glass fiber sample wound on drum
date: label: date made
content: ca 1980
name: label: maker
content: Bell Laboratories
notes: label: Description (Brief)
content: About 800 meters of optical glass fiber wound onto a black anodized aluminum drum. Connector cables are mounted on either end of the fiber to connect to other devices on a demonstration board. Unit was once mounted on a demonstration board that included an infrared light generator (light emitting diode), a fan / lens / relay assembly, a photo detector, audio playback media (probably a tape cartridge), and a speaker. Music played through the system was transmitted through the glass fiber to demonstrate "A Working Optical Communications Link." The drum was apparently dismounted from the display and donated by Bell Telephone Laboratories to the US International Communications Agency for a 1983 exhibition in Nairobi, Kenya. After the exhibition returned, USICA transferred the drum and other items to the Smithsonian.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Electricity
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Transfer from the United States International Communications Agency
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 1986.0456.06
label: accession number
content: 1986.0456
label: catalog number
content: 1986.0456.06
objectType: label: Object Name
content: cable sample
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: drum: 19 in x 11 1/4 in; 48.26 cm x 28.575 cm