will be using exposed end glow fibers and is an outdoor installation with pretty much full exposure all year long dappled shade of a tree. Am I going to experience degradation over time? I'll get in touch with Wiedamark as well with the same question. Regardless, it'll give me the effect I'm after at least for the initial unveiling of my project.
Hi Mikaela, Just read thru your site looking for info on fiber optics. This is a great site with a ton of well presented info. I am doing a similar project to Dorrinda's jellyfish. However I will have edge emitting fibers in a flowing water stream. I am new to fiber optics but I think it's ok to have water flowing over the fibers. The fibers will be about 4 feet long and I will need to use about 20 separated fibers.
Any input appreciated. I'm interested in making hanging jellyfish for an undersea event. What light source is used to make them light up?
Can you use the same light source for multiple strands of tentacles? What size would you recommend to replicate a tentacle? Lastly, can you cut the strands? Clearly I have never used fiber optics before I'm a newbie?. Any advice you have would be helpful. Reply 4 years ago. Sorry I missed your comment somehow.
I think you'll find that most of your questions are answered in this Instructable. I'd say it would be nice to maybe use multiple sizes together to replicate a tentacle. Maybe between 2 and 5mm? You could also just use one size if that is easier.
The thicker they are the less they move and flow, so the thin ones can be nice for loose things like tentacles. You can definitely attach multiple strands to one light source also. Read through the Instructable and if you still have questions, I'm happy to answer :.
More by the author:. About: Costume and experimental fashion designer and artist. Maker of clothing and accessories for time traveling cyborg superheroes, and lucid dreamers. Interested in fusing couture design and leatherwork with wea… More About MikaelaHolmes ». In addition to the basic distinction of side glow and end glow, you will likely encounter some of the following variations in your search for fiber optics: Multi Strand End Glow Cable : this is a collection of end glow fibers bundled inside a plastic casing.
These types of fiber optics are a little harder to find, but have a lot of design potential. Programable LEDs: To take full advantage of the dynamic lighting possibilities of fiber optics, however, you really need programable lighting, or at least a light source that has been pre-programmed.
Pre-Made Fiber Optic Products: You can also buy pre-made products that are designed to light fiber optics. Lasers: Another option to light your fiber optics is to use small laser modules. Nicking or abrading end glow fibers : Damaging the cladding on the outside of an end glow fiber will allow light to escape and creating a point of glow on the fiber. Distorting fibers with heat : If you want to create larger points of light at the ends of end glow fibers, you can use a lighter or heat gun to melt the very ends of the fibers into a ball of plastic.
End Glow Fibers Easier to find domestically than side glow and can be ordered from places like Wiedamark , The Fiber Optic Store , and many others Alternately, you can buy pre-made products like fiber optic whips or glowbys and use the fibers from them for your project To order direct from factories in bulk, search sites like AliExpress , Alibaba or Ebay Solid Core Side Glow Fibers For the best prices, order them in bulk from China by looking on AliExpress , Alibaba or Ebay If you need smaller quantities, or faster delivery, Wiedamark and The Fiber Optic Store offer a few domestic options for side glow fibers as well.
One thing to be aware of when ordering side glow fibers is that they often come with a thin clear PVC casing to protect them from UV light damage. If you are using them outside, this is great, but for wearables it can make the fibers a lot less flexible. It also means that the diameter quoted in the product listing is often the internal diameter, not the diameter with the casing. I try to buy fiber like this , that don't have an casing. White Core Side Glow Fibers They used to sell these on Sparkfun in 3mm and 5mm diameter, but they seem to have discontinued them.
Right now I only see it being sold from a couple of European distributors. Solid Fiber Optic Ribbon I've had a hard time finding a good source for this type of fiber online. I recently ordered some from China on Ebay but it was not exactly the shape I was hoping for.
Slightly more rounded and not quite as wide as the kind I found inside the suspenders, but it is still an interesting product. Fiber Optic Fabric Small 40 x 75 cm pieces can be ordered from Sparkfun , only in a black colorway. Larger quantities in more fabric color variety and density of fibers can be ordered by contacting Lumigram.
Corning Fibrance Still only available from the manufacturer and you need to email them for quotes. Participated in the Make It Glow! Contest View Contest. Did you make this project? Share it with us! I Made It!
Remote Control Light Switch by alanmerritt in Arduino. BA Question 24 days ago. Answer Upvote. CarolynCreator Tip 2 months ago. Reply Upvote. MattB Question 2 years ago on Introduction. VeitN MattB Answer 1 year ago. GloTrim Question 3 years ago on Step 3. JonahH13 Question 3 years ago on Introduction.
Advances in fiber technology, lower production costs, and installation have all contributed to the wide use of fiber. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of fiber, its construction, and functionality. Telephone companies initially used fiber to transport high volumes of voice traffic between central office locations. During the s telephone companies began to deploy fiber throughout their networks. Fiber technology allows companies to "future proof" networks.
