IEC 60794-1-1:2015

IEC 60794-1-1 ®
Edition 4.0 2015-11
REDLINE VERSION
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
colour
inside
Optical fibre cables –
Part 1-1: Generic specification – General

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from

either IEC or IEC's member National Committee in the country of the requester. If you have any questions about IEC
copyright or have an enquiry about obtaining additional rights to this publication, please contact the address below or

your local IEC member National Committee for further information.

IEC Central Office Tel.: +41 22 919 02 11
3, rue de Varembé Fax: +41 22 919 03 00

CH-1211 Geneva 20 info@iec.ch
Switzerland www.iec.ch
About the IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading global organization that prepares and publishes
International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.

About IEC publications
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC. Please make sure that you have the
latest edition, a corrigenda or an amendment might have been published.

IEC Catalogue - webstore.iec.ch/catalogue Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
The stand-alone application for consulting the entire The world's leading online dictionary of electronic and
bibliographical information on IEC International Standards, electrical terms containing more than 30 000 terms and
Technical Specifications, Technical Reports and other definitions in English and French, with equivalent terms in 15
documents. Available for PC, Mac OS, Android Tablets and additional languages. Also known as the International
iPad. Electrotechnical Vocabulary (IEV) online.

IEC publications search - www.iec.ch/searchpub IEC Glossary - std.iec.ch/glossary
The advanced search enables to find IEC publications by a More than 60 000 electrotechnical terminology entries in
variety of criteria (reference number, text, technical English and French extracted from the Terms and Definitions
committee,…). It also gives information on projects, replaced clause of IEC publications issued since 2002. Some entries
and withdrawn publications. have been collected from earlier publications of IEC TC 37,

77, 86 and CISPR.
IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished
Stay up to date on all new IEC publications. Just Published IEC Customer Service Centre - webstore.iec.ch/csc
details all new publications released. Available online and If you wish to give us your feedback on this publication or
also once a month by email. need further assistance, please contact the Customer Service
Centre: csc@iec.ch.
IEC 60794-1-1 ®
Edition 4.0 2015-11
REDLINE VERSION
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
colour
inside
Optical fibre cables –
Part 1-1: Generic specification – General

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
ICS 33.180.10 ISBN 978-2-8322-3018-3

– 2 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 RLV © IEC 2015

CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4

1 Scope . 6

2 Normative references . 6

3 Terms and definitions . 7

4 Graphical symbols and abbreviations. 12

5 Optical fibre cables . 13

6 Materials . 13
6.1 Optical fibre . 13
6.1.1 General . 13
6.1.2 Attenuation coefficient . 13
6.1.3 Attenuation uniformity – Attenuation discontinuities . 14
6.1.4 Cable cut-off wavelength . 14
6.1.5 Fibre colouring. 14
6.1.6 Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) . 14
6.2 Electrical conductors . 14
6.3 Other materials . 14
6.4 Environmental requirements . 14
7 Cable construction . 15
7.1 General . 15
7.2 Colour coding . 15
7.2.1 Overview . 15
7.2.2 Unit colour coding . 15
7.2.3 Sheath colour coding . 15
8 Measuring methods . 15
8.1 General . 15
8.2 Measuring methods for dimensions . 16
8.3 Measuring methods for mechanical characteristics . 16
8.4 Measuring methods for electrical characteristics . 16
8.5 Measuring methods for transmission and optical characteristics. 17
8.6 Measuring methods for environmental characteristics . 17
8.7 Measuring methods for cable element characterisation . 17
9 Related Technical Reports . 17
Annex A (informative)  Guide to Guidelines for specific defined applications and
cabled fibre performance . 19
A.1 General . 19
A.2 Cabled fibre attenuation requirements. 19
A.3 Cabled fibre bandwidth requirements . 20
A.4 Type testing at 1 625 nm . 21
Annex B (informative)  Guide to Guidelines for qualification sampling . 22
B.1 Introduction General . 22
B.2 Fibre selection for cable testing . 22
B.3 Pass/fail criteria . 23
Bibliography . 24

Table 1 – Measuring methods for dimensions . 16

Table 2 – Measuring methods for electrical characteristics . 16

Table 3 – Measuring methods for transmission and optical characteristics of cabled

optical fibres . 17

Table A.1 – Maximum cabled fibre attenuation coefficient (dB/km), as given by ITU-T . 19

Table A.2 – Category A1 multimode fibre maximum cable attenuation coefficient

(dB/km) . 20

Table A.3 – Single-mode maximum cable attenuation coefficient (dB/km) . 20

Table A.4 – Category A1 multimode cabled fibre bandwidth (MHz∙km) . 21

Table A.5 – Guidance values for 1 625 nm type test acceptance criteria . 21

– 4 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 RLV © IEC 2015

INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION

______________
OPTICAL FIBRE CABLES –
Part 1-1: Generic specification – General

FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications,
Technical Reports, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC
Publication(s)”). Their preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested
in the subject dealt with may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-
governmental organizations liaising with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely
with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by
agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence
between any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in
the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.

This redline version of the official IEC Standard allows the user to identify the changes
made to the previous edition. A vertical bar appears in the margin wherever a change
has been made. Additions are in green text, deletions are in strikethrough red text.

International Standard IEC 60794-1-1 has been prepared by subcommittee 86A: Fibres and

cables, of IEC technical committee 86: Fibre optics.

This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition, published in 2011. This edition

constitutes a technical revision.

This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous

edition:
a) the expansion of the definitions, graphical symbols, terminology and abbreviations

content, with the aim of making this standard the default and reference for all others in the

IEC 60794-x series;
b) the inclusion of updated and expanded optical fibre, attenuation and bandwidth sections,
with the aim of making this standard the default and reference for all others in the
IEC 60794-x series.
The text of this standard is based on the following documents:
CDV Report on voting
86A/1651/CDV 86A/1667/RVC
Full information on the voting for the approval of this standard can be found in the report on
voting indicated in the above table.
A list of all parts in the IEC 60794 series, published under the general title Optical fibre
cables, can be found on the IEC website.
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged until
the stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data
related to the specific publication. At this date, the publication will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
A bilingual version of this publication may be issued at a later date.

IMPORTANT – The 'colour inside' logo on the cover page of this publication indicates
that it contains colours which are considered to be useful for the correct
understanding of its contents. Users should therefore print this document using a
colour printer.
– 6 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 RLV © IEC 2015

OPTICAL FIBRE CABLES –
Part 1-1: Generic specification – General

1 Scope
This part of IEC 60794 applies to optical fibre cables for use with communication equipment

and devices employing similar techniques and to cables having a combination of both optical
fibres and electrical conductors.
The object of this standard is to establish uniform generic requirements for the geometrical,
transmission, material, mechanical, ageing (environmental exposure), climatic and electrical
properties of optical fibre cables and cable elements, where appropriate.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and
are indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 60189-1, Low-frequency cables and wires with PVC insulation and PVC sheath – Part 1:
General test and measuring methods
IEC 60793-1-1, Optical fibres – Part 1-1: Measurement methods and test procedures –
General and guidance
IEC 60304, Standard colours for insulation for low-frequency cables and wires
IEC 60793-1-21, Optical Fibres – Part 1-21: Measurement methods and test procedures –
Coating geometry
IEC 60793-1-22, Optical fibres – Part 1-22: Measurement methods and test procedures –
Length measurement IEC 60793-1-40, Optical fibres – Part 1-40: Measurement methods and
test procedures – Attenuation
IEC 60793-1-40, Optical fibres – Part 1-40: Measurement methods and test procedures –
Attenuation
IEC 60793-1-44, Optical fibres – Part 1-44: Measurement methods and test procedures – Cut-
off wavelength
IEC 60793-1-46, Optical fibres – Part 1-46: Measurement methods and test procedures –
Monitoring of changes in optical transmittance
IEC 60793-1-48, Optical fibres – Part 1-48: Measurement methods and test procedures –
Polarization mode dispersion
IEC 60793-2, Optical fibres – Part 2: Product specifications – General
IEC 60793-2-50, Optical fibres – Part 2-50: Product specifications – Sectional specification for
class B single-mode fibres
IEC 60794-1-2, Optical fibre cables – Part 1-2: Generic specification – Basic optical cable test

