BS EN IEC 60794-1-31:2021

What is BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31 about?  

BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31 discusses optical fibre cables. BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31 provides generic specifications for optical fibre ribbon cables.  

Requirements which are described in BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31 apply to optical fibre ribbon cables for use with telecommunication equipment and devices employing similar techniques as optical fibre cables in BS EN IEC 60794-2 for indoor use, in BS EN IEC 60794-3 for outdoor use, in BS EN IEC 60794-4 for self-supporting overhead use, in BS EN IEC 60794-5 for air blown use and in BS EN IEC 60794-6 for indoor/outdoor use. 

BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31 illustrates the edge-bonded structure in which the bonding agent is applied predominantly between the fibres, encapsulated structure in which the bonding agent extends well beyond the extreme surface of any fibre, and partially bonded structure in which neighbouring fibres are fixed together periodically in the longitudinal direction. 

Who is BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31 for? 

BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31 on optical fibre ribbon cables is applicable to: 

• Manufacturers of fibre optic cables 
• Internet communication providers 
• Computer network sectors 

Why should you use BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31?  

Fibre optic cables are bonded into flat ribbons to address space and weight issues. BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31 establishes the ribbon structure, which is designated as edge-bonded, encapsulated or partially bonded. The edge-bonded and encapsulated ribbons described in BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31 are predominantly rigid in the transverse direction. The partially bonded structure enables the optical fibre ribbon to be rolled up easily and accommodated very tightly in cables.  

BS EN IEC 60794-1-31 takes into account factors such as ribbon structure properties, dimensions and structural geometry of optical fibre ribbons, identification of the ribbon by coding and colouring through which the strength and reliability of the fibre ribbon can be measured. 

What’s changed since the last update?  

BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31:2021 supersedes BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31:2018. BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31:2021 includes some technical changes with respect to BS EN IEC 60794‑1‑31:2018. These include: 

• The geometrical requirements for optical fibre ribbons with typically 250 μm coating diameters have been modified and those for the optical fibre ribbon with typically 200 μm coating diameters have been added 
• "Identification by positional identification" and "Identification by ribbon coding and fibre colouring" is moved to a new informative Annex A