Plastic Fiber Optic Cable for Fiber Based Optic

This specification describes the requirements for Plastic Fiber Optic Cable (hereinafter referred to as the “Cable”) to be used by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as sealing wire with a Fiber Based Optic Seal (FBOS), also known as COBRA seal. The Cable has 64 strands that run the entire length of the cable within the protective black sheathing. These plastic fibers transmit light from one end to the other very efficiently. When the seal is applied, a random number of these fibers are cut by the metal blade and will not transmit light. When the fiber optic cable is channelled into the COBRA seal body the individual fibers pack tightly at the end so the signature will not change over time. This signature is unique for every seal applied with random open, cut and partially cut fibers each transmitting a different amount of light or no light. The required Cable under this specification is the commercial cable ESKA High-Performance Plastic Optical Fibre SH1064 manufactured by Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation.