Lesson 5: Connectors

1: Welcome To This Lesson.

Welcome to Lesson 5 Fiber optic connectors. This lesson covers fiber optic connector
technology, design, construction and use.

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2: Optical Fiber Connector Agenda.

A communication channel is only as strong as its weakest links and inevitably, usually the
connectors will be the weakest link. The interface between two fibers will always have some
losses but these can be minimized by careful choice and fitting of connectors. In this lesson we
will look at the technologies, techniques and performance of optical fiber connectors. All
connector designs have the same objective. To provide an interface between two fibers that
creates the least possible disruption of the signal passing along them. They also aim to maintain
a connection under tension, bending forces and severe environmental conditions if necessary,
for as long as it is required without degradation of its performance. Finally the connector must
allow connections to be disconnected and reconnected many times without loss of efficiency.

Copyright © 2018 CommScope Inc and Cabling Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

3: Fiber Optic Connectors.

Fiber optic connectors come in several designs. Most manufacturers follow 'standard' designs
with minor variations. However, there are some proprietary connector products in use. Nearly all
fiber connectors are sized to fit either 900 micron tight buffered fiber or jacketed cordage. To
position the fiber in the center of the connector, ceramic ferrules are customarily used. There
are four common styles of connector used in the Enterprise market. These are the ST, SC, LC
and MPO.

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4: Color Identification Codes.

The TIA-598 color code for connector bodies and/or boots is beige for multimode fiber, blue for
single-mode fiber, and green for APC (angled) connectors. Aqua is used for multimode OM3 or
OM4 type fibers although quite often the connector attaching to it will be beige. This color code
will normally be found on all the components of a channel, i.e the couplers above, which will be
found in fiber shelves, fiber cassettes and patch cords. This color coding is there as an aid to
help prevent mismatching of fiber types and components in a channel. Just to add to that, a new
color (Erika Violet) for OM4 fiber has been introduced by some manufacturers. This new color
scheme was rejected by the TIA-TR42 standards bodies though, as they stated color has never
been used before to distinguish bandwidth grades, but it is used to distinguish core diameter
50/125, 62.5/125 and single-mode etc. Note: It is important that single-mode connectors, both
standard and APC, should be used with couplers or adapter to match. To confuse things further,
many manufacturers make connectors and couplers in a range of colors if differentiation is
required for different networks on the same site for example. Let's look now at the most
common types of connectors found in use today.

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5: Fiber Optic Connectors.

This is the ST (Straight Tip) connector developed by Bell Labs back in the 1970's. It has a
2.5mm ferrule and is a keyed, sprung, bayonet style connector, so once the keyways are found,
it pushes into position and twists to lock in place with the spring holding it tightly in position.
These connectors are easy to handle and relatively inexpensive but only come in simplex
versions so cannot be used to manage typical TX and RX transmission channel paths easily.
Patch cords are available in duplex construction but it will be trial and error finding the correct
transmit or receive coupler. These connectors are being used less and less as alternative
connector types offer better performance and smaller size.

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6: Subscriber Connector (SC) Connectors.

SC Connectors (Subscriber Connectors) were introduced to the market in the mid 1980's by
NTT of Japan. Like the ST connector they have a 2.5mm ferrule but are a push/pull design
about the same size as an ST, but lighter due to their plastic construction, sturdy, easy to
handle, pull-proof when used with cordage and can be yoked together into a convenient duplex
assembly. They offer excellent optical performance and are approved connectors in the TIA-568
cabling standards.

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7: LC Connectors.

The LC connector was developed by Lucent Technologies as a small, low insertion loss
connector. They are best described as Small Form Factor (SFF) connectors available in both
simplex and duplex versions. The LC connector has a 1.25mm ferrule (half the size of an ST or
SC) but offers superior optical performance. They have a sprung ceramic ferrule allowing them
to mate effectively to couplers and fiber shelves using a latching mechanism similar to an RJ45
jack plug and because of their low loss they are commonly used on 10Gb fiber links and FTTA
Fiber to the Antenna wireless applications.
Copyright © 2018 CommScope Inc and Cabling Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

8: Specialized APC Connectors.

