SIST EN IEC 60794-1-1:2023

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2023
Optični kabli - 1-1. del: Splošna specifikacija - Splošno (IEC 60794-1-1:2023)
Optical fibre cables - Part 1-1: Generic specification - General (IEC 60794-1-1:2023)
Lichtwellenleiterkabel - Teil 1-1: Fachgrundspezifikation - Allgemeines (IEC 60794-1-
1:2023)
Câbles à fibres optiques - Partie 1-1: Spécification générique - Généralités (IEC 60794-1
-1:2023)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN IEC 60794-1-1:2023
ICS:
33.180.10 (Optična) vlakna in kabli Fibres and cables
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN IEC 60794-1-1

NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM July 2023
ICS 33.180.10 Supersedes EN 60794-1-1:2016
English Version
Optical fibre cables - Part 1-1: Generic specification - General
(IEC 60794-1-1:2023)
Câbles à fibres optiques - Partie 1-1: Spécification Lichtwellenleiterkabel - Teil 1-1: Fachgrundspezifikation -
générique - Généralités Allgemeines
(IEC 60794-1-1:2023) (IEC 60794-1-1:2023)
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2023-06-26. CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC
Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the
same status as the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2023 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.

Ref. No. EN IEC 60794-1-1:2023 E

European foreword
The text of document 86A/2286/FDIS, future edition 5 of IEC 60794-1-1, prepared by SC 86A "Fibres
and cables" of IEC/TC 86 "Fibre optics" was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and
approved by CENELEC as EN IEC 60794-1-1:2023.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national (dop) 2024-03-26
level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the (dow) 2026-06-26
document have to be withdrawn
This document supersedes EN 60794-1-1:2016 and all of its amendments and corrigenda (if any).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national committee. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CENELEC website.
Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard IEC 60794-1-1:2023 was approved by CENELEC as a
European Standard without any modification.
In the official version, for Bibliography, the following notes have to be added for the standard indicated:
IEC 60793-2-50 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60793-2-50
IEC 60794-1-1 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-1-1
IEC 60794-1-2 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-1-2
IEC 60794-1-3 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-1-3
IEC 60794-1-23 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-1-23
IEC 60794-1-24 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-1-24
IEC 60794-1-401 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-1-401
IEC 60794-1-402 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-1-402
IEC 60794-2 (series) NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-2 (series)
IEC 60794-2-10 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-2-10
IEC 60794-2-11 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-2-11
IEC 60794-2-20 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-2-20
IEC 60794-2-21 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-2-21
IEC 60794-2-22 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-2-22
IEC 60794-2-30 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-2-30
IEC 60794-2-31 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-2-31
IEC 60794-2-40 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-2-40
IEC 60794-2-41 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-2-41
IEC 60794-2-42 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-2-42
IEC 60794-2-50 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-2-50
IEC 60794-3 (series) NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-3 (series)
IEC 60794-3-10 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-3-10
IEC 60794-3-11 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-3-11
IEC 60794-3-12 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-3-12
IEC 60794-3-20 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-3-20
IEC 60794-3-21 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-3-21
IEC 60794-3-30 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-3-30
IEC 60794-3-40 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-3-40
IEC 60794-3-70 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-3-70
IEC 60794-4 (series) NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-4 (series)
IEC 60794-4-10 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-4-10
IEC 60794-4-20:2018 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-4-20:2018 (not modified)
IEC 60794-4-30 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-4-30