procedures
IEC 60794-1-2:2003, Optical fibre cables – Part 1-2: Generic specification – Basic optical

cable test procedures
IEC 60794-1-21, Optical fibre cables – Part 1-21: Generic specification – Basic optical cable

test procedures – Mechanical tests methods

IEC 60794-1-22, Optical fibre cables – Part 1-22: Generic specification – Basic optical cable

test procedures – Environmental tests methods

IEC 60794-4-20:- , Optical fibre cables – Part 4-20: Aerial optical cables along electrical
power lines – Family specification for ADSS (All Dielectric Self Supported) Optical cables
IEC 60811-201, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 201: General tests – Measurement of insulation thickness
IEC 60811-202, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 202: General tests – Measurement of thickness of non-metallic sheath
IEC 60811-203, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 203: General tests – Measurement of overall dimensions
IEC TR 61931, Fibre optic – Terminology
ISO 14001, Environmental management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
ISO 14064-1, Greenhouse gases – Part 1: Specification with guidance at the organization
level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
no change in attenuation
acceptance criterion for attenuation measurement that includes an allowance for
measurement uncertainty arising from measurement errors or calibration errors due to a lack
of suitable reference standards
Note 1 to entry: For a practical interpretation, see IEC 60794-1-20 the following values shall be used:
a) no change in attenuation, single-mode (Class B): the total uncertainty of measurement shall be ≤ ± 0,05 dB
for attenuation or ≤±0,05 dB/km for attenuation coefficient. Any measured value within this range shall be
considered as “no change in attenuation”
The requirement for these parameters is indicated as “No change (≤ ± 0,05 dB or ≤ ± 0,05 dB/km)”.
_______________
To be replaced by future IEC 60794-1-22.
To be published.
To be published.
To be published.
To be published.
– 8 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 RLV © IEC 2015

By agreement between customer and supplier, minor deviation from this limit may be accepted at some low

frequency, e.g. less than 10%. However for mechanical tests no deviation in excess of 0,15 dB shall be accepted.
For environmental tests no deviation in excess of 0,10 dB/km shall be accepted.

b) no change in attenuation, multimode (Category A1): the total uncertainty of measurement shall be ≤ ±0,2 dB

for attenuation or ≤ ±0,2 dB/km for attenuation coefficient

Any measured value within this range shall be considered as “no change in attenuation”.

The requirement for these parameters is indicated as “No change (≤ ± 0,2 dB or ≤ ± 0,2 dB/km)”.

By agreement between customer and supplier, minor deviation from this limit may be accepted at some low

frequency, e.g. less than 10%. However for mechanical tests no deviation in excess of 0,5 dB shall be accepted.

For environmental tests no deviation in excess of 0,5 dB/km shall be accepted.

c) no change in attenuation, plastic optical fibre (Category A4): the total uncertainty of measurement for this
standard shall be ≤ 2 % of maximum specified attenuation in IEC 60793-2-40 Annex A to G.
Any measured value within this range shall be considered as “no change in attenuation”.
3.2
allowable change in attenuation
change in attenuation that may be a value
larger than the no change limits, depending on fibre category, single-mode or multimode,
cable design and application
3.3
link design attenuation
LDA
statistical average attenuation value for a link of concatenated cables
3.4
no change in fibre strain
acceptance criterion for fibre strain measurement that includes an allowance for measurement
uncertainty arising from measurement errors or calibration errors due to a lack of suitable
reference standards
Note 1 to entry: For a practical interpretation, see IEC 60794-1-20 the total uncertainty of measurement shall be
±0,05 % strain. Any measured value within this range shall be considered as “no change in strain”.
3.5
allowable change in fibre strain
level of strain that will not compromise fibre
mechanical reliability for some of the parameters specified
Note 1 to entry: For 1 % proof-tested fibres, the fibre strain under long term tensile load (T ) shall not exceed
L
20 % of this fibre proof strain (equal to absolute 0,2 % strain) and there shall be no change in attenuation during

the test
Under short term tensile load (T ) the fibre strain shall not exceed 60 % of the fibre proof strain and the
S
attenuation change during test shall be measured and recorded.
Other criteria may be agreed between the customer and the supplier.
For fibres proof tested at higher levels the safe long-term load will not scale linearly with proof strain, so a lower
percentage of the proof strain is applicable. For greater than 1 % up to 2 % proof-tested fibres, the strain at T
L
shall be limited to 17 % of the proof-test strain (equal to absolute 0,34 % strain for 2 % proof tested fibres).
3.6
cable load definitions (non-aerial applications)
3.6.1
long term load
T
L
acceptable amount of long term load which the cable may experience during operation (i.e.
after installation is completed)

Note 1 to entry: Long term load may be due to residual loading from the installation process and/or environmental

effect. This is the rated maximum load for which a cable is subject to in long term tests.

3.6.2
short term load
T
S
TM
acceptable amount of short-term load that can be applied to a cable without permanent

degradation of the characteristics of the fibres, cable elements or sheath

Note 1 to entry: Short term load is often called rated installation load.

3.7
cable load definitions and tensile testing terminology
(self-supporting aerial applications)
3.7.1
maximum allowable tension
MAT
maximum tensile load that may be applied to the cable without detriment to the performance
requirements (e.g. attenuation, fibre reliability) due to fibre strain
Note 1 to entry: Due to installation codes the MAT value is sometimes restricted to be less than 60 % of the
breaking tension of the cable.
3.7.2
strain margin
value of cable elongation at the onset of fibre strain
Note 1 to entry: Strain margin may also be expressed as cable load (N) at the onset of fibre strain.
3.7.3
breaking tension
tensile load that will produce physical rupture of the cable
Note 1 to entry: The breaking tension may be calculated, provided that the design model has been validated.
3.7.4
maximum installation tension
MIT
maximum recommended stringing tension during installation
3.7.5
rated tensile strength
RTS
summation of the product of nominal cross-sectional area, nominal tensile strength and
stranding factor for each load bearing material in the cable construction
Note 1 to entry: See IEC 60794-4:2003, Annex A for details of the recommended method to calculate breaking
tension of OPGW.
3.7.6
creep
tendency of a solid material to slowly move or deform permanently under the influence of
stress
Note 1 to entry: The information derived from creep testing may be used in the sag-tension calculations during
the design layout of aerial optical cables used along electrical power lines.
3.8
cable section
individual reel of cable, as produced

– 10 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 RLV © IEC 2015

3.9
fittings
hardware used for stringing and clipping of aerial cables to the structures (e.g. towers, poles)

at the end of the installation procedure

Note 1 to entry: Suspension, dead end, vibration damper and bonding clamps hardware are designed for a
specific size and/or type of aerial cable.

