With the development of the communication industry, optical communication products that meet various needs have been put into the market, and we may know little about the classification of such products and their characteristics. So, today's article let us briefly understand a class of products: fiber optic connectors.
Fiber optic connectors, are the devices that are used to connect components between fiber and fiber and are detachable devices. The two ends of the fiber need to be precisely butted together so that the light output from the transmission fiber can be coupled to the receiving fiber to the greatest extent, and the influence of the fiber participating in the optical link on the system is minimized, Basic requirements of the device. It can be said that the fiber optic connector affects the reliability and performance of the optical transmission system to some extent.
Fiber connectors can be divided into different types according to different classification dimensions.
1、According to its different purposes, fiber optic connectors are divided into fiber optic adapter , optical attenuator, fast connector and Mechanical Splice.
Product Type | Description | Product Features | Application |
Fiber Optic Adapter | It is mainly used to provide fiber optic cable to fiber optic cable , which can be divided into fixed adapter and hybrid adapter. | Low insertion loss and high return loss Good compatibility High mechanical dimensional accuracy High reliability and stability Ceramic or bronze sleeve Simplex/duplex | Local area network CATV system Optical network Equipment test |
Optical Attenuator | It is used for debugging optical power performance in optical communication systems, debugging calibration of optical fiber instruments, and reducing the power of optical signals. | Low reflection and low PDL High precision attenuation value Precise control of attenuation range Wide attenuation range Precision ceramic ferrule FC, SC, ST, LC, etc. PC, UPC and APC available Plastic or metal housing material | Optical fiber distribution frame Optical network system High speed fiber optic transmission system Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) system Fiber Optic Add/Drop Multiplexer (OADM) |
It is a detachable quick connection between fiber optic and fiber optic equipment. The two fiber ends are facing upwards, so that the optical fiber output can be more limited to be coupled to the receiving fiber, and the optical link intervention and impact on the system are relatively small. | Meets the Telcordia GR326 core standard. Low insertion loss, high echo attenuation, high stability Good interchangeability Using standard metal parts Non-pre-embedded connection mode, high-density connection Ceramic ferrule APC, UPC | Applied to FTTH fiber optic terminals Junction box, cabinet, terminal box, etc. Recovery and maintenance of accidents such as fiber breaks. Data and video transmission. Construction and maintenance of end user fiber access. | |
Cable terminations are available for both hot and cold bonding. A fiber optic cold connector is used when the two pigtails are docked. The main internal components are precision V-grooves. | Non-pre-embedded fiber structure The reliability of fiber clamping is very good Good stability and low insertion loss Optical fiber quick connector online pull has no effect on connection loss Very low cost of use and very fast installation | Optical fiber distribution frame Optical network system High speed fiber optic transmission system |
2、 According to the shape of the end face of the connector and the degree of grinding, it can be divided into PC , SPC , UPC and APC.
Product Type | Description | Return Loss | Performance |
PC（Physical Contact） | Micro convex spherical polishing | -35dB | General |
UPC（Ultra Physical Contact） | Extremely close contact, generally used for equipment with special needs, such as ODF, can improve the ODF equipment itself | -55dB | Excellent |
SPC（Super Physical Contact） | Super close contact | -40dB | Good |
APC（Angled Physical Contact） | It is at an angle of 8 degrees and is micro-convex spherical polishing. Due to the angle grinding technology, the return loss is significantly improved compared to the PC type. | <-65 dB | —— |
* Return loss is the number of decibels of the ratio of back-reflected light (scattered light that is continuously transmitted to the input) to the input light at the fiber connection. The smaller the return loss, the better, in order to reduce the effect of reflected light on the light source and system.
In principle, different types of fiber optic connectors cannot be mixed, but since the PC, SPC, and UPC types are all flat, connecting them together generally does not cause damage to the connectors. The APC type connector is completely different. Because it has an angle, if it is connected with other models (such as UPC type), it will cause mechanical damage. Therefore, the APC type connector can only be connected to the APC type. As shown below,
3、According to the structure of the fiber connector, it can be divided into ST, SC, FC, LC, MT-RJ, MPO / MTP, E2000 and other type.
Connector Type | Description | Available Times | Application |
ST（Straight Tip ） | The ST connector, also known as BFOC, is connected like the SC connector of a standard coaxial cable. | 1000-2000 | LAN / WAN |
SC（Square Connector） | The standard square fiber connector is fastened by plugging and unloading, and does not need to be rotated. Made of engineering plastics, it has the advantages of high temperature resistance and oxidation resistance. | 1000-2000 | CATV/LAN/WAN/Measurement/Medical/Industrial |
FC（Ferrule Connector） | Common circular threaded fiber optic connectors, the outer reinforcement method uses a metal sleeve, and the fastening method is a turnbuckle. Metal connectors are more pluggable than plastic. | 1000 | LAN / WAN |
LC（Lucent Connector） | Using the "Small Form Factor" (SFF) small package technology, it is a new generation of connectors. The mini design allows for increased density of fiber optic connectors in fiber distribution frames. | 500-1000 | LAN/WAN |
MT-RJ（Multi Transmit-Receive Joint） | Multi-core, transceiver-integrated square fiber connector, one double fiber. | 500 | LAN |
MPO / MTP（Multi-fiber Push On） | The MPO connector is smaller than the SC connector. The precision MT guide pin and guide hole increase the accuracy of fiber alignment. It is suitable for data center high-density environments, fiber-to-building applications, and splitter 40G/100G. Connection applications inside optical transceivers such as /QSFP+. | 500 | CATV/LAN/WAN |
E2000（E2000PS） | Known as the LSH type, the fiber optic connector with an automatic protection dust cap automatically closes after the fiber is removed. | 1000 | LAN/WAN |
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Tags : fiber optic connector
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