The TIA-598 standard defines a specific 12-color sequence for identifying individual strands. How it scales: For cables with more than 12 fibers (e., 24, 48, 144), the sequence repeats. A tail fiber, also known as a fiber optic patch cord, consists of a connector on one end and a cut end of the fiber optic cable core on the other. The connector end is polished and tested under factory conditions, ensuring low insertion loss and high return loss.