Optical fibre cables - Part 3: Outdoor cables - Sectional specification (IEC 60794-3:2022)

This part of IEC 60794 specifies the requirements for optical fibre cables and cable elements
which are intended to be used externally in communications networks. Other types of
applications requiring similar types of cables can be considered.
Requirements for cables to be used in ducts, for directly buried applications, aerial cables and
cables for lake and river crossings are included in this document. Also included are cables for
specialized use in sewers and in water and gas pipes.
For aerial application, this document does not cover all functional aspects of cables installed in
the vicinity of overhead power lines. For such applications, additional requirements and test
methods can be necessary. Moreover, this document excludes optical ground wires and cables
attached to the phase or earth conductors of overhead power lines.
For cables for lake and river crossings, this document does not cover methods of cable repair,
nor repair capability, nor does it cover cables for use with underwater line amplifiers.

Lichtwellenleiterkabel – Teil 3: LWL-Außenkabel - Rahmenspezifikation (IEC 60794-3:2022)

Câbles à fibres optiques - Partie 3: Câbles extérieurs - Spécification intermédiaire (IEC 60794-3:2022)

IEC 60794-3:2022 est disponible sous forme de IEC 60794-3:2022 RLV qui contient la Norme internationale et sa version Redline, illustrant les modifications du contenu technique depuis l'édition précédente.

L'IEC 60794-3: 2022 spécifie les exigences relatives aux câbles et aux éléments de câble à fibres optiques destinés à être utilisés à l'extérieur dans des réseaux de télécommunication. D'autres types d'applications qui nécessitent des câbles d'une catégorie similaire peuvent être pris en considération. Le présent document comporte des exigences qui concernent les câbles destinés à être installés dans des conduites, les câbles directement enterrés, les câbles aériens et les câbles pour traversées de lacs et de rivières. Il comporte également des câbles destinés à des utilisations spécialisées, dans les égouts et dans les conduites d'eau et de gaz. Pour ce qui est des applications aériennes, le présent document ne couvre pas tous les aspects fonctionnels des câbles installés à proximité de lignes aériennes de transport d'énergie. De telles applications peuvent nécessiter l'adjonction d'exigences et de méthodes d'essai. En outre, le présent document exclut les câbles de garde avec fibres optiques et les câbles liés aux conducteurs de phase ou de terre des lignes aériennes de transport d'énergie. Pour les câbles pour traversées de lacs et de rivières, le présent document ne couvre pas les méthodes de réparation du câble ni de capacité de réparation, et ne couvre pas les câbles utilisés dans les amplificateurs de lignes pour traversées de lacs et de rivières. Cette cinquième édition annule et remplace la quatrième édition parue en 2014. Cette édition constitue une révision technique. Cette édition contient la modification technique majeure suivante par rapport à l'édition précédente: la spécification relative aux rubans a été supprimée car elle est couverte par l'IEC 60794-1-31.

Optični kabli - 3. del: Zunanji kabli - Področna specifikacija (IEC 60794-3:2022)

Ta del standarda IEC 60794 določa zahteve za optične kable in kabelske elemente, ki so namenjeni za zunanjo uporabo v komunikacijskih omrežjih. Ta dokument lahko obravnava tudi druge vrste uporab, ki zahtevajo podobne vrste kablov.
Zahteve za kable, ki se uporabljajo v kanalih, za neposredno vkopane kable, nadzemne kable in kable za prečkanje jezer in rek, so vključene v ta dokument. Vključeni so tudi kabli za specializirano uporabo v kanalizaciji ter v vodovodnih in plinovodih ceveh.
Za nadzemno uporabo ta dokument ne zajema vseh funkcionalnih vidikov kablov, nameščenih v bližini nadzemnih električnih vodov. Za takšne vrste uporabe so morda potrebne dodatne zahteve in preskusne metode. Poleg tega ta dokument izključuje optične ozemljitvene žice in kable, pritrjene na fazne ali ozemljitvene vodnike nadzemnih električnih vodov.
Za kable, ki prečkajo jezera in reke, ta dokument ne zajema metod popravila kablov ali možnosti popravil niti ne zajema kablov za uporabo s podvodnimi ojačevalniki.

