Introduction to Fiber Optic Connector

It is known to all that fiber optic patch cables play a vital role in an optical system, and they are now wildly applied to optical fiber communication. An optical fiber connector, an important part of fiber optic patch cable, is used to connect optical fiber cable or terminate fiber optic cable. And, it mechanically couples and aligns the cores of fibers so light can pass. In fact, the optical fiber connector makes a great difference to the reliability of the optical transmission system. This article will introduce some information about fiber optic connectors.

Structure of Connector

An fiber optic connector consists of five main components: the ferrule, the body, the coupling structure, the boot and the dust cap.

• Dust Cap: it prevents the connector from accumulating dust.
• Connector Housing: it holds all sub-assembly parts in place, and it has the coupling mechanism connected to the customer’s equipment.
• Ferrule: it is a small round cylinder which holds the glass fiber. And it is commonly made of ceramic, high-quality metal and plastic.
• Body: it is the connector sub-assembly that holds the ferrule, and it also fits into the connector housing. Commonly, it is made of plastic or metal.
• Boot: it covers the transition from the connector to the fiber optic cable and relieves stress.

Most optical fiber connectors are spring-loaded, so the fiber faces are pressed together when the connectors are mated. Meanwhile, it eliminates signal losses that would be caused by an air gap between the joined fibers.

Types of Connectors

Fiber optic connector is widely used and there are a variety of fiber connectors with different characters. They can be classified into several types according to structure: FC, SC, ST, LC, MPO, MU, etc. Here are the common types:

• Ferrule Connector (FC): it takes use of a metal sleeve to strengthen exterior, which fastens the turnbuckle.
• Subscriber Connector (SC): it is a push and pull type fiber optic connector without rotation.
• Straight Connector (ST): it is mostly used in fiber optic patch panels, rounded shell with straight tip type terminations.
• Lucent Connector (LC): it is a push and latch structure, which adopts modular jack (RJ) latch mechanism.

If we classify the fiber connector according to the ferrule end face, there are PC connector, UPC connector, and APC connector. The PC/UPC connectors have a flat core cove, while the APC connectors have a 8-degree angle.

Besides, the fiber optic connector can also be classified into two types based on the fiber type: multimode connector and single-mode fiber connector.

Among all of these different types of connectors, LC connector and SC connector are the mostly used ones. Here are the details of them.

LC Fiber Optic Connector

LC connector is a small form factor connector with a 1.25mm ferrule. And it is licensed by Lucent Technologies, now known as Alcatel-Lucent. These connectors are the best selections for use in high-density applications due to their small size and pull-proof design. There are simplex and duplex versions. Additionally, LC connectors use an specialized latch mechanism so that it can provide stability within rack mounts.

SC Fiber Optic Connector

SC connector also called subscriber connector is a snap-in connector with a 2.5mm ferrule. It is widely used for its excellent performance. Also it’s a snap-in connector that latches with a simple push-pull motion. The connectors’ outer square profile is combined with its push-pull coupling mechanism, which allows for greater connector packaging density in instruments and patch panels. Moreover, it is available in a simplex and duplex configuration.

Features of Good Connector Design

Over these years, more than a hundred types of connectors have been created, though only some of them are commonly used with its advantages.

• Low insertion loss
• Ease of installation
• Low cost
• Reliability
• Low environmental sensitivity
• Ease of use

Summary

There are many types of fiber optic connectors. You can select it according to your equipment and applications. FS.COM can provide all the connectors mentioned above with high quality and low price. Also, there are other fiber optic products for choosing. For more details, please visit www.fs.com.