Engineering Standard

SAES-T-625 28 April 2012

Inter and Intra Building
Fiber Optic Communication Cables
Document Responsibility: Communications Standards Committee

Saudi Aramco DeskTop Standards

Table of Contents

1 Scope............................................................ 2
2 Conflicts and Deviations................................ 2
3 References.................................................... 2
4 Basic Design Requirements.......................... 4
5 Other Design Considerations........................ 6
6 Installation..................................................... 7
7 Testing and Inspection.................................. 7

Previous Issue: 2 June 2009 Next Planned Update: 2 June 2014

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Primary contact: Shehri, Ali A. on 966-3-8801335

Copyright©Saudi Aramco 2012. All rights reserved.

Document Responsibility: Communications Standards Committee SAES-T-625
Issue Date: 28 April 2012 Inter and Intra Building
Next Planned Update: 2 June 2014 Fiber Optic Communication Cables

1 Scope

This Standard prescribes Mandatory Requirements for Multimode Fiber Optic Cable
parameters associated with On-premises inter-building and intra-building installations
for all Data communications and Local Area Network applications. Other applications
like PBXs, video and various multiplexing uses for short-length links may also be
supported by this standard.

The multimode fiber optic cable parameters as specified in this standard are applicable
for transmission speed up to 155 megabits per second (Mbps) for distances up to 2 km
(OM1), transmission speed up to 1Gigabit per second (Gbps) for distances up to 550 m
(OM2) or transmission speed up to 10 Gigabit per second (Gbps) for distances up to
300m (OM3) only. For higher speeds and longer distances, singlemode fiber optic
cables shall be used.

2 Conflicts and Deviations

Any deviations, providing less than the mandatory requirements of this standard require
written waiver approval as per Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedure SAEP-302.

3 References

The selection of material and equipment, and the design, construction, maintenance, and
repair of equipment and facilities covered by this standard shall apply with the latest
edition of the references listed below, unless otherwise noted.

3.1 Saudi Aramco References

Saudi Aramco Engineering Procedure

SAEP-302 Instructions for Obtaining a Waiver of a
Mandatory Saudi Aramco Engineering
Requirement

Saudi Aramco Engineering Standards

SAES-O-100 General Requirements, Safety and Security
SAES-T-624 Telecommunications; Outside Plant-Fiber Optics
SAES-T-634 Telecommunications; Cable Testing and
Acceptance
SAES-T-916 Communications; Building Cable

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Document Responsibility: Communications Standards Committee SAES-T-625
Issue Date: 28 April 2012 Inter and Intra Building
Next Planned Update: 2 June 2014 Fiber Optic Communication Cables

3.2 Industry Codes and Standards

International Telecommunications Union – Telecommunications

Standardization Sector (ITU-T)
G.652 Characteristics of a Single-Mode Optical Fiber
Cable
G.653 Characteristics of a Dispersion-Shifted Single-
Mode Optical Fiber Cable
G.655 Characteristics of a Non-zero Dispersion Shifted
Single-Mode Optical Fiber Cable

American National Standard Institute

ANSI C2 National Electrical Safety Code (NESC)

Electronic Industries Association

EIA/TIA-492 Detail Specification for 62.5/125 micron Class Ia
Multimode, Graded-Index Optical Waveguide
Fiber
EIA/TIA-492A Sectional Specification for Class Ia Multimode,
Graded-Index Optical Waveguide Fiber
EIA/RS-455 Standard Test Procedures for Fiber Series Optic
Fiber, Cables, and Addendum (as referenced in
this standard)

National Electrical Code (NEC) – 2008 Edition

National Fire Code (NFC)

Rural Electrification Administration

REA PE-90 Specification for Filled Fiber Optic Cable (as
referenced in this standard)

Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual (TDMM) of the Building

Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI)

3.3 Other References

Saudi Arabian Government Safety and Security Directive

SSD/12 Communications

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Document Responsibility: Communications Standards Committee SAES-T-625
Issue Date: 28 April 2012 Inter and Intra Building
Next Planned Update: 2 June 2014 Fiber Optic Communication Cables

4 Basic Design Requirements

4.1 All fiber optic cables for inter-building (campus) and intra-building (building
distribution system - riser and plenum applications) shall be;

SINGLE-MODE OPTICAL FIBER (Dispersion-Shifted or Non-Zero

Dispersion-Shifted) - (In accordance with applicable ITU-T-652, 653, 655)

Or

62.5 μm (core)/125 μm (cladding) MULTIMODE, GRADED-INDEX

OPTICAL WAVEGUIDE FIBER (In accordance with applicable EIA/TIA-455
series)
Or
50 μm (core)/125 μm (cladding), MULTIMODE, GRADED-INDEX OPTICAL
WAVEGUIDE FIBER (In accordance with the latest version of ITU-T G.651)
Commentary Note:

Per Saudi Aramco IT best practice, it is highly recommended to use:

 Single Mode OS1 Fiber (ITU-T G.652.D) for Inter-building (campus)

connectivity.

 OM3 (50m) laser optimized fiber and/or Single Mode OS1 Fiber (ITU-T
G.652.D for intra-building backbone.

The optical fibers shall consist of a solid glass cylindrical core and cladding
covered by Ultra Violet (UV) acrylate or equivalent coating.

All fiber optic cables installed as wiring within buildings shall be air core,
Optical Fiber Non conductive Plenum (OFNP) or Optical Fiber Non conductive
Riser (OFNR) type with or without non metallic moisture barrier and shall be
listed as being suitable for the purpose, listed as being resistant to spread of fire
in accordance with the NEC article 770 Section 770-26, installed in accordance
with Section 770-110, and marked in accordance with Table 770-179.