General Information

Status
Published
Publication Date
13-Apr-2022
Technical Committee
Current Stage
6060 - National Implementation/Publication (Adopted Project)
Start Date
08-Apr-2022
Due Date
13-Jun-2022
Completion Date
14-Apr-2022

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SLOVENSKI STANDARD
SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022
01-junij-2022
Nadomešča:
SIST EN 60794-3:2015
Optični kabli - 3. del: Zunanji kabli - Področna specifikacija (IEC 60794-3:2022)
Optical fibre cables - Part 3: Outdoor cables - Sectional specification (IEC 60794-3:2022)
Lichtwellenleiterkabel – Teil 3: LWL-Außenkabel - Rahmenspezifikation (IEC 60794-
3:2022)
Câbles à fibres optiques - Partie 3: Câbles extérieurs - Spécification intermédiaire (IEC
60794-3:2022)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN IEC 60794-3:2022
ICS:
33.180.10 (Optična) vlakna in kabli Fibres and cables
SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022 en
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022


EUROPEAN STANDARD EN IEC 60794-3

NORME EUROPÉENNE

EUROPÄISCHE NORM April 2022
ICS 33.180.10 Supersedes EN 60794-3:2015 and all of its amendments
and corrigenda (if any)
English Version
Optical fibre cables - Part 3: Outdoor cables - Sectional
specification
(IEC 60794-3:2022)
Câbles à fibres optiques - Partie 3: Câbles extérieurs - Lichtwellenleiterkabel - Teil 3: Rahmenspezifikation -
Spécification intermédiaire Außenkabel
(IEC 60794-3:2022) (IEC 60794-3:2022)
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2022-03-24. 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,
Turkey 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
© 2022 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
 Ref. No. EN IEC 60794-3:2022 E

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022
EN IEC 60794-3:2022 (E)
European foreword
The text of document 86A/2155/FDIS, future edition 5 of IEC 60794-3, 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 60794-3:2022.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national (dop) 2022-12-24
level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the (dow) 2025-03-24
document have to be withdrawn

This document supersedes EN 60794-3:2015 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 60794-3:2022 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 standards
indicated:
IEC 60794-1-2:2021 NOTE Harmonized as EN IEC 60794-1-2:2021 (not modified)
IEC 60794-1-24 NOTE Harmonized as EN 60794-1-24
IEC 60794-1-3 NOTE Harmonized as EN 60794-1-3
IEC 60794-1-31 NOTE Harmonized as EN IEC 60794-1-31
2

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022
EN IEC 60794-3:2022 (E)
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.cenelec.eu.
Publication Year Title EN/HD Year
IEC 60304 - Standard colours for insulation for low- HD 402 S2 -
frequency cables and wires
IEC 60708 - Low-frequency cables with polyolefin EN 60708 -
insulation and moisture barrier polyolefin
sheath
IEC 60793-1-21 - Optical fibres - Part 1-21: Measurement EN 60793-1-21 -
methods and test procedures - Coating
geometry
IEC 60793-1-32 - Optical fibres - Part 1-32: Measurement EN IEC 60793-1-32 -
methods and test procedures - Coating
strippability
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 60793-2 - Optical fibres - Part 2: Product EN IEC 60793-2 -
specifications - General
IEC 60794-1-1 - Optical fibre cables - Part 1-1: Generic EN 60794-1-1 -
specification - General
IEC 60794-1-21 2015 Optical fibre cables - Part 1-21: Generic EN 60794-1-21 2015
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 60794-1-23 - Optical fibre cables - Part 1-23: Generic EN IEC 60794-1-23 -
specification - Basic optical cable test
procedures - Cable element test methods
3

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022
EN IEC 60794-3:2022 (E)
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 60811-401 - Electric and optical fibre cables - Test EN 60811-401 -
methods for non-metallic materials - Part
401: Miscellaneous tests - Thermal ageing
methods - Ageing in an air oven
IEC 60811-406 - Electric and optical fibre cables - Test EN 60811-406 -
methods for non-metallic materials - Part
406: Miscellaneous tests - Resistance to
stress cracking of polyethylene and
polypropylene compounds
IEC 60811-501 - Electric and optical fibre cables - Test EN 60811-501 -
methods for non-metallic materials - Part
501: Mechanical tests - Tests for
determining the mechanical properties of
insulating and sheathing compounds
IEC 60811-604 2012 Electric and optical fibre cables - Test EN 60811-604 2012
methods for non-metallic materials - Part
604: Physical tests - Measurement of
absence of corrosive components in filling
compounds
IEC 60811-607 - Electric and optical fibre cables - Test EN 60811-607 -
methods for non-metallic materials - Part
607: Physical tests - Test for the
assessment of carbon black dispersion in
polyethylene and polypropylene


4

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022



IEC 60794-3

®


Edition 5.0 2022-02




INTERNATIONAL



STANDARD




NORME



INTERNATIONALE











Optical fibre cables –

Part 3: Outdoor cables – Sectional specification




Câbles à fibres optiques –

Partie 3: Câbles extérieurs – Spécification intermédiaire
















INTERNATIONAL

ELECTROTECHNICAL

COMMISSION


COMMISSION

ELECTROTECHNIQUE


INTERNATIONALE




ICS 33.180.10 ISBN 978-2-8322-1077-4




Warning! Make sure that you obtained this publication from an authorized distributor.

Attention! Veuillez vous assurer que vous avez obtenu cette publication via un distributeur agréé.