The APC angled connector is used to connect single-mode fibers including applications such as
broadband. Attaching a connector to a fiber will always cause some of the light traversing
through the fiber to be lost. Regardless of whether the connector was installed in the factory or
in the field, its presence will be responsible for some light being reflected back towards its
source, the laser. These reflections can damage the laser and degrade the performance of the
signal. The degree of signal degradation caused by Return Loss depends on the specifications
of the laser, with some being more sensitive than others. In an APC connector, the end-face is
polished precisely at an 8-degree angle to the fiber cladding, so that most return loss is reflected
into the cladding where it cannot interfere with the transmitted signal or damage the laser
source. As a result, APC connectors offer a superior RL performance of -65 dB, whereas a
standard ST connector would be -20dB. The higher this figure is, the better the return loss.
These connectors are only available as pre-polished pigtails or in patch cords.

Copyright © 2018 CommScope Inc and Cabling Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

9: MPO (MTP) Connectors.

MPO, also known as MTP connectors, were developed by Nippon Telephone and Telegraph
(NTT) and have 12 individual fibers with 250 micron spacing between them. They are a 'push
on' factory terminated connector keyed to maintain the correct polarity. These connectors are
designed for data center applications where speed of plug-n-play is required but they are
becoming more common in equipment rooms of larger offices etc. They are designed for fast
connections between data cabinets and are available in off the shelf lengths as required. Patch
cords allow for the MPO spine cables to break out to conventional fiber connectors. The MPO
connector is defined by IEC and TIA standards and is available in flat polish for multimode fiber
and angled polish for single-mode. The angled polish, like the APC connector we have just
looked at, gives the connector much improved return loss. MPO connectors are also becoming
common on the rear of fiber switches, but MPO components from different manufacturers may
not be compatible and may yield incorrect polarity when mated, so always check the
specifications with your supplier before purchase.

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10: Fiber Adapters, Couplers & Cassettes.

Adapters are used to hold and align the end-faces of two connectorized fibers so that light can
pass through the interface between them with minimum loss. Shown here are different types of
adapters for fiber shelves or wall mounted enclosures. These include cassettes, couplers and
adapter panels. Inside all of these are aligning tubes made of Zirconia for single-mode couplers
or phosphorus bronze for multimode versions. These aligning tubes ensure the ferrules of the
fiber connectors precisely align. Sometimes split sleeves are used to allow for expansion of the
material during connector mating and create a better alignment. Again as seen earlier,
connectors and couplers should match the fiber type and the connector. Adapters for MPO/MTP
connectors do not contain any alignment tubes but have pins to provide the precise alignment
and keying but this requires the pinhole geometry to be very accurate to ensure repeatable
connection/disconnections.

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11: Fiber Adapters, Couplers & Cassettes.

The MPO trunking systems are available in 8, 12 and 24-fiber variants. These have evolved
over time and now provide support for a large variety of network topologies driven by a constant
shift in the economic options introduced by network equipment vendors. To enable identification
of each MPO type easier, colored boots are used. MPO-8 have grey boots, MPO-12 black, and
MPO-24 red. MPO connectors should not be color mismatched as the layout of the fibers in
each type is different.  

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12: Ferrule - Based Mating.

The key component in quality connectors such as the LC, is the ferrule that holds the end of the
fiber. Ferrules may be made of ceramic (zirconia), metal, or plastic (polymer composite).
Ceramics are the most durable of the materials but are more expensive than plastic which tend
to be used in cheaper connector versions. Plastic ferrule materials may 'shave off' during mating
and re-mating, creating debris that must be cleaned off. Spring force within the connector
causes the ferrule to push forward which helps ensure physical contact of the connector end-
faces. Most connectors are keyed, and only allow the connector to mate in one orientation.

Copyright © 2018 CommScope Inc and Cabling Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

13: Side View - Cross Section.

There will always be some losses within a connection This will be at any point on the join where
air or other material separates the glass faces of the fiber core or when fibers do not make
contact over their full area of the core, but these potential sources of loss can be minimized by
careful design and use of the right connector. The loss of signal power in a connection is
generally referred to as insertion loss and the TIA fiber standards allows a maximum of 0.75 dB
for each connection, although most good connectors are much better than this. Out of the three
most popular connectors in use today, ST, SC and LC, the LC connector has the lowest loss.
The most important source of losses in a connector is the Return Loss or Reflectance at the
mating end-faces of the fibers. As the name implies, this loss is caused by part of the signal
power being reflected from the interface back down the fiber. The return loss for an LC
connector is about 55dB.

Copyright © 2018 CommScope