3.10
cable element
component of a cable designed to house and protect the optical fibres

Note 1 to entry: Changed from “fibre optic unit” in IEC 60794-4-10 to “cable element” to be consistent with
IEC 60794-1-23 and also to avoid confusion with IEC 60794-5-20.
3.11
polarization mode dispersion (PMD) terms
3.11.1
differential group delay
DGD
relative time delay between the two fundamental polarization modes (principal states of
polarization) at the end of an optical fibre cable, at a particular time and wavelength
Note 1 to entry: Differential group delay is expressed in ps.
3.11.2
polarization mode dispersion (PMD) value
average of DGD values across wavelengths
Note 1 to entry: The polarization mode dispersion value is expressed in ps.
3.11.3
polarization mode dispersion (PMD) coefficient
PMD value of an optical fibre cable divided by the square root sum of its length (km)
Note 1 to entry: The polarization mode dispersion coefficient is expressed in ps/√km.
3.11.4
link
length of cable composed of a number of individual cable sections
Note 1 to entry: Link PMD values are generally calculated according to the formulae given in IEC TR 61282-
3:2006 but may be measured.
3.12
recovery time
time allowed for any of the tests before performing the after test measurement
Note 1 to entry: For a practical interpretation, this is typically 5 minutes minimum.
3.13
Ruggedized cable
cable having enhanced mechanical performances
3.14
terminated cable assembly
length of cable provisioned with a connector at each end
Note 1 to entry: The following synonyms are used in ISO/IEC 11801: patch cords, work area cords and equipment
cords.
3.15
aerial cable types
3.15.1
all dielectric self-supporting

ADSS
cable that is capable to endure aerial installation and provide long term service, without any

external tensile support
3.15.2
optical attached cable
OPAC
dielectric cable that is not self-supported, but attached to an electrical earth wire or phase
conductor, using one of the following attachment methods: wrapped, lashed or preform
attached
3.15.3
wrapped
lightweight flexible non-metallic (“wrap”) cable that can be wrapped helically around either the
earth wire or the phase conductor using special machinery
3.15.4
lashed
non-metallic cables that are installed longitudinally alongside the earth wire, the phase
conductor or on a separate support cable (on a pole route) and are held in position with a
binder or adhesive cord
3.15.5
preform/spiral attached
cable similar to the lashed cables but attached with the use of special preformed spiral
attachment clips
3.15.6
optical ground wire
OPGW
metallic optical cable that has the dual performance functions of a conventional ground wire
with telecommunication capabilities
3.16
composite cable
optical fibre cable containing more than one fibre category
3.17
hybrid cable
cable that contains more than one media type, including but not limited to optical fibres and/or
twisted pair/quad cables and/or coaxial cables
3.18
rounding error
rule of “rounding half away from zero” when the results recorded display more than the
significant number of digits required in the acceptance criteria
EXAMPLE 1: Against a requirement of 0,22 dB/km maximum attenuation, values up to 0,224 dB/km conform, whilst
values of 0,225 dB/km and above are failures.
EXAMPLE 2: Against a requirement of ± 0,05 dB, values between -0,054 and +0,054 are deemed acceptable.

– 12 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 RLV © IEC 2015

3.19
maximum allowable ovality
largest permissible ovality of the optical unit or its component calculated as:

(d1 − d2) / (d1 + d2) in % where:

d1 is the maximum measured diameter of the cable or the component;

d2 is the minimum diameter of the cable or the component at the same cross-section as

d1.
3.20
breakout cable
cable consisting of subunits which may be separate fibre optical cables surrounded by a

sheath of suitable material
Note 1 to entry: In the application this outer sheath of the breakout cable can be removed over a certain length
and the subunits can be used as separate fibre optic cables.
4 Graphical symbols and abbreviations
For the purposes of this document, the abbreviations given in IEC TR 61931 as well as the
following apply
ADSS all dielectric self-supporting
APL aluminium/polyethylene laminate
∆D minimum wall thickness of a microduct
∆D’ minimum thickness of the outer sheath of a protected microduct
D nominal outer diameter of a microduct cable
d nominal outer diameter of a cable (including microduct fibre units)
dc nominal outer diameter of a conduit or subduct
DS detail specification
ID nominal inner diameter of a microduct
I/O-port input/output port for launching OF cables into and out of a pipe
λ cable cut-off wavelength
CC
λ operational wavelength
operational
LDA link design attenuation (tbd)
m mass of 1 km of cable (in the context of tensile testing)
MAOC maximum allowable ovality of cable

MAT maximum allowable tension
MIT maximum installation tension
n x d The product of a variable and the cable outer diameter used for determining
appropriate sizes for bends, mandrels, etc.
n x OD The product of a variable and the outer diameter of a microduct used for
determining appropriate sizes for bends, mandrels, etc.
n x OD’ The product of a variable and the outer diameter of a protected microduct used
for determining appropriate sizes for bends, mandrels, etc.
OD nominal outer diameter of a microduct
OD’ nominal outer diameter of a protected microduct
OPAC optical attached cable (or optical power attached cable)
OPGW optical ground wire
PE polyethylene
RTS rated tensile strength
SPL steel/polyethylene laminate

SZ technique in which the lay reverses direction periodically

t temperature cycling dwell time
T temperature cycling test low-temperature limit according to IEC 60794-1-22,

A1
Method F1
T temperature cycling test secondary low-temperature limit according to
A2
IEC 60794-1-22, Method F1
T temperature cycling test high-temperature limit according to IEC 60794-1-22,
B1
Method F1
T temperature cycling test secondary high-temperature limit according to
B2
IEC 60794-1-22, Method F1
T long term load
L
T short term load
S
W weight of 1 km of cable, microduct fibre unit or any form of ducting, as
applicable
5 Optical fibre cables
Optical fibre cables, containing optical fibres and possibly electrical conductors, consist of the
following types:
– indoor cables;
– patch cords;
– premises cabling;
– cables for installation in ducts and lashed aerial cables;
– cables for direct burial;
– cables for installation in tunnels;
– aerial cables;
– drop cables;
– underwater cables for lakes, river crossings and coastal applications;
– microduct cabling;
– cables for utility rights of way such as sewers, gas pipes and water pipes;
– overhead cables (power lines);

– optical cables for rapid/multiple deployment;
– other optical fibre cable types not listed above.
6 Materials
6.1 Optical fibre
6.1.1 General
Optical fibres shall meet the requirements of IEC 60793-1-1, IEC 60793-2 and the relevant
IEC standards. Annex A gives guidance on system application performance standards.
6.1.2 Attenuation coefficient
The maximum cabled fibre attenuation coefficient shall conform to Annex A. Particular values
may be agreed between the customer and supplier.

– 14 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 RLV © IEC 2015

The attenuation coefficient shall be measured in accordance with IEC 60793-1-40.

6.1.3 Attenuation uniformity – Attenuation discontinuities

The local attenuation shall not have point discontinuities in excess of 0,10 dB for single-mode

fibre and 0,20 dB for multimode fibre, when measured in accordance with IEC 60793‑1‑40.

6.1.4 Cable cut-off wavelength

For single-mode fibre, the cable cut-off wavelength λ shall be less than the operational
cc
wavelength, when measured in accordance with IEC 60793-1-44.

