Fiber Optic Connector

When installing any fiber system, we must consider low-loss method to connect fiber or cable with each other, to achieve the connection of the optical link. The combination of fiber optic link can be divided into two types: permanent and active. Permanent connection is achieved by splicing or fixed connectors; splicing connections usually achieved with connectors. Here I’d like to share some information of fiber optic connectors.

Generally, one connection needs one adapter and two connectors which are often used to join optical fibers where a connect/disconnect capability is required. Since fiber optic connectors have such merits as lower loss, lower cost, easier to terminate and to quicker connection and disconnection than splicing, they are widely applied in telephone company central offices and in outside plant applications to connect equipment and cables, or to cross-connect cables. Many types of optical connector have been developed at different times, and for different purposes.

With the rapid development of optical fiber telecommunication, many different types of fiber connectors are available, they share similar design characteristics. A fiber connector is mainly composed of three parts: the ferrule, the connector body, and the coupling mechanism. And the common types are FC, LC ESCON, MTC, SC, MPO/MTP, MU, ST, MT-RJ, etc. They are unique. Fiber cables transmit pulses of light instead of electrical signals, so the terminations must be much more precise. Instead of merely allowing pins to make metal-to-metal contact, fiber optic connectors must align microscopic glass fibers perfectly in order to allow for communication.

What Are Fiber Optic Cables?

Fiber is a simple name for optical fiber. Optical fiber communication is based on light as an information carrier, and take optical fiber as a transmission medium of communication. In principle, the basic material elements are mainly optical cables, a light source and a light detector. Today, with its large bandwidth , high anti-interference and low signal attenuation, fiber optic communications are far better than the transmission cables, microwave communications, and it has become the world’s major communications transmission.

What are fiber optic cables? Fiber optic cables are made of a glass core and cladding, buffer coating and a protective outer jacket. There usually are two types of fiber optic cables: glass and plastic. They are used in different areas with their different characteristics. Glass fiber cables are usually used for medium range and long distance telecommunications, while plastic fiber cables are mostly used for short applications. And how they work? It’s their special materials that make optical cables popular among telecommunication, industrial and other service systems. As we all know that light has the most fast speed in the world, and fiber optic cables transmit information with the help of light. It’s no wonder optic cables have a fast transmission speed.

Here are just some pictures of common fiber optic cables.

Some basic information about Fiber Optic Cables

Fiber Optic Cables

In recent years, fiber optic cables have been widely applied to transmit information because of their fast speed, large carrying capacity and great anti-interference performance. What are Fiber Optic Cables? Fiber optic cables are made of a glass core and cladding, buffer coating and a protective outer jacket. There usually are two types of fiber optic cables: glass and plastic. They are used in different areas with their different characteristics. Glass fiber cables are usually used for medium range and long distance telecommunications, while plastic fiber cables are mostly used for short applications. And how they work? It’s their special materials that make optical cables popular among telecommunication, industrial and other service systems. As we all know that light has the most fast speed in the world, and fiber optic cables transmit information with the help of light. It’s no wonder optic cables have a fast transmission speed.

Fiber Optic Patch Cable

Fiber optic patch cable is a kind of fiber optic cables whose either end has connectors that allow it to be rapidly and conveniently connected to CATV or other telecommunication equipment. With a thick layer of protection, it is applied to connect the optical transmitter, receiver, and the terminal box. A fiber optic patch cable consists of optical connector and fiber optical cable. And its connector types are various: LC fiber patch cable; FC patch cable; SC fiber cable; ST patch cable; MU fiber patch cable; MTRJ patch cord; E2000 patch cable; MPO fiber cable. And one fiber optic patch cable can have two different connect joints. Besides, fiber optic patch cable is know for its low insertion loss and high return loss, which is the mainly reason for its popularity in optical fiber communication systems, optical access network, optical fiber CATV, LAN and test equipment.

Fiber Optic Pigtails

Fiber optic pigtails are different from fiber optic cables, for it only has one optical connector on one end and a length of exposed fiber at the other end. Unlike optical patch cord with optical connectors on both ends, which is usually used in the connection between optical transceiver and the terminal box, as only one end with fiber connector, pigtails can be connected to nearly any connectors. And the other end remains unterminated, allowing it easily to be spliced into a fiber optic network. Apart from its convenient connection, the termination types of fiber optical pigtail are various such as SC, FC, ST, LC, MU, MT-RJ, MTP, MPO, etc.