Inter-building or entrance fiber optic cables shall be either air core or

Polyethylene sheath filled cables with or without metallic moisture barrier. All
filled cables and cables with metallic strength member or moisture barrier, shall
be terminated and grounded in accordance with the NEC codes.

4.2 The multimode fiber cores shall have graded (parabolic) refractive index profiles
with CORE DIAMETERS of 62.5 ± 3.0 micrometers when measured in
accordance with either

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Document Responsibility: Communications Standards Committee SAES-T-625
Issue Date: 28 April 2012 Inter and Intra Building
Next Planned Update: 2 June 2014 Fiber Optic Communication Cables

EIA/TIA-455-58A, or EIA-455-176.

The core non-circularity of fibers shall not exceed 6% when measured in

accordance with either

EIA-455-45A or EIA-455-176.

4.3 The CLADDING DIAMETER of the glass fiber shall be 125.0 ± 2.0
micrometers when measured in accordance with any one of the following test
methods:

EIA-455-45A; EIA-455-176; or

EIA/TIA-455-48B, Method A or B

The cladding diameter of the fiber shall be nominally concentric with the fiber
core. The cladding concentricity error shall not exceed 6% when measured in
accordance with

EIA-455-45A.

The cladding Non-circularity shall not exceed 2% when measured in accordance

with either

EIA-455-45A or EIA-455-48B.

4.4 The Numerical Aperture of the fiber shall be 0.275 ± 0.015 when measured in
accordance with

EIA/TIA-455-177.

4.5 The Attenuation of the fibers within the cable shall not exceed 4 dB/km at
850 nanometers and 1.5 dB/kilometer at 1300 nanometers when measured in
accordance with any one of the following test methods:

EIA/TIA-455-46A; EIA/TIA-455-53A; or EIA/TIA-455-61.

Attenuation discontinuities in the fiber's length shall not exceed 0.2 dB at

1300 ± 20 nanometers when measured in accordance with

EIA/TIA-455-59.

Measurement of the attenuation shall be conducted at the wavelength specified

for application and must be expressed in dB/km.

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Document Responsibility: Communications Standards Committee SAES-T-625
Issue Date: 28 April 2012 Inter and Intra Building
Next Planned Update: 2 June 2014 Fiber Optic Communication Cables

4.6 The minimum Bandwidth of the fiber cable shall be 160 MHz-km @
850 nanometers and 500 MHz-km @ 1300 nanometers when measured in
accordance with either

EIA-455-30A or EIA RS-455-51.

4.7 The optical fibers shall be coated with one or more plastic materials or
compositions to preserve the intrinsic strength of the glass. The COATING
DIAMETER shall be at least 250.0 ± 15.0 micrometers when measured in
accordance with either

EIA/TIA-455-55A or EIA-455-173.

The coating concentricity error shall not exceed 16% when measured in
accordance with

EIA-455-55A.

5 Other Design Considerations

5.1 The Microbending attenuation of the fiber shall not exceed 0.30 dB when
measured at 1300 ± 20 nanometers when measured in accordance with

EIA-455-37 and EIA-455-62.

5.2 The individual fiber shall withstand tensile stress of minimum 0.35 gigapascal
(50 kpsi) for approximately one second when measured in accordance with

EIA/TIA-455-31B.

5.3 The maximum force required to remove 25 mm of protective fiber coating shall
not exceed 13 newtons when measured in accordance with

EIA/TIA-455-178.

5.4 The color designations for Fiber and Buffer Tube identification shall be in
accordance with

REA PE-90, section-4.

5.5 The outer cable jacket shall be marked at regular intervals (not to exceed 2 m)
with the following information:

a) As required by NEC Article-770 (Table-770-179)

b) Name of Manufacturer

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Document Responsibility: Communications Standards Committee SAES-T-625
Issue Date: 28 April 2012 Inter and Intra Building
Next Planned Update: 2 June 2014 Fiber Optic Communication Cables

c) Year of Manufacture

d) Number of Fibers in the cable

e) Sequentially numbered length markers in meters

6 Installation

The installation of all Fiber Optic Cables for Inter and Intra-building applications
covered by this standard shall comply with this standard, SAES-O-100 (General
Requirements, Safety and Security), SAES-T-916 (Communications Building Cable),
the Telecommunications Distribution Methods Manual (TDMM) of the Building
Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI), the National Electrical Code (NEC),
and SSD/12.

7 Testing and Inspection

Test data shall be provided by the manufacturer for each purchases order of fiber optic
cables, complying with the following REA PE-90 specifications;

Outer Jacket - section 13

Cable Bend Test - section 18

Cable Impact Test - section 19

Cable Compression Test - section 20

Cable Twist Test - section 21

Cable Flex Test - section 22

Water Penetration Test - section 23 (filled cables only)

Compound Flow Test - section 24 (filled cables only)

In addition to the test data provided by the manufacturer, the Fiber Optic Cables shall be
tested for fiber continuity (end to end) and for splice loss as dictated in SAES-T-624
and SAES-T-634.

Cable pulling tensions and bending radii shall be monitored and maintained within the
limits specified in SAES-T-624.

Acceptance testing shall confirm that the installation facility meets its design and
specified transmission loss criterion as dictated in SAES-T-634.

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Document Responsibility: Communications Standards Committee SAES-T-625
Issue Date: 28 April 2012 Inter and Intra Building
Next Planned Update: 2 June 2014 Fiber Optic Communication Cables

All cables shall be visually inspected before, during and after installation for physical
damage to the cable in accordance with Saudi Aramco inspection procedures. All
damaged sections shall be repaired or replaced as directed by the Saudi Aramco
representative.

Revision Summary
2 June 2009 Minor revision to include the 50/125m multimode fiber, correct NEC referenced tables and
revised the "Next Planned Update".
28 April 2012 Editorial revision to change the primary contact.

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