Unless otherwise stated, this shall be:
a) λ ≤ 1 260 nm for fibre categories B1.1, B1.3 and B6;
cc
b) λ ≤ 1 270 nm for fibre category B2;
cc
c) λ ≤ 1 450 nm for fibre categories B4 and B5;
cc
d) λ ≤ 1 530 nm for fibre category B1.2.
cc
6.1.5 Fibre colouring
If the primary coated fibres are coloured for identification, the coloured coating shall be
readily identifiable throughout the lifetime of the cable and shall be a reasonable match to
IEC 60304. Refer to 7.2 for the specification of fibre colour coding.
6.1.6 Polarization mode dispersion (PMD)
Cabled single-mode fibre PMD shall be characterized on a statistical basis, not on an
individual fibre basis, as described in IEC TR 61282-3. Measurements on individual cabled
fibres shall be performed in accordance with IEC 60793-1-48. Measurements on uncabled
fibre can be used to generate cabled fibre statistics when the design and processes are stable
and the relationship between the PMD coefficients of uncabled and cabled fibre are known.
The manufacturer shall supply a PMD link design value, PMD , that serves as a statistical
Q
upper bound PMD coefficient of the concatenated optical fibre cables within a possible optical
link. Unless otherwise specified in the detail specification, the PMD value shall be less than
Q
–4
0,5 ps/√km with a probability of 10 that this value be exceeded for a numerical
concatenation of at least 20 cables.
6.2 Electrical conductors
The characteristics of any electrical conductors shall be in accordance with the relevant IEC
standards.
6.3 Other materials
Material used in the construction of optical fibre cables shall be compatible with the physical
and optical properties of the fibres and shall be in accordance with the relevant IEC
standards.
6.4 Environmental requirements
When requested, information shall be provided on the overall environmental impact of the
cable and cable material. This information should include manufacturing, cable handling and
environmental impact during the lifetime of the cable. Examples of relevant information are
the minimisation or replacement of harmful materials and improvements in waste disposal.
Relevant standards include ISO 14001 and ISO 14064-1.

7 Cable construction
7.1 General
The construction, dimensions, weight, mechanical, optical, electrical and climatic properties of

each type of optical fibre cable shall be as stated in the relevant specification.

7.2 Colour coding
7.2.1 Overview
Coding is essential to uniquely identify each fibre in a cable. Coding of fibres almost

universally involves colouring of the fibre coating or buffer (see 6.1.5). The coding scheme
employed will usually require inclusion of coding of fibre, subunits, and units within the cable.
Coding schemes shall be agreed between manufacturer and customer. The specific scheme is
often the subject of regional norms. IEC 60304 identifies the colours to be used in fibre
colouring, but does not address the coding.
Sheath colour coding may be used for a variety of purposes, and is most commonly used in
indoor cables. Such sheath coding is used to identify the categories of fibre in the cable or the
application of the cable, amongst a number of other possibilities.
Unless otherwise specified, fibres shall be uniquely identified by a scheme agreed between
manufacturer and customer.
As per 6.1.5, colours shall be a reasonable match to IEC 60304. Other colours or schemes
may be used, as agreed.
7.2.2 Unit colour coding
If required as a part of the unique fibre identification scheme, units shall be uniquely
identified.
If colours are used, they shall be a reasonable match to IEC 60304. If other methods, such as
a print string, positional identification, threads, etc. are used, they shall conform to the intent
of the identification scheme.
7.2.3 Sheath colour coding
Sheath colour coding, if used, shall be as agreed between manufacturer and customer.

8 Measuring methods
8.1 General
Not all tests are applicable to all cables.
Intrinsic characteristics of optical fibres are not normally measured by cable manufacturers.
The relevant values are provided by optical fibre manufacturers, available as unitary or
statistical values. For practical reasons, the core diameter of single-mode fibres is not
specified. Mode field diameter is the relevant specification parameter.
Test results shall follow the rule of “rounding half away from zero”, when the results recorded
display more than the significant number of digits required in the acceptance criteria
(see 3.18).
Guidance on selecting fibres for testing is given in Annex B.

– 16 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 RLV © IEC 2015

8.2 Measuring methods for dimensions

The dimensions of the optical fibres, electrical conductors and cables shall be determined by

subjecting samples to tests selected from Table 1. The tests applied, acceptance criteria and

number of samples shall be as specified in the relevant specification.

Table 1 – Measuring methods for dimensions

Test method Test Characteristics covered by test
method
IEC 60793-1-21 Coating geometry measurement Diameter of primary coating

Diameter of inked coloured fibre
Diameter of secondary or “buffer”
coating
Non-circularities of secondary or
“buffer” coating
Primary coating-clading concentricity
error
IEC 60793-1-22 Method A Delay of transmitted and/or reflected Length of fibre
pulse
IEC 60793-1-22 Method B Backscattering technique Length of fibre
IEC 60189-1 Mechanical Diameter of electrical conductor
IEC 60811-201 Mechanical Thickness of insulation – electrical
conductors
IEC 60811-202
Thickness of sheaths
IEC 60811-203
Overall dimensions
8.3 Measuring methods for mechanical characteristics
The mechanical characteristics of optical fibre cables shall be verified by subjecting samples
to tests selected from IEC 60794-1-21. The tests applied and acceptance criteria shall be as
specified in the relevant specification.
8.4 Measuring methods for electrical characteristics
When electrical conductors or other metallic elements are incorporated in an optical fibre
cable, verification of various electrical characteristics may be necessary. Typical tests are
shown in Table 2, in addition to those given in IEC 60794-1-24. The tests applied and the
acceptance criteria shall be as laid down in the relevant specification.

Table 2 – Measuring methods for electrical characteristics
Test method Test Characteristics covered by
test method
IEC 60189-1 Conductor resistance Characteristics of insulated
electrical conductors
Dielectric strength of insulation The insulation properties of
conductors within optical
Insulation resistance
fibre cables are normally just
specified for the incoming
material, pre-cabling.
For cables installed along overhead power lines, specialised tests are given in future
IEC 60794-1-24 (Method H1: Short circuit test and Method H2: Lightning test method) and in
IEC 60794-4-20:2012, Annex C (Electrical test (tracking)).

8.5 Measuring methods for transmission and optical characteristics

The transmission and optical characteristics of optical fibre in cables shall be verified by

carrying out selected tests from those shown in Table 3. The tests applied and acceptance

criteria shall be as specified in the relevant specification.

Table 3 – Measuring methods for transmission

and optical characteristics of cabled optical fibres

Test method Test Characteristics covered by

the test method
Test methods for multimode and single-mode fibres fibre cables

IEC 60793-1-40 method B Insertion loss technique Attenuation
IEC 60793-1-40 method C Backscattering technique Attenuation
IEC 60793-1-40 method C Backscattering technique Point defects
IEC 60793-1-46 method A Transmitted power monitoring Change of optical
transmittance during
IEC 60793-1-46 method B Backscattering monitoring
mechanical and
environmental tests
Test methods for single-mode fibres
IEC 60793-1-48 Polarization mode dispersion Polarization mode dispersion

NOTE Bandwidth, chromatic dispersion and cable cut-off wavelength are not measured on cabled optical fibre.
8.6 Measuring methods for environmental characteristics
The environmental characteristics of optical fibre cables shall be verified by subjecting
samples to tests selected from IEC 60794-1-2:2003 60794-1-22. The tests applied and
acceptance criteria shall be as specified in the relevant specification.
8.7 Measuring methods for cable element characterisation
Tests to characterise the different types of cable elements for handling purposes are given in
future IEC 60794-1-23.
9 Related Technical Reports
Guidance to assist the user and installer with regard to the general aspects of the installation
of optical fibre cables is covered by IEC TR 62691 [2] .

gives guidance on tests for assessing the fire performance of
IEC TR 62222 [1]
communication cables installed in buildings.

IEC TR 62362 [4] gives guidance on the selection of optical fibre cable specifications relative
to mechanical, ingress, climatic or electromagnetic characteristics, as classified in
ISO/IEC 24702 [9].
An eva
...

IEC 60794-1-1 ®
Edition 4.0 2015-11
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
Optical fibre cables –
Part 1-1: Generic specification – General

Câbles à fibres optiques –
Partie 1-1: Spécification générique – Généralités

All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, no part of this publication may be reproduced or utilized in any form
or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and microfilm, without permission in writing from
either IEC or IEC's member National Committee in the country of the requester. If you have any questions about IEC
copyright or have an enquiry about obtaining additional rights to this publication, please contact the address below or
your local IEC member National Committee for further information.