MTP/MPO Trunk Cables & MTP/MPO Harness Cables

In the modern information times, large transmission of information has become a necessary tendency, which brings a big challenge for communication industry. Fortunately, MTP/MPO fiber cables, as an important part of the MPO/MTP cabling system, are designed to go on reliable and quick operations for the multi-fiber connection system in data centers. Now let’s get to know something about MTP/MPO Trunk Cables and MTP/MPO Harness Cables.

MPO/MTP trunk cables are generally used in backbone links that lead from the headend to a distribution point, which are usually designed for high density application which offers excellent benefits in terms on-site installation time and space saving. They generally connect MTP/MPO modules together as a permanent link. And the cables, usually available in 12-144 counts, are intended for high-density application. By using MTP/MPO trunk cables, the installation of a complete fiber optic backbone is accessible without any field termination, which brings a lot convenience. What’s more, MTP/MPO also can provide much flexibility and convenience when you have to change the connector style in the patch panels. Instead of changing the connector on the cable trunk, just installing a new cassettes with the new connector style on the cross-connect side of the patch panel. The merits of MTP/MPO trunk cable including high quality, decreasing cable volume and time saving.

MTP/MPO harness cables, also known as MTP/MPO breakout cables or MTP/MPO fan-out cables, available in 8-144 counts, are used for breaking out the MTP into several connections. They mainly provide a transition from multi-fiber cables to individual fibers or duplex connectors. If terminated with MTP/MPO connectors on one end and standard LC/FC/SC/ST/MTRJ connectors (generally MTP to LC) on the other end, these cable assemblies can meet a variety of fiber cabling requirements. MTP/MPO harness cables have advantages of space saving and reliability.

LC to SC Fiber Patch Cable

LC-SC fiber optic patch cables are generally used to link together two pieces of equipment with fiber optic connectors. And a light signal is transmitted through the optical core which can effectively avoid outside electrical noise. There are two types of LC-SC fiber patch cable: single-mode and multimode. Multimode LC/SC fiber optic jumper patch cables can send more than one light signal at a time and they usually used for short distance signals transmission over distances up to 275 meters. While single-mode LC-SC fiber optic patch cables only can send one light signal one time, and can be used for longer runs than multimode patch cables because of their good resistance to attenuation.

Simplex Fiber Patch Cable & Duplex Fiber Patch Cable

Fiber patch cable, sometimes also called as fiber optic patch cord or fiber optic jumper, is one of the most usual used components in fiber optic network.There are simplex fiber patch cable and duplex fiber optic patch cable and multi-fiber cable assemblies.

A simplex fiber cable composes of a single strand of glass of plastic fiber. And it is often used where only a single transmit and/or receive line is required between devices or when a multiplex data signal is used (bi-directional communication over a single fiber). The simplex fiber patch cables are commonly utilized where a one-way transmission or receiving line is required to operate, meaning information is being transmitted in only one direction for all device use.

A duplex fiber cable consists of two strands of glass or plastic fiber. Typically found in a “zipcord” construction format, this cable is often applied for duplex communication between devices where separate transmit and receive signals are necessary, for example, one strand transmits in one direction while the other strand transmits in the opposite direction. Sometimes, duplex cables can be classified into half-duplex and full-duplex categories. In half-duplex connections information can run through in only one direction one time; while in full-duplex connections information can run in both directions at the same time.

Single-mode Fiber Cable & Multimode Fiber Cable

In fiber-optic communication, fiber cable is an optical fiber designed to carry light only directly down the fiber. A typical single mode fiber optic cable has a small diameter core between 8 and 10.5 µm that only one mode of light is allowed to run through. Therefore, when the light passes through the core decreases, the number of light reflections created, lowering attenuation and creating the ability for the signal to travel further. The single-mode fiber cable is commonly applied in long distance, higher bandwidth runs by Telcos, CATV companies, and colleges and universities.

Compared with single-mode optical fiber, multimode optical fiber cable has a large-diameter core, so it has multiple modes of light to run through. That is to say, several wavelengths of light can be used in the fiber core at the same time. Therefore, when the light passes through, the number of light reflections created, leading to the ability created for more data to propagate at a limited time. However, the quality of signal is reduced in long distance because of the high dispersion and attenuation rate. Therefore, the multimode optical fiber cable is often used in short distance such as within a building or on a campus. The equipment used for communications over multimode optical fiber is less expensive than that of single-mode optical fiber.