IEC 60794-5 (series) NOTE Approved as EN 60794-5 (series)
IEC 60794-5-10 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-5-10
IEC 60794-5-20 NOTE Approved as EN 60794-5-20
IEC 60794-6 (series) NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-6 (series)
IEC 60794-6-10 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-6-10
IEC 60794-6-20 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-6-20
IEC 60794-6-30 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60794-6-30
IEC 61753-1 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 61753-1
ISO 14001 NOTE Approved as EN ISO 14001
ISO 14064-1 NOTE Approved as EN ISO 14064-1
Annex ZA
(normative)
Normative references to international publications
with their corresponding European publications
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments)
applies.
NOTE 1 Where an International Publication has been modified by common modifications, indicated by (mod), the
relevant EN/HD applies.
NOTE 2 Up-to-date information on the latest versions of the European Standards listed in this annex is available
here: www.cencenelec.eu.
Publication Year Title EN/HD Year
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- HD 402 S2 -
frequency cables and wires
IEC 60793-1-21 - Optical fibres - Part 1-21: Measurement EN 60793-1-21 -
methods and test procedures - Coating
geometry
IEC 60793-1-22 - Optical fibres - Part 1-22: Measurement EN 60793-1-22 -
methods and test procedures - Length
measurement
IEC 60793-1-40 - Optical fibres - Part 1-40: Attenuation EN IEC 60793-1-40 -
measurement methods
IEC 60793-1-44 - Optical fibres - Part 1-44: Measurement EN 60793-1-44 -
methods and test procedures - Cut-off
wavelength
IEC 60793-1-46 - Optical fibres - Part 1-46: Measurement EN 60793-1-46 -
methods and test procedures - Monitoring
of changes in optical transmittance
IEC 60793-1-48 - Optical fibres - Part 1-48: Measurement EN 60793-1-48 -
methods and test procedures - Polarization
mode dispersion
IEC 60793-2 - Optical fibres - Part 2: Product EN IEC 60793-2 -
specifications - General
IEC 60793-2-10 - Optical fibres - Part 2-10: Product EN IEC 60793-2-10 -
specifications - Sectional specification for
category A1 multimode fibres
IEC 60793-2-40 2021 Optical fibres - Part 2-40: Product EN IEC 60793-2-40 2021
specifications - Sectional specification for
category A4 multimode fibres
IEC 60794-1-21 - Optical fibre cables - Part 1-21: Generic EN 60794-1-21 -
specification - Basic optical cable test
procedures - Mechanical tests methods
IEC 60794-1-22 - Optical fibre cables - Part 1-22: Generic EN IEC 60794-1-22 -
specification - Basic optical cable test
procedures - Environmental test methods
IEC 60811-201 - Electric and optical fibre cables - Test EN 60811-201 -
methods for non-metallic materials - Part
201: General tests - Measurement of
insulation thickness
IEC 60811-202 - Electric and optical fibre cables - Test EN 60811-202 -
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 EN 60811-203 -
methods for non-metallic materials - Part
203: General tests - Measurement of
overall dimensions
IEC 60794-1-1 ®
Edition 5.0 2023-05
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 978-2-8322-6709-7
– 2 – IEC 60794-1-1:2023 © IEC 2023
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 4
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 7
4 Graphical symbols and abbreviated terms . 12
5 Optical fibre cables – IEC 60794 structure . 13
5.1 General . 13
5.2 IEC 60794-1 series . 13
5.3 IEC 60794-2 series . 14
5.4 IEC 60794-3 series . 14
5.5 IEC 60794-4 series . 15
5.6 IEC 60794-5 series . 15
5.7 IEC 60794-6 series . 15
5.8 IEC 60794-7 series . 16
6 Cable materials . 16
6.1 Indoor cable materials . 16
6.2 Outdoor cable materials . 16
6.3 Indoor/outdoor cable materials . 17
6.4 Environmental requirements for cable materials . 17
7 Cable construction . 17
7.1 General . 17
7.2 Colour coding . 17
7.2.1 Overview . 17
7.2.2 Fibre colour coding . 18
7.2.3 Unit colour coding . 18
7.2.4 Sheath colour coding . 18
7.3 Fibre . 18
7.3.1 General . 18
7.3.2 Attenuation coefficient . 18
7.3.3 Attenuation uniformity – Attenuation discontinuities . 18
7.3.4 Cable cut-off wavelength . 18
7.3.5 Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) . 19
7.4 Buffer tubes . 19
7.5 Tensile strength elements . 19
7.6 Crush protection elements . 19
7.7 Water blocking elements . 19
7.8 Sheath removal elements . 19
7.9 Cable sheath . 20
8 Measuring and test methods . 20
8.1 General . 20
8.2 Measuring methods for transmission and optical characteristics. 20
8.3 Measuring methods for dimensions . 20
8.4 Test methods for mechanical characteristics . 21
8.5 Test methods for environmental characteristics . 21
8.6 Test methods for cable element characterization . 21
8.7 Measuring and test methods for electrical characteristics . 21