We use the phrase "future proof" because fiber is theoretically unlimited in bandwidth. Bandwidth is a measurement of the data carrying capacity of the media in this case, fiber. The greater the bandwidth, the more data or information that can be transmitted. Copper has a bandwidth and a distance limitation, making it less desirable. Copper cable equals approximately 80 lbs. The higher frequency, the greater the signal loss using copper cabling. The construction of a fiber optic cable consists of a core, cladding, coating buffer, strength member and outer jacket.
The optic core is the light-carrying element at the center. The core is usually made up of a combination of silica and germania. The cladding surrounding the core is made of pure silica.
The cladding has a slightly lower index of refraction than the core. The lower refractive index causes the light in the core to reflect off the cladding and stay within the core. Index of refraction is the ratio of the velocity of light in a vacuum to the velocity of light in a material. The speed of light in a vacuum is equal to ,, meters per second.
The higher the index of refraction, the slower the speed of light through the material. The first number refers to the core size in microns. The second number refers to the core size plus the cladding size combined. The layers act as a shock absorber to protect the core and cladding from damage.
A strength member, usually Aramid, is around the buffer layers. To prevent pulling damage during installation the strength member is added to give critical tensile pulling strength to the cable. The outer jacket protects against environmental factors. The most widely used fiber connector is the SC connector. The SC connector's square cross section facilitates high packing density in connector panels. Network administrators need to take into consideration low loss, footprint size, and locking capabilities when selecting a fiber connector.
It has unlimited bandwidth that can go unrepeated for over 80 km, depending on the type of transmitting equipment. Single mode fiber has enormous information capacity, more than multimode fiber. Multimode fiber supports multiple paths of light and has a much larger core and has a core size of 50 or The light travels down a much larger path in multimode fiber, allowing the light to go down several paths or modes.
Multimode fiber can be manufactured in two ways: step-index or graded index. Step-index fiber has an abrupt change or step between the index of refraction of the core and the index of refraction of the cladding. Multimode step-index fibers have lower bandwidth than other fiber designs.
Graded index fiber was designed to reduce modal dispersion inherent in step index fiber. Modal dispersion occurs as light pulses travel through the core along higher and lower order modes. Graded index fiber is made up of multiple layers with the highest index of refraction at the core.
Each succeeding layer has a gradually decreasing index of refraction as the layers move away from the center. High order modes enter the outer layers of the cladding and are reflected back towards the core. Multimode graded index fibers have less attenuation loss of the output pulse and have higher bandwidth than multimode step-index fibers. Single mode step-index fibers are not affected by modal dispersion because light travels a single path.
Single mode step-index fibers experience light pulse stretching and shrinking via chromatic dispersion. Chromatic dispersion happens when a pulse of light contains more than one wavelength.
Wavelengths travel at different speeds, causing the pulse to spread. Dispersion can also occur when the optical signal gets out of the core and into the cladding, causing shrinking of the total pulse. Single mode shifted fiber uses multiple layers of core and cladding to reduce dispersion. Dispersion shifted fibers have low attenuation loss , longer transmission distances, and higher bandwidth.
IFC refers to an Intrafacility fiber cable. These types of cables are designed for use with in a controlled environment such as a building or inside equipment. Since the cable is used within a building the cable requires less physical protection and more flexibility. Outside plant cable, or OSP, are used in hostile environments, exposed to extreme temperatures, rain, and wind. The cables are more robust and have extra layers of buffering and sheathing to protect the fiber.
Fibers are assembled into either stranded or ribbon cables. Stranded cables are individual fibers that are bundled together. Ribbon cable is constructed by grouping up to 12 fibers and coating them with plastic to form a multi fiber ribbon. Stranded and ribbon fiber bundles can be packaged together into either loose or tight buffering cable.
Table 2: Cable Characteristics Loose Buffered Cable Tight Buffered Cable Each individual fiber bundle moves Fiber elements are held in place freely within the inner sheath within the cable Protects from tensile factors Smaller in diameter with fewer fibers Less expensive More flexible for manipulation More robust More sensitive to outside forces Higher fiber counts Less toxic when burned Optimized for long runs Used in intrafacility applications Used in OSP applications aerial, Cables are either distribution or buried, or submerged breakout designs.
The transmitter converts the electrical signal into light and sends it down the fiber. The receiver receives the optical signal and converts it back into an electrical signal. The higher the output power, the longer the transmission distance. The speed at which the transmitter is able to switch on and off to meet the bandwidth requirements of the system is the switching speed.
Faster switching speeds send more pulses providing greater bandwidth. The range of wavelengths emitted by the source is spectral width. A narrow spectral width means greater bandwidth. Transceivers are evaluated on the sensitivity of the optical source to environmental condition. Laser diode requires stable voltage and temperatures. LEDs are less sensitive to environmental fluctuations. LED optical sources' lower performance characteristics and longer life make them easier to install and more economical.
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