Cabling

Cable Loss Calculator

Calculate decibel drop over copper or fiber runs to check signal integrity. Includes connector and splice losses for accurate link budgets.

Cable Specifications

Number of mated connector pairs in the link

How to Use

  1. 1Select the cable category (fiber or copper)
  2. 2Choose the specific cable type and enter the length
  3. 3Specify the number of connectors and splices
  4. 4Review the total loss and compare against equipment tolerances

Connector & Splice Losses

  • Fiber connector: 0.3-0.5 dB per mated pair
  • Fusion splice: 0.1 dB typical
  • Mechanical splice: 0.2-0.5 dB
  • Copper patch panel: Minimal (included in channel specs)

Loss Budget

2.17

Total Loss (dB)

Excellent - Within most SFP+ budgets

Cable attenuation0.17 dB
Connector loss (4 pairs)2.00 dB
Splice loss0.00 dB

Equipment Tolerances

  • 1 Gbps SFP: typically 10-15 dB budget
  • 10 Gbps SFP+: typically 6-10 dB budget
  • 25 Gbps SFP28: typically 5-8 dB budget

Typical Attenuation Values

Cable TypeAttenuationNotes
Single-mode @ 1310nm0.35 dB/kmITU-T G.652
Single-mode @ 1550nm0.25 dB/kmITU-T G.652
Multimode @ 850nm3.0 dB/kmOM3/OM4
Cat6a copper~20 dB/100mAt 500 MHz

References

  • • ITU-T G.652 - Single-mode optical fibre
  • • ISO/IEC 11801 - Generic cabling for customer premises
  • • TIA-568 - Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard

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