IEC 60794-1-1:2023 © IEC 2023 – 3 –
Annex A (informative) Guidelines for specific optical fibre and cabled fibre
performance . 23
A.1 General . 23
A.2 Cabled fibre attenuation requirements. 23
A.3 Cabled fibre bandwidth requirements . 24
A.4 Type testing at 1 625 nm . 25
Annex B (informative) Guidelines for qualification sampling . 26
B.1 General . 26
B.2 Fibre selection for cable testing . 26
B.3 Pass/fail criteria . 27
Annex C (informative) Preferred temperatures . 28
Bibliography . 29

Table 1 – IEC 60794 structure . 13
Table 2 – IEC 60794-1 series . 14
Table 3 – IEC 60794-2 series . 14
Table 4 – IEC 60794-3 series . 15
Table 5 – IEC 60794-4 series . 15
Table 6 – IEC 60794-5 series . 15
Table 7 – IEC 60794-6 series . 16
Table 8 – Indoor cables materials (examples) . 16
Table 9 – Outdoor cable materials (examples) . 17
Table 10 – Measuring methods for transmission and optical characteristics . 20
Table 11 – Measuring methods for dimensions . 21
Table 12 – Measuring methods for electrical characteristics. 22
Table A.1 – Maximum single-mode cabled fibre attenuation coefficient (dB/km), as
given by ITU-T . 23
Table A.2 – Category A1- multimode fibre maximum cable attenuation coefficient
(dB/km) . 24
Table A.3 – Single-mode maximum cable attenuation coefficient (dB/km) . 24
Table A.4 – Category A1 multimode cabled fibre bandwidth (MHz∙km) . 25
Table A.5 – Guidance values for 1 625 nm type test acceptance criteria . 25
Table B.1 – Recommended minimum number of tested fibres in a cable . 26
Table C.1 – Preferred low and high temperature . 28

– 4 – IEC 60794-1-1:2023 © IEC 2023
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.
IEC 60794-1-1 has been prepared by subcommittee 86A: Fibres and cables, of IEC technical
committee 86: Fibre optics. It is an International Standard.
This fifth edition cancels and replaces the fourth edition published in 2015. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
a) reorganization of the document to a more logical flow making it easier for the reader:
b) expansion of the tables to include names and definitions of all documents in the IEC 60794‑x
series;
c) expansion of the definitions, graphical symbols, terminology and abbreviations content, with
the aim of making this document the default and reference for all others in the IEC 60794‑x
series;
IEC 60794-1-1:2023 © IEC 2023 – 5 –
d) inclusion of updated, reorganized and expanded optical fibre, attenuation and bandwidth
subclauses, with the aim of making this document the default and reference for all others in
the IEC 60794-x series.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
86A/2286/FDIS 86A/2313/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2, and developed in
accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1 and ISO/IEC Directives, IEC Supplement, available
at www.iec.ch/members_experts/refdocs. The main document types developed by IEC are
described in greater detail at www.iec.ch/publications.
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.
The committee has decided that the contents of this document will remain unchanged until the
stability date indicated on the IEC website under webstore.iec.ch in the data related to the
specific document. At this date, the document will be
• reconfirmed,
• withdrawn,
• replaced by a revised edition, or
• amended.
– 6 – IEC 60794-1-1:2023 © IEC 2023
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. Electrical properties are specified for optical ground
wire (OPGW) and optical phase conductor (OPPC) cables. Hybrid communication cables are
specified in the IEC 62807 series.
The object of this document 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 are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. 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 60793-1-22, Optical fibres – Part 1-22: Measurement methods and test procedures –
Length measurement
IEC 60793-1-40, Optical fibres – Part 1-40: Attenuation measurement methods
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 60793-2-10, Optical fibres – Part 2-10: Product specifications – Sectional specification for
category A1 multimode fibres
IEC 60793-2-40:2021, Optical fibres – Part 2-40: Product specifications – Sectional
specification for category A4 multimode fibres

IEC 60794-1-1:2023 © IEC 2023 – 7 –
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
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following
addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at http://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at http://www.iso.org/obp
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
the attenuation or ≤ ± 0,05 dB/km for the 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, for example 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
the attenuation or ≤ ± 0,2 dB/km for the 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, for example 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
document shall be ≤ 2 % of the maximum specified attenuation in IEC 60793-2-40:2021, Annex A to Annex I.
Any measured value within this range shall be considered as “no change in attenuation”.
___________
This document is progressively being replaced by the IEC 60794-1-2XX series.

– 8 – IEC 60794-1-1:2023 © IEC 2023
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 upper bound for the attenuation coefficient of the concatenated optical fibre 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
3.6
circuit integrity
ability of the cable under test to continue to operate in a designated manner whilst subjected to
a specified flame source for a specified period of time
3.7
fire resistance
ability of the cable under test to resist functional failure to operate in a designated manner whilst
subjected to a specified flame source for a specified period of time
3.8
shrinkage
irreversible contraction after extrusion of plastic materials caused by heating or over time at
ambient temperature
3.9
cable load definitions (non-aerial applications)
3.9.1
long-term load
T
L
acceptable amount of long-term load which the cable can experience during operation (i.e. after
installation is completed)
Note 1 to entry: Long-term load can be due either to residual loading from the installation process or environmental
effect, or both. This is the rated maximum load for which a cable is subject to in long term tests.
Note 2 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.
Note 3 to entry: For fibres proof tested at higher levels the safe long-term load will not scale linearly with the proof
strain, so a lower percentage of the proof strain is applicable. For proof-tested fibres at levels higher than 1 % and
up to 2 %, the strain at T shall be limited to 17 % of the proof-test strain (equal to absolute 0,34 % strain for 2 %
L
proof tested fibres).
IEC 60794-1-1:2023 © IEC 2023 – 9 –
3.9.2
short-term load
T
S
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.
Note 2 to entry: Under short term tensile load (T ) the fibre strain shall not exceed 60 % of the proof strain (equal
S
to absolute 0,6 % strain for 1 % proof-tested fibres) and the attenuation change during test shall be measured and
recorded.
3.10
cable load definitions and tensile testing terminology (self-supporting aerial
applications)
3.10.1
maximum allowable tension
MAT
maximum tensile load that can 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.
Note 2 to entry: This is also called ultimate operational strength (UOS), equal to 60 % of RTS (and fibre strain
< 0,35 %, 1/3 of proof test). MAT < 60 % UOS.
Note 3 to entry: This is also called every day stress (EDS), defined as 25 % of RTS and no fibre strain (< 0,05 %)
and no attenuation increase (< 0,05 dB).
3.10.2
strain margin
value of cable elongation at the onset of fibre strain
Note 1 to entry: The strain margin can also be expressed as cable load (N) at the onset of the fibre strain.
3.10.3
breaking tension
tensile load that will produce physical rupture of the cable
Note 1 to entry: The breaking tension can be calculated, provided that the design model has been validated.
3.10.4
maximum installation tension
MIT
maximum recommended stringing tension during installation
3.10.5
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
3.11
cable section
individual reel of cable, as produced

