The Fiber Is Not the Light Source
Every fiber optic installation has exactly one electrical component: the illuminator. Everything downstream of it — every strand of Nucleo PMMA fiber running through a ceiling, a fabric panel, a stone wall, or a swimming pool — is completely passive. It carries visible light through total internal reflection, the same principle that keeps light bouncing down a strand of plastic instead of leaking out the sides. No current runs through it, so there is nothing to earth, nothing to insulate against moisture, and nothing that generates heat along the way.
That single property is what makes fiber optic cable useful in places electrical cable and LED strip cannot go: inside water, inside upholstery, inside museum display cases beside light-sensitive artefacts, and inside ceiling voids too shallow for a driver. Nucleo supplies PMMA fiber in four distinct constructions, each suited to a different way of putting light where you want it.
Why fiber optic cable has no voltage or wattage rating
Because it carries light, not electricity, fiber optic cable is specified by diameter, bend radius and maximum run length — never by volts or watts. Those figures belong to the illuminator alone. When comparing fiber optic quotes, check the illuminator's wattage and port count, and check the fiber's diameter, type and length — the two specification sheets are separate for a reason.
Four Ways to Carry Light
End Glow
Light exits only at the cut tip; the strand itself stays dark. Each fiber becomes one discrete point of light — the basic unit of every star ceiling.
Star ceilings Pool floors Accent pointsSide Glow
Light escapes continuously along the full length of the fiber, turning the strand itself into a glowing line rather than a point.
Contour lines Step edges OutlinesSparkling
A micro-reflective core scatters light at random points along the strand, layering a shifting glitter over the tip glow.
Feature walls Ceiling panels Event dressingJacketed
Any of the three fiber types above, sheathed in a PVC or LSZH jacket for protection against UV, abrasion and moisture in exposed runs.
Outdoor runs Conduit pulls Pool plant roomsDiameter Sets the Scale of the Point
Diameter does not change how the fiber works — only how bright and how large each point or line appears. Larger fiber carries more light and reads as a bolder point; smaller fiber reads as a faint, distant one.
Mixing diameters reads more natural than using one size
A star ceiling built from a single fiber diameter looks like a grid. Mixing 0.5mm, 0.75mm and 1mm fiber in the same field — the way real starlight varies in brightness — is what separates a convincing night-sky ceiling from a flat pattern of identical dots.
Built Into the Fiber
PMMA Core
Polymethyl methacrylate — the plastic optical fiber standard for decorative lighting. High clarity, low light loss, flexible, and cut-to-length on site.
Cladding Layer
A fluoropolymer cladding surrounds the core and keeps light travelling inside the fiber by total internal reflection, instead of leaking through the wall.
Cut-to-Length On Site
A sharp blade or fiber cleaver cuts PMMA cleanly — no specialist tooling. Tips can be polished afterward for maximum brightness on end glow runs.
No Heat, No UV at the Tip
Infrared is filtered at the illuminator before light enters the fiber, so the emission point stays cool — safe next to fabric, timber and artwork.
Full Colour Transmission
PMMA carries the full visible spectrum with minimal distortion, so RGBW, tunable white and DMX illuminators reproduce colour accurately at the tip.
Per Metre or Bulk Reel
Buy exact lengths per metre for small or DIY jobs, or order 50m, 100m and 200m reels for installer supply — every type and diameter, either way.
Full Specifications
| Specification | End Glow | Side Glow | Sparkling | Jacketed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Material | PMMA (plastic optical fiber) with fluoropolymer cladding | |||
| Light Emission | Tip only | Full length | Scattered + tip | Matches inner fiber type |
| Diameters | 0.5 · 0.75 · 1.0 · 1.5 · 2.0 · 3.0mm | 1.0 · 1.5 · 2.0 · 3.0mm | ||
| Jacket | None | None | None | PVC or LSZH — black or clear |
| Bend Radius | Minimum 25× fiber diameter — tighter bends cause light loss | |||
| Operating Temperature | -20°C to +70°C | |||
| UV Resistance | Low — use jacketed variant outdoors or in exposed runs | Good, via jacket | ||
| Max Run Length | Up to 15m from illuminator | |||
| Supply Format | Per metre · 50m reel · 100m reel · 200m reel | |||
| Compatible Illuminators | Nucleo NLE-18 · NLE-36 · NLE-45 · NLE-5S · NLE-90 | |||
Where Each Type Goes to Work
Star Ceilings
End Glow or Sparkling, 0.75mm–1mm, mixed diameters for natural brightness variation across the field.
Swimming Pools
Jacketed End Glow or Side Glow, illuminator kept dry in the plant room, fiber routed through the pool shell.
Stair & Step Edges
Side Glow or Jacketed Side Glow, 1mm–2mm, for a continuous glowing line along each nosing or handrail.
Feature Walls & Panels
Sparkling fiber set into stretched fabric, resin or acrylic for a shimmering, gem-like surface.
Museum & Display Cases
End Glow — no UV or IR at the tip, the only lighting technology safe within close range of sensitive artefacts and textiles.
Architectural Contours
Side Glow, 2mm–3mm, for glowing outlines along columns, arches, cove edges and furniture profiles.
Signage & Branding
Side Glow fiber routed to trace logos and letterforms, or End Glow for a dotted-outline signage effect.
Spa & Wellness Ceilings
Slow colour-cycling End Glow fields for relaxation rooms, steam areas and treatment ceilings — zero heat, zero current overhead.
Frequently Asked Questions
No. PMMA fiber optic cable is a completely passive medium — it carries light, not current. The only electrical component in a fiber optic lighting system is the illuminator, which sits in a dry, accessible location. The fiber itself can run through ceilings, walls, water and fabric with no voltage rating, no earthing requirement, and no shock risk.
End glow fiber releases light only at the cut tip — the body stays dark, and each strand becomes a single point of light. This is the fiber used for star ceilings and accent points. Side glow fiber releases light along its entire length, so the strand itself becomes a glowing line — used for contour lighting, stair edges and outlines.
Sparkling fiber has a micro-reflective treatment along the core that scatters light randomly across the strand length in addition to the tip, producing a shifting glitter effect rather than a single fixed point. It is used where a shimmering, dynamic surface is wanted — feature walls, ceiling panels and event installations.
Choose jacketed fiber whenever the cable will be exposed, handled, or run outdoors — pool plant rooms, landscape runs, conduit pulls, or any installation without a protective ceiling void. The PVC or LSZH jacket shields the PMMA core from UV, moisture and abrasion. For fiber fully concealed within a ceiling cavity, bare PMMA is normally sufficient.
0.5mm, 0.75mm, 1.0mm, 1.5mm, 2.0mm and 3.0mm across all four types. Fiber is sold per metre for small or DIY quantities, and in 50m, 100m and 200m reels for installer and project supply. Maximum practical run length from a single illuminator is around 15 metres per fiber.
Nucleo PMMA fiber is compatible with the full Nucleo illuminator range — NLE-18, NLE-36 Dual Port, NLE-45, NLE-5S Shooting Star and NLE-90 Pool Engine. Match the total bundled fiber diameter to the illuminator's port size (typically 20mm or 30mm) when grouping multiple strands into one engine.
Order Nucleo Fiber Optic Cable
End Glow, Side Glow, Sparkling or Jacketed — 0.5mm to 3mm, per metre or bulk reel. Call or WhatsApp with your cable type, diameter and quantity.