® Registered trademark of the International Electrotechnical Commission
Marque déposée de la Commission Electrotechnique Internationale

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022
– 2 – IEC 60794-3:2022 © IEC 2022
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 3
INTRODUCTION . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms . 7
4 Optical fibre . 7
4.1 General . 7
4.2 Attenuation . 7
4.2.1 Attenuation coefficient . 7
4.2.2 Attenuation uniformity – Attenuation discontinuities . 8
4.3 Cut-off wavelength . 8
4.4 Fibre colouring . 8
4.5 Polarization mode dispersion (PMD) . 8
5 Cable element . 8
5.1 General . 8
5.2 Tight secondary coating or buffer . 9
5.3 Ruggedized fibre . 9
5.4 Slotted core . 9
5.5 Polymeric tube . 9
5.6 Ribbon . 9
5.7 Metallic tube . 10
5.7.1 Metallic tube on the optical core . 10
5.7.2 Fibres directly located in a metallic tube . 10
6 Optical fibre cable construction . 10
6.1 General . 10
6.2 Lay-up of the cable elements . 10
6.3 Cable core filling . 11
6.4 Strength member . 11
6.5 Moisture barrier . 11
6.6 Cable sheath and armouring . 12
6.6.1 Inner sheath . 12
6.6.2 Armouring . 12
6.6.3 Outer sheath . 12
6.7 Sheath marking . 13
7 Installation and operating conditions . 13
8 Characterization of cable elements . 13
9 Optical fibre cable tests . 14
10 Quality assurance . 15
Bibliography . 16

Table 1 – Characteristics of different types of cable elements . 14
Table 2 – Mechanical and environmental applicable tests . 15

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022
IEC 60794-3:2022 © IEC 2022 – 3 –
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________

OPTICAL FIBRE CABLES –

Part 3: Outdoor cables – Sectional specification

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 60794-3 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 2014. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical change with respect to the previous
edition: the ribbon specification has been removed, because it is covered in IEC 60794-1-31.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
86A/2155/FDIS 86A/2184/RVD

Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022
– 4 – IEC 60794-3:2022 © IEC 2022
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/standardsdev/publications.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.
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.

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022
IEC 60794-3:2022 © IEC 2022 – 5 –
INTRODUCTION
IEC 60794-1-21, IEC 60794-1-22, IEC 60794-1-23, and IEC 60794-1-24 have been (or will be)
divided into multiple standards which defines one test method each. IEC 60794-1-2:2021 gives
cross references between old standards and new standards.

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022
– 6 – IEC 60794-3:2022 © IEC 2022
OPTICAL FIBRE CABLES –

Part 3: Outdoor cables – Sectional specification



1 Scope
This part of IEC 60794 specifies the requirements for optical fibre cables and cable elements
which are intended to be used externally in communications networks. Other types of
applications requiring similar types of cables can be considered.
Requirements for cables to be used in ducts, for directly buried applications, aerial cables and
cables for lake and river crossings are included in this document. Also included are cables for
specialized use in sewers and in water and gas pipes.
For aerial application, this document does not cover all functional aspects of cables installed in
the vicinity of overhead power lines. For such applications, additional requirements and test
methods can be necessary. Moreover, this document excludes optical ground wires and cables
attached to the phase or earth conductors of overhead power lines.
For cables for lake and river crossings, this document does not cover methods of cable repair,
nor repair capability, nor does it cover cables for use with underwater line amplifiers.
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 60304, Standard colours for insulation for low-frequency cables and wires
IEC 60708, Low-frequency cables with polyolefin insulation and moisture barrier polyolefin
sheath
IEC 60793-1-21, Optical fibres – Part 1-21: Measurement methods and test procedures –
Coating geometry
IEC 60793-1-32, Optical fibres – Part 1-32: Measurement methods and test procedures –
Coating strippability
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 60793-2, Optical fibres – Part 2: Product specifications – General
IEC 60794-1-1, Optical fibre cables – Part 1-1: Generic specification – General
IEC 60794-1-21:2015, Optical fibre cables – Part 1-21: Generic specification – Basic optical
cable test procedures – Mechanical test methods