Droits de reproduction réservés. Sauf indication contraire, aucune partie de cette publication ne peut être reproduite
ni utilisée sous quelque forme que ce soit et par aucun procédé, électronique ou mécanique, y compris la photocopie
et les microfilms, sans l'accord écrit de l'IEC ou du Comité national de l'IEC du pays du demandeur. Si vous avez des
questions sur le copyright de l'IEC ou si vous désirez obtenir des droits supplémentaires sur cette publication, utilisez
les coordonnées ci-après ou contactez le Comité national de l'IEC de votre pays de résidence.

IEC Central Office Tel.: +41 22 919 02 11
3, rue de Varembé info@iec.ch
CH-1211 Geneva 20 www.iec.ch
Switzerland
About the IEC
The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is the leading global organization that prepares and publishes
International Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies.

About IEC publications
The technical content of IEC publications is kept under constant review by the IEC. Please make sure that you have the
latest edition, a corrigenda or an amendment might have been published.

IEC Catalogue - webstore.iec.ch/catalogue Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
The stand-alone application for consulting the entire The world's leading online dictionary of electronic and
bibliographical information on IEC International Standards, electrical terms containing 21 000 terms and definitions in
Technical Specifications, Technical Reports and other English and French, with equivalent terms in 16 additional
documents. Available for PC, Mac OS, Android Tablets and languages. Also known as the International Electrotechnical
iPad. Vocabulary (IEV) online.

IEC publications search - webstore.iec.ch/advsearchform IEC Glossary - std.iec.ch/glossary
The advanced search enables to find IEC publications by a 67 000 electrotechnical terminology entries in English and
variety of criteria (reference number, text, technical French extracted from the Terms and Definitions clause of
committee,…). It also gives information on projects, replaced IEC publications issued since 2002. Some entries have been
and withdrawn publications. collected from earlier publications of IEC TC 37, 77, 86 and

CISPR.
IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished
Stay up to date on all new IEC publications. Just Published IEC Customer Service Centre - webstore.iec.ch/csc
details all new publications released. Available online and If you wish to give us your feedback on this publication or
also once a month by email. need further assistance, please contact the Customer Service
Centre: sales@iec.ch.
A propos de l'IEC
La Commission Electrotechnique Internationale (IEC) est la première organisation mondiale qui élabore et publie des
Normes internationales pour tout ce qui a trait à l'électricité, à l'électronique et aux technologies apparentées.

A propos des publications IEC
Le contenu technique des publications IEC est constamment revu. Veuillez vous assurer que vous possédez l’édition la
plus récente, un corrigendum ou amendement peut avoir été publié.

Catalogue IEC - webstore.iec.ch/catalogue Electropedia - www.electropedia.org
Application autonome pour consulter tous les renseignements
Le premier dictionnaire en ligne de termes électroniques et
bibliographiques sur les Normes internationales,
électriques. Il contient 21 000 termes et définitions en anglais
Spécifications techniques, Rapports techniques et autres
et en français, ainsi que les termes équivalents dans 16
documents de l'IEC. Disponible pour PC, Mac OS, tablettes
langues additionnelles. Egalement appelé Vocabulaire
Android et iPad.
Electrotechnique International (IEV) en ligne.

Recherche de publications IEC -
Glossaire IEC - std.iec.ch/glossary
webstore.iec.ch/advsearchform
67 000 entrées terminologiques électrotechniques, en anglais
La recherche avancée permet de trouver des publications IEC et en français, extraites des articles Termes et Définitions des
en utilisant différents critères (numéro de référence, texte, publications IEC parues depuis 2002. Plus certaines entrées
comité d’études,…). Elle donne aussi des informations sur les antérieures extraites des publications des CE 37, 77, 86 et
projets et les publications remplacées ou retirées. CISPR de l'IEC.

IEC Just Published - webstore.iec.ch/justpublished Service Clients - webstore.iec.ch/csc
Restez informé sur les nouvelles publications IEC. Just Si vous désirez nous donner des commentaires sur cette
Published détaille les nouvelles publications parues. publication ou si vous avez des questions contactez-nous:
Disponible en ligne et aussi une fois par mois par email. sales@iec.ch.

IEC 60794-1-1 ®
Edition 4.0 2015-11
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
colour
inside
Optical fibre cables –
Part 1-1: Generic specification – General

Câbles à fibres optiques –
Partie 1-1: Spécification générique – Généralités

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 33.180.10 ISBN 978-2-8322-5280-2

– 2 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 © IEC 2015
CONTENTS
CONTENTS . 2
FOREWORD . 4
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 7
4 Graphical symbols and abbreviations. 12
5 Optical fibre cables . 13
6 Materials . 13
6.1 Optical fibre . 13
6.1.1 General . 13
6.1.2 Attenuation coefficient . 13
6.1.3 Attenuation uniformity – Attenuation discontinuities . 13
6.1.4 Cable cut-off wavelength . 14
6.1.5 Fibre colouring. 14
6.1.6 Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) . 14
6.2 Electrical conductors . 14
6.3 Other materials . 14
6.4 Environmental requirements . 14
7 Cable construction . 14
7.1 General . 14
7.2 Colour coding . 15
7.2.1 Overview . 15
7.2.2 Unit colour coding . 15
7.2.3 Sheath colour coding . 15
8 Measuring methods . 15
8.1 General . 15
8.2 Measuring methods for dimensions . 15
8.3 Measuring methods for mechanical characteristics . 16
8.4 Measuring methods for electrical characteristics . 16
8.5 Measuring methods for transmission and optical characteristics. 16
8.6 Measuring methods for environmental characteristics . 17
8.7 Measuring methods for cable element characterisation . 17
9 Related Technical Reports . 17
Annex A (informative) Guidelines for specific defined applications and cabled fibre
performance . 18
A.1 General . 18
A.2 Cabled fibre attenuation requirements. 18
A.3 Cabled fibre bandwidth requirements . 19
A.4 Type testing at 1 625 nm . 20
Annex B (informative) Guidelines for qualification sampling . 21
B.1 General . 21
B.2 Fibre selection for cable testing . 21
B.3 Pass/fail criteria . 22
Bibliography . 23

Table 1 – Measuring methods for dimensions . 16
Table 2 – Measuring methods for electrical characteristics . 16
Table 3 – Measuring methods for transmission and optical characteristics of cabled
optical fibres . 17
Table A.1 – Maximum cabled fibre attenuation coefficient (dB/km), as given by ITU-T . 18
Table A.2 –Category A1 multimode fibre maximum cable attenuation coefficient
(dB/km) . 19
Table A.3 – Single-mode maximum cable attenuation coefficient (dB/km) . 19
Table A.4 – Category A1 multimode cabled fibre bandwidth (MHz∙km) . 20
Table A.5 – Guidance values for 1 625 nm type test acceptance criteria . 20

– 4 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 © IEC 2015
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
______________
OPTICAL FIBRE CABLES –
Part 1-1: Generic specification – General

FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote
international co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To
this end and in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications,
Technical Reports, Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as “IEC
Publication(s)”). Their preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested
in the subject dealt with may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-
governmental organizations liaising with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely
with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by
agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence
between any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in
the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this IEC Publication may be the subject of
patent rights. IEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
International Standard IEC 60794-1-1 has been prepared by subcommittee 86A: Fibres and
cables, of IEC technical committee 86: Fibre optics.
This bilingual version (2018-01) corresponds to the monolingual English version, published in
2015-11.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition, published in 2011. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
a) the expansion of the definitions, graphical symbols, terminology and abbreviations
content, with the aim of making this standard the default and reference for all others in the
IEC 60794-x series;
b) the inclusion of updated and expanded optical fibre, attenuation and bandwidth sections,
with the aim of making this standard the default and reference for all others in the
IEC 60794-x series.
The text of this standard is based on the following documents:
CDV Report on voting
86A/1651/CDV 86A/1667/RVC
Full information on the voting for the approval of this standard can be found in the report on
voting indicated in the above table.
The French version of this standard has not been voted upon.
A list of all parts in the IEC 60794 series, published under the general title Optical fibre
cables, can be found on the IEC website.
This publication has been drafted in accordance with the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2.
The committee has decided that the contents of this publication will remain unchanged until
the stability date indicated on the IEC website under "http://webstore.iec.ch" in the data
related to the specific publication. At this date, the publication will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
IMPORTANT – The 'colour inside' logo on the cover page of this publication indicates
that it contains colours which are considered to be useful for the correct
understanding of its contents. Users should therefore print this document using a
colour printer.
– 6 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 © IEC 2015
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
OPTICAL FIBRE CABLES –
Part 1-1: Generic specification – General

1 Scope
This part of IEC 60794 applies to optical fibre cables for use with communication equipment
and devices employing similar techniques and to cables having a combination of both optical
fibres and electrical conductors.
The object of this standard is to establish uniform generic requirements for the geometrical,
transmission, material, mechanical, ageing (environmental exposure), climatic and electrical
properties of optical fibre cables and cable elements, where appropriate.
2 Normative references
The following documents, in whole or in part, are normatively referenced in this document and
are indispensable for its application. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any
amendments) applies.
IEC 60189-1, Low-frequency cables and wires with PVC insulation and PVC sheath – Part 1:
General test and measuring methods
IEC 60304, Standard colours for insulation for low-frequency cables and wires
IEC 60793-1-21, Optical Fibres Part 1-21: Measurement methods and test procedures –
Coating geometry
IEC 60793-1-40, Optical fibres – Part 1-40: Measurement methods and test procedures –
Attenuation
IEC 60793-1-44, Optical fibres – Part 1-44: Measurement methods and test procedures –
Cut-off wavelength
IEC 60793-1-46, Optical fibres – Part 1-46: Measurement methods and test procedures –
Monitoring of changes in optical transmittance
IEC 60793-1-48, Optical fibres – Part 1-48: Measurement methods and test procedures –
Polarization mode dispersion
IEC 60793-2, Optical fibres – Part 2: Product specifications – General
IEC 60793-2-50, Optical fibres – Part 2-50: Product specifications – Sectional specification for
class B single-mode fibres
IEC 60794-1-21, Optical fibre cables – Part 1-21: Generic specification – Basic optical cable
test procedures – Mechanical tests methods

IEC 60794-1-22, Optical fibre cables – Part 1-22: Generic specification – Basic optical cable
test procedures – Environmental tests methods
IEC 60811-201, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 201: General tests – Measurement of insulation thickness
IEC 60811-202, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 202: General tests – Measurement of thickness of non-metallic sheath
IEC 60811-203, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 203: General tests – Measurement of overall dimensions
IEC TR 61931, Fibre optic – Terminology
ISO 14001, Environmental management systems – Requirements with guidance for use
ISO 14064-1, Greenhouse gases – Part 1: Specification with guidance at the organization
level for quantification and reporting of greenhouse gas emissions and removals
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
no change in attenuation
acceptance criterion for attenuation measurement that includes an allowance for
measurement uncertainty arising from measurement errors or calibration errors due to a lack
of suitable reference standards
Note 1 to entry: For a practical interpretation, the following values shall be used:
a) no change in attenuation, single-mode (Class B): the total uncertainty of measurement shall be ≤ ± 0,05 dB
for attenuation or ≤±0,05 dB/km for attenuation coefficient. Any measured value within this range shall be
considered as “no change in attenuation”
The requirement for these parameters is indicated as “No change (≤ ± 0,05 dB or ≤ ± 0,05 dB/km)”.
By agreement between customer and supplier, minor deviation from this limit may be accepted at some low
frequency, e.g. less than 10%. However for mechanical tests no deviation in excess of 0,15 dB shall be accepted.
For environmental tests no deviation in excess of 0,10 dB/km shall be accepted.
b) no change in attenuation, multimode (Category A1): the total uncertainty of measurement shall be ≤ ±0,2 dB
for attenuation or ≤ ±0,2 dB/km for attenuation coefficient
Any measured value within this range shall be considered as “no change in attenuation”.
The requirement for these parameters is indicated as “No change (≤ ± 0,2 dB or ≤ ± 0,2 dB/km)”.
By agreement between customer and supplier, minor deviation from this limit may be accepted at some low
frequency, e.g. less than 10%. However for mechanical tests no deviation in excess of 0,5 dB shall be accepted.
For environmental tests no deviation in excess of 0,5 dB/km shall be accepted.
c) no change in attenuation, plastic optical fibre (Category A4): the total uncertainty of measurement for this
standard shall be ≤ 2 % of maximum specified attenuation in IEC 60793-2-40 Annex A to G
Any measured value within this range shall be considered as “no change in attenuation”.
3.2
allowable change in attenuation
change in attenuation that may be a value
larger than the no change limits, depending on fibre category, single-mode or multimode,
cable design and application
– 8 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 © IEC 2015
3.3
link design attenuation
LDA
statistical average attenuation value for a link of concatenated cables
3.4
no change in fibre strain
acceptance criterion for fibre strain measurement that includes an allowance for measurement
uncertainty arising from measurement errors or calibration errors due to a lack of suitable
reference standards
Note 1 to entry: For a practical interpretation, the total uncertainty of measurement shall be ±0,05 % strain. Any
measured value within this range shall be considered as “no change in strain”.
3.5
allowable change in fibre strain
level of strain that will not compromise fibre
mechanical reliability for some of the parameters specified
Note 1 to entry: For 1 % proof-tested fibres, the fibre strain under long term tensile load (T ) shall not exceed 20
L
% of this fibre proof strain (equal to absolute 0,2 % strain) and there shall be no change in attenuation during the
test
Under short term tensile load (T ) the fibre strain shall not exceed 60 % of the fibre proof strain and the
S
attenuation change during test shall be measured and recorded.
Other criteria may be agreed between the customer and the supplier.
For fibres proof tested at higher levels the safe long-term load will not scale linearly with proof strain, so a lower
percentage of the proof strain is applicable. For greater than 1 % up to 2 % proof-tested fibres, the strain at T
L
shall be limited to 17 % of the proof-test strain (equal to absolute 0,34 % strain for 2 % proof tested fibres).
3.6
cable load definitions (non-aerial applications)

3.6.1
long term load
T
L
acceptable amount of long term load which the cable may experience during operation (i.e.
after installation is completed)
Note 1 to entry: Long term load may be due to residual loading from the installation process and/or environmental
effect. This is the rated maximum load for which a cable is subject to in long term tests.
3.6.2
short term load
T
S
TM
acceptable amount of short-term load that can be applied to a cable without permanent
degradation of the characteristics of the fibres, cable elements or sheath
Note 1 to entry: Short term load is often called rated installation load.
3.7
cable load definitions and tensile testing terminology
(self-supporting aerial applications)

3.7.1
maximum allowable tension
MAT
maximum tensile load that may be applied to the cable without detriment to the performance
requirements (e.g. attenuation, fibre reliability) due to fibre strain
Note 1 to entry: Due to installation codes the MAT value is sometimes restricted to be less than 60 % of the
breaking tension of the cable.
3.7.2
strain margin
value of cable elongation at the onset of fibre strain
Note 1 to entry: Strain margin may also be expressed as cable load (N) at the onset of fibre strain.
3.7.3
breaking tension
tensile load that will produce physical rupture of the cable
Note 1 to entry: The breaking tension may be calculated, provided that the design model has been validated.
3.7.4
maximum installation tension
MIT
maximum recommended stringing tension during installation
3.7.5
rated tensile strength
RTS
summation of the product of nominal cross-sectional area, nominal tensile strength and
stranding factor for each load bearing material in the cable construction
Note 1 to entry: See IEC 60794-4:2003, Annex A for details of the recommended method to calculate breaking
tension of OPGW.
3.7.6
creep
tendency of a solid material to slowly move or deform permanently under the influence of
stress
Note 1 to entry: The information derived from creep testing may be used in the sag-tension calculations during
the design layout of aerial optical cables used along electrical power lines.
3.8
cable section
individual reel of cable, as produced
3.9
fittings
hardware used for stringing and clipping of aerial cables to the structures (e.g. towers, poles)
at the end of the installation procedure
Note 1 to entry: Suspension, dead end, vibration damper and bonding clamps hardware are designed for a
specific size and/or type of aerial cable.
3.10
cable element
component of a cable designed to house and protect the optical fibres
Note 1 to entry: Changed from “fibre optic unit” in IEC 60794-4-10 to “cable element” to be consistent with
IEC 60794-1-23 and also to avoid confusion with IEC 60794-5-20.

– 10 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 © IEC 2015
3.11
polarization mode dispersion (PMD) terms

3.11.1
differential group delay
DGD
relative time delay between the two fundamental polarization modes (principal states of
polarization) at the end of an optical fibre cable, at a particular time and wavelength
Note 1 to entry: Differential group delay is expressed in ps.
3.11.2
polarization mode dispersion (PMD) value
average of DGD values across wavelengths
Note 1 to entry: The polarization mode dispersion value is expressed in ps.
3.11.3
polarization mode dispersion (PMD) coefficient
PMD value of an optical fibre cable divided by the square root sum of its length (km)
Note 1 to entry: The polarization mode dispersion coefficient is expressed in ps/√km.
3.11.4
link
length of cable composed of a number of individual cable sections
Note 1 to entry: Link PMD values are generally calculated according to the formulae given in IEC TR 61282-
3:2006 but may be measured.
3.12
recovery time
time allowed for any of the tests before performing the after test measurement
Note 1 to entry: For a practical interpretation, this is typically 5 minutes minimum.
3.13
Ruggedized cable
cable having enhanced mechanical performances
3.14
terminated cable assembly
length of cable provisioned with a connector at each end
Note 1 to entry: The following synonyms are used in ISO/IEC 11801: patch cords, work area cords and equipment
cords.
3.15
aerial cable types
3.15.1
all dielectric self-supporting
ADSS
cable that is capable to endure aerial installation and provide long term service, without any
external tensile support
3.15.2
optical attached cable
OPAC
dielectric cable that is not self-supported, but attached to an electrical earth wire or phase
conductor, using one of the following attachment methods: wrapped, lashed or preform
attached
3.15.3
wrapped
lightweight flexible non-metallic (“wrap”) cable that can be wrapped helically around either the
earth wire or the phase conductor using special machinery
3.15.4
lashed
non-metallic cables that are installed longitudinally alongside the earth wire, the phase
conductor or on a separate support cable (on a pole route) and are held in position with a
binder or adhesive cord
3.15.5
preform/spiral attached
cable similar to the lashed cables but attached with the use of special preformed spiral
attachment clips
3.15.6
optical ground wire
OPGW
metallic optical cable that has the dual performance functions of a conventional ground wire
with telecommunication capabilities
3.16
composite cable
optical fibre cable containing more than one fibre category
3.17
hybrid cable
cable that contains more than one media type, including but not limited to optical fibres and/or
twisted pair/quad cables and/or coaxial cables
3.18
rounding error
rule of “rounding half away from zero” when the results recorded display more than the
significant number of digits required in the acceptance criteria
EXAMPLE 1: Against a requirement of 0,22 dB/km maximum attenuation, values up to 0,224 dB/km conform, whilst
values of 0,225 dB/km and above are failures.
EXAMPLE 2: Against a requirement of ± 0,05 dB, values between -0,054 and +0,054 are deemed acceptable.
3.19
maximum allowable ovality
largest permissible ovality of the optical unit or its component calculated as:
(d1 − d2) / (d1 + d2) in % where:
d1 is the maximum measured diameter of the cable or the component;
d2 is the minimum diameter of the cable or the component at the same cross-section as
d1.
– 12 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 © IEC 2015
3.20
breakout cable
cable consisting of subunits which may be separate fibre optical cables surrounded by a
sheath of suitable material
Note 1 to entry: In the application this outer sheath of the breakout cable can be removed over a certain length
and the subunits can be used as separate fibre optic cables.
4 Graphical symbols and abbreviations
For the purposes of this document, the abbreviations given in IEC TR 61931 as well as the
following apply
ADSS all dielectric self-supporting
APL aluminium/polyethylene laminate
∆D minimum wall thickness of a microduct
∆D’ minimum thickness of the outer sheath of a protected microduct
D nominal outer diameter of a microduct cable
d nominal outer diameter of a cable (including microduct fibre units)
dc nominal outer diameter of a conduit or subduct
DS detail specification
ID nominal inner diameter of a microduct
I/O-port input/output port for launching OF cables into and out of a pipe
λ cable cut-off wavelength
CC
λ operational wavelength
operational
LDA link design attenuation (tbd)
m mass of 1 km of cable (in the context of tensile testing)
MAOC maximum allowable ovality of cable
MAT maximum allowable tension
MIT maximum installation tension
n x d The product of a variable and the cable outer diameter used for determining
appropriate sizes for bends, mandrels, etc.
n x OD The product of a variable and the outer diameter of a microduct used for
determining appropriate sizes for bends, mandrels, etc.
n x OD’ The product of a variable and the outer diameter of a protected microduct used
for determining appropriate sizes for bends, mandrels, etc.
OD nominal outer diameter of a microduct
OD’ nominal outer diameter of a protected microduct
OPAC optical attached cable (or optical power attached cable)
OPGW optical ground wire
PE polyethylene
RTS rated tensile strength
SPL steel/polyethylene laminate
SZ technique in which the lay reverses direction periodically
t temperature cycling dwell time
T temperature cycling test low-temperature limit according to IEC 60794-1-22,
A1
Method F1
T temperature cycling test secondary low-temperature limit according to
A2
IEC 60794-1-22, Method F1
T temperature cycling test high-temperature limit according to IEC 60794-1-22,
B1
Method F1
T temperature cycling test secondary high-temperature limit according to
B2
IEC 60794-1-22, Method F1
T long term load
L
T short term load
S
W weight of 1 km of cable, microduct fibre unit or any form of ducting, as
applicable
5 Optical fibre cables
Optical fibre cables, containing optical fibres and possibly electrical conductors, consist of the
following types:
– indoor cables;
– patch cords;
– premises cabling;
– cables for installation in ducts and lashed aerial cables;
– cables for direct burial;
– cables for installation in tunnels;
– aerial cables;
– drop cables;
– underwater cables for lakes, river crossings and coastal applications;
– microduct cabling;
– cables for utility rights of way such as sewers, gas pipes and water pipes;
– overhead cables (power lines);
– optical cables for rapid/multiple deployment;
– other optical fibre cable types not listed above.
6 Materials
6.1 Optical fibre
6.1.1 General
Optical fibres shall meet the requirements of IEC 60793-2. Annex A gives guidance on
application performance standards.
6.1.2 Attenuation coefficient
The maximum cabled fibre attenuation coefficient shall conform to Annex A. Particular values
may be agreed between the customer and supplier.
The attenuation coefficient shall be measured in accordance with IEC 60793-1-40.
6.1.3 Attenuation uniformity – Attenuation discontinuities
The local attenuation shall not have point discontinuities in excess of 0,10 dB for single-mode
fibre and 0,20 dB for multimode fibre, when measured in accordance with IEC 60793‑1‑40.

– 14 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 © IEC 2015
6.1.4 Cable cut-off wavelength
For single-mode fibre, the cable cut-off wavelength λ shall be less than the operational
cc
wavelength, when measured in accordance with IEC 60793-1-44.
Unless otherwise stated, this shall be:
a) λ ≤ 1 260 nm for fibre categories B1.1, B1.3 and B6;
cc
b) λ ≤ 1 270 nm for fibre category B2;
cc
c) λ ≤ 1 450 nm for fibre categories B4 and B5;
cc
d) λ ≤ 1 530 nm for fibre category B1.2.
cc
6.1.5 Fibre colouring
If the primary coated fibres are coloured for identification, the coloured coating shall be
readily identifiable throughout the lifetime of the cable and shall be a reasonable match to
IEC 60304. Refer to 7.2 for the specification of fibre colour coding.
6.1.6 Polarization mode dispersion (PMD)
Cabled single-mode fibre PMD shall be characterized on a statistical basis, not on an
individual fibre basis, as described in IEC TR 61282-3. Measurements on individual cabled
fibres shall be performed in accordance with IEC 60793-1-48. Measurements on uncabled
fibre can be used to generate cabled fibre statistics when the design and processes are stable
and the relationship between the PMD coefficients of uncabled and cabled fibre are known.
The manufacturer shall supply a PMD link design value, PMD , that serves as a statistical
Q
upper bound PMD coefficient of the concatenated optical fibre cables within a possible optical
link. Unless otherwise specified in the detail specification, the PMD value shall be less than
Q
–4
0,5 ps/√km with a probability of 10 that this value be exceeded for a numerical
concatenation of at least 20 cables.
6.2 Electrical conductors
The characteristics of any electrical conductors shall be in accordance with the relevant IEC
standards.
6.3 Other materials
Material used in the construction of optical fibre cables shall be compatible with the physical
and optical properties of the fibres and shall be in accordance with the relevant IEC
standards.
6.4 Environmental requirements
When requested, information shall be provided on the overall environmental impact of the
cable and cable material. This information should include manufacturing, cable handling and
environmental impact during the lifetime of the cable. Examples of relevant information are
the minimisation or replacement of harmful materials and improvements in waste disposal.
Relevant standards include ISO 14001 and ISO 14064-1.
7 Cable construction
7.1 General
The construction, dimensions, weight, mechanical, optical, electrical and climatic properties of
each type of optical fibre cable shall be as stated in the relevant specification.

7.2 Colour coding
7.2.1 Overview
Coding is essential to uniquely identify each fibre in a cable. Coding of fibres almost
universally involves colouring of the fibre coating or buffer (see 6.1.5). The coding scheme
employed will usually require inclusion of coding of fibre, subunits, and units within the cable.
Coding schemes shall be agreed between manufacturer and customer. The specific scheme is
often the subject of regional norms. IEC 60304 identifies the colours to be used in fibre
colouring, but does not address the coding.
Sheath colour coding may be used for a variety of purposes, and is most commonly used in
indoor cables. Such sheath coding is used to identify the categories of fibre in the cable or the
application of the cable, amongst a number of other possibilities.
Unless otherwise specified, fibres shall be uniquely identified by a scheme agreed between
manufacturer and customer.
As per 6.1.5, colours shall be a reasonable match to IEC 60304. Other colours or schemes
may be used, as agreed.
7.2.2 Unit colour coding
If required as a part of the unique fibre identification scheme, units shall be uniquely
identified.
If colours are used, they shall be a reasonable match to IEC 60304. If other methods, such as
a print string, positional identification, threads, etc. are used, they shall conform to the intent
of the identification scheme.
7.2.3 Sheath colour coding
Sheath colour coding, if used, shall be as agreed between manufacturer and customer.
8 Measuring methods
8.1 General
Not all tests are applicable to all cables.
Intrinsic characteristics of optical fibres are not normally measured by cable manufacturers.
The relevant values are provided by optical fibre manufacturers, available as unitary or
statistical values. For practical reasons, the core diameter of single-mode fibres is not
specified. Mode field diameter is the relevant specification parameter.
Test results shall follow the rule of “rounding half away from zero”, when the results recorded
display more than the significant number of digits required in the acceptance criteria
(see 3.18).
Guidance on selecting fibres for testing is given in Annex B.
8.2 Measuring methods for dimensions
The dimensions of the optical fibres, electrical conductors and cables shall be determined by
subjecting samples to tests selected from Table 1. The tests applied, acceptance criteria and
number of samples shall be as specified in the relevant specification.

– 16 – IEC 60794-1-1:2015 © IEC 2015
Table 1 – Measuring methods for dimensions
Test method Test Characteristics covered by test
method
IEC 60793-1-21 Coating geometry measurement Diameter of primary coating
Diameter of coloured fibre
Diameter of secondary or “buffer”
coating
Non-circularities of secondary or
“buffer” coating
Primary coating-clading concentricity
error
IEC 60793-1-22 Method A Delay of transmitted and/or reflected Length of fibre
pulse
IEC 60793-1-22 Method B Backscattering technique Length of fibre
IEC 60189-1 Mechanical Diameter of electrical conductor
IEC 60811-201 Mechanical Thickness of insulation – electrical
conductors
IEC 60811-202
Thickness of sheaths
IEC 60811-203
Overall dimensions
8.3 Measuring methods for mechanical characteristics
The mechanical characteristics of optical fibre cables shall be verified by subjecting samples
to tests selected from IEC 60794-1-21. The acceptance criteria shall be as specified in the
relevant specification.
8.4 Measuring methods for electrical characteristics
When electrical conductors or other metallic elements are incorporated in an optical fibre
cable, verification of various electrical characteristics may be necessary. Typical tests are
shown in Table 2, in addition to those given in IEC 60794-1-24. The tests applied and the
acceptance criteria shall be as laid down in the relevant specification.
Table 2 – Measuring methods for electrical characteristics
Test method Test Characteristics covered by
test method
IEC 60189-1 Conductor resistance Characteristics of insulated
electrical conductors
Dielectric strength of insulation The insulation properties of
conductors within optical
Insulation resistance
fibre cables are normally just
specified for the incoming
material, pre-cabling.
For cables installed along overhead power lines, specialised tests are given in
IEC 60794-1-24 (Method H1: Short circuit test and Method H2: Lightning test method) and in
IEC 60794-4-20:2012, Annex C (Electrical test (tracking)).
8.5 Measuring methods for transmission and optical characteristics
The transmission and optical characteristics of optical fibre in cables shall be verified by
carrying out selected tests from those shown in Table 3. The tests applied and acceptance
criteria shall be as specified in the relevant specification.

Table 3 – Measuring methods for transmission
and optical characteristics of cabled optical fibres
Test method Test Characteristics covered by
the test method
Test methods for multimode and single-mode fibre cables
IEC 60793-1-40 method B Insertion loss technique Attenuation
IEC 60793-1-40 method C Backscattering technique Attenuation
IEC 60793-1-40 method C Backscattering technique Point d
...