^4fRobust High-Count Dry Central Tube Ribbon Cables

摘要

^7fDry central tube ribbon cables with high fiber counts have recently been introduced into the outside plant. These cables have replaced traditional filling compounds with dry water blocking elements. To guarantee cable performance equal to or better than their gel filled counterparts, these designs must be subjected to an entire battery of tests. The cables must meet Telcordia GR-20 Issue 2 requirements, and also the GR-20 Issue 1 aged water penetration requirement. In addition, testing includes Gallop and Aeolian vibration adapted from the IEEE 1222p draft standard. Water penetration through temperature cycling and long term exposure testing where the cable is perturbed routinely is also performed. The DriTube~(TM) cable exceeded the requirements of all tests proving that dry water blocked cables of this design are robust replacements to gel filled cables. The craft friendly nature yields time and material savings that enhance the case for adoption of DriTube~(TM) central tube ribbon cable designs in the outside plant environment.