Importance

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Abstract

An optical fiber or a cable can comprise marks that uniquely identify the fiber or cable and that facilitate tracing materials thereof back to manufacturing. The marks can extend lengthwise along the fiber or cable, for example from end-to-end. A user of the optical fiber or cable can make an identification from an end-on view. The marks can be encoded with information based on the number of marks, the widths of the individual marks, and/or the spacing between each mark. The marks can comprise a continuous barcode that is integrated into a material of the optical fiber or cable. The glassy material of a fiber optic preform can comprise an embedded set of enlarged marks, so that drawing optical fiber from the preform pulls marks of appropriate size into the fiber's cladding material. The marks can alternatively comprise encoded stripes extruded into a cable jacket.

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First Claim