– 10 – IEC 60794-1-1:2023 © IEC 2023
3.12
cable element
component of a cable designed to house and protect the optical fibres
Note 1 to entry: This was 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.
Note 2 to entry: The cable sheath is included as a cable element.
3.13
polarization mode dispersion (PMD) terms
3.13.1
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.
3.13.2
polarization mode dispersion value
PMD value
average of DGD values across wavelengths
Note 1 to entry: The polarization mode dispersion value is expressed in ps.
3.13.3
polarization mode dispersion coefficient
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.
3.13.4
link
length of cable composed of a number of individual cable sections
Note 1 to entry: Link PMD values are generally calculated in accordance with the formulae given in IEC TR 61282-3
but may be measured.
3.14
terminated cable assembly
cable terminated with connectors
Note 1 to entry: A patch cord or jumper is one type of a terminated cable assembly.
Note 2 to entry: The following terms for terminated cable assemblies with connector(s) at both ends are used in the
ISO/IEC 11801 series: 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 of enduring aerial installation and providing 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

IEC 60794-1-1:2023 © IEC 2023 – 11 –
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 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 for overhead power lines that has the dual performance functions of a
conventional ground wire with telecommunication capabilities
3.15.7
optical phase conductor
OPPC
Metallic hybrid optical cable that has the dual performance functions of a conventional phase
conductor with telecommunication capabilities
3.16
composite cable
optical fibre cable containing more than one fibre category
3.17
hybrid communication cable
cable that contains more than one media type, including but not limited to optical fibres, twisted
pair/quad cables, or coaxial cables or all of them
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.
Note 1 to entry: Only the first digit beyond the number of significant digits is used in determining the rounding.
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:
2 × (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
___________
Please see ISO/IEC Guide 98-3:2008, Clause 7, on uncertainty of measurement for additional information.

– 12 – IEC 60794-1-1:2023 © IEC 2023
3.20
breakout cable
cable consisting of subunits which can 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 abbreviated terms
For the purposes of this document, the abbreviated terms 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
EDS every day stress
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
operational wavelength
λ
operational
LDA link design attenuation
m mass of 1 km of cable (in the context of tensile testing)
MAOC maximum allowable ovality of cable
MAT maximum allowable tension
MASS metallic aerial self-supported cables
MICE mechanical, ingress, climatic, or electromagnetic
MIT maximum installation tension
n × d product of a variable and the cable outer diameter used for determining
appropriate sizes for bends, mandrels, etc.
n × OD product of a variable and the outer diameter of a microduct used for
determining appropriate sizes for bends, mandrels, etc.
n × OD’ product of a variable and the outer diameter of a protected microduct used
for determining appropriate sizes for bends, mandrels, etc.
OCEPL optical cable to be used along electrical power lines
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
OPPC optical phase conductor
PE polyethylene
RTS rated tensile strength
IEC 60794-1-1:2023 © IEC 2023 – 13 –
S outdoor subterranean or sub-surface environment
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 in accordance with
A1
IEC 60794‑1‑22, Method F1
T temperature cycling test secondary low-temperature limit in accordance
A2
with IEC 60794-1-22, Method F1
T temperature cycling test high-temperature limit in accordance with
B1
IEC 60794‑1‑22, Method F1
T temperature cycling test secondary high-temperature limit in accordance
B2
with IEC 60794‑1‑22, Method F1
T long term load
L
T tensile load at “no fibre strain”
o
T short term load
S
UOS ultimate operation strength
W weight of 1 km of cable, microduct fibre unit or any form of ducting, as
applicable
5 Optical fibre cables – IEC 60794 structure
5.1 General
Optical fibre cables are a structure which is made of one or more elements containing optical
fibres, mechanical strength elements and a surrounding jacket or surrounding jackets for
protection against mechanical as well as environmental attacks. The IEC 60794 series consists
of the following parts (see Table 1):
Table 1 – IEC 60794 structure
IEC 60794-1-1 Generic specification
IEC 60794-2 Indoor cables – Sectional specification
IEC 60794-3 Outdoor cables – Sectional specification
IEC 60794-4 Sectional specification – Aerial optical cables along electrical power lines
IEC 60794-5 Sectional specification – Microduct cabling for installation by blowing
IEC 60794-6 Indoor-outdoor cables –
...