Polymer cladded fiber (PCF) has been on the market for many years, standing out by being very robust and easy to assemble. Compared with thick-core glass fibers, they are not only more robust but also considerably cheaper.
PCF consists of a silica core with polymer cladding. What is especially important here is good adhesion of the cladding material to the glass core, which does not go without saying because of the different expansion coefficients especially at high temperatures. This is where the many products on the market differ most. It is also why there are a vast number of different abbreviations such as PCS, HCS, HPCF, etc.
Low attenuation makes it possible to cover distances up to 500 metres with systems designed for POF (about 660nm), and up to 4 kilometres with 850 nm systems.