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022
IEC 60794-3:2022 © IEC 2022 – 7 –
IEC 60794-1-22, Optical fibre cables – Part 1-22: Generic specification – Basic optical cable
test procedures – Environmental test methods
IEC 60794-1-23, Optical fibre cables – Part 1-23: Generic specification – Basic optical cable
test procedures – Cable elements test methods
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 60811-401, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 401: Miscellaneous tests – Thermal ageing methods – Ageing in an air oven
IEC 60811-406, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 406: Miscellaneous tests – Resistance to stress cracking of polyethylene and
polypropylene compounds
IEC 60811-501, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 501: Mechanical tests – Tests for determining the mechanical properties of insulating and
sheathing compounds
IEC 60811-604:2012, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials
– Part 604: Physical tests – Measurement of absence of corrosive components in filling
compounds
IEC 60811-607, Electric and optical fibre cables – Test methods for non-metallic materials –
Part 607: Physical tests – Test for the assessment of carbon black dispersion in polyethylene
and polypropylene
3 Terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms
For the purposes of this document, the terms, definitions, symbols and abbreviated terms given
in IEC 60794-1-1 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
4 Optical fibre
4.1 General
Optical fibres shall be used which meet the requirements of IEC 60793-2. The fibre type shall
be agreed between the customer and supplier.
4.2 Attenuation
4.2.1 Attenuation coefficient
The maximum cabled fibre attenuation coefficient shall conform to IEC 60794-1-1. Particular
values may be agreed between the customer and supplier.

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022
– 8 – IEC 60794-3:2022 © IEC 2022
The attenuation coefficient shall be measured in accordance with IEC 60793-1-40.
4.2.2 Attenuation uniformity – Attenuation discontinuities
Attenuation uniformity shall conform to IEC 60794-1-1.
4.3 Cut-off wavelength
For single-mode fibre, the cabled fibre cut-off wavelength λ shall be less than the operational
cc
wavelength, when measured in accordance with IEC 60793-1-44, and in conformity with
IEC 60794-1-1.
4.4 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.
4.5 Polarization mode dispersion (PMD)
Cabled single-mode fibre PMD shall conform to IEC 60794-1-1.
5 Cable element
5.1 General
Generally, optical cables comprise several elements or individual constituents, depending on
the cable design which takes into account the cable application, operating environment and
manufacturing processes, as well as the need to protect the fibre during handling and cabling.
The material(s) used for a cable element shall be selected to be compatible with the other
elements in contact with it. An appropriate compatibility test method shall be defined in the
family or detail specification.
When the fibres are in contact with a filling compound, the compatibility of the filling compound
with the fibre coating shall be demonstrated by testing coating stripping force stability after
1
accelerated ageing in accordance with IEC 60794-1-23, method G10A, G10B, or G10C method
2
A, B, and C). Aging condition should be in accordance with IEC 60794-1-22, method F9 , but
alternative ageing conditions and tests may be agreed between the customer and supplier.
Optical elements are cable elements containing optical fibres and are designed to be a primary
functional unit of the cable core. They may comprise any of the cable elements described in 5.2
to 5.7. Optical elements and each fibre within a cable element shall be uniquely identified, for
example by colours, a positional configuration, markings, tapes, threads or as specified in the
detail specification.
Tests may be performed on cable elements either in uncabled form or in a finished cable. Unless
otherwise specified, testing shall be performed on cable elements in a finished cable. This
means that testing shall be performed only on a finished cable if the cable element
manufacturing operation is done by the same manufacturer as the cabling operation. Testing
shall be performed on cable elements only if the cable element is supplied by a third party; this
does not exclude testing of the finished cable.
Different types of optical elements are described in 5.2 to 5.7 and in IEC 60794-1-3.
___________
1
These are intented to be replaced. See Introduction.
2
This is intented to be replaced. See Introduction.

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SIST EN IEC 60794-3:2022
IEC 60794-3:2022 © IEC 2022 – 9 –
5.2 Tight secondary coating or buffer
If a tight secondary coating is required, it shall consist of one or more layers of polymeric
material. The coating shall be easily removable for splicing. For tight buffers, the buffer and
fibre primary coating shall be removable in one operation over a length of 10 mm to 25 mm,
depending on customer requirements. The nominal overall diameter of the secondary coating
shall be between 800 µm and 900 µm. The value, which shall be agreed between the customer
and supplier, shall have a tolerance of ±50 µm. The fibre/secondary coating eccentricity shall
not exceed 75 µm, unless otherwise agreed between the customer and supplier.
The colour of the tight secondary coating shall be readily identifiable throughout the life-time of
the cable and shall be a reasonable match to IEC 60304.
5.3 Ruggedized fibre
Further protection can be provided to tight secondary coated fibres by surrounding one or more
with non-metallic strength members within a sheath of suitable material (e.g. for fan-out cables).
5.4 Slotted core
The slotted core is obtained by extruding a suitable material (for example polyethylene or
polypropylene) with a defined number of slots, providing helical or SZ configuration along the
core. One or more primary coated fibres or optical element is located in each slot which may
be filled by compound.
The slotted core usually contains a central element which may be either metallic or non-metallic.
In this case, there shall be adequate adhesion between the central element and the extruded
core in order to obtain the required temperature stability and tensile behaviour for the slotted
core element.
The profile of the slot shall be uniform and shall ensure the optical and mechanical performance
required of the optical cable.
5.5 Polymeric tube
One or more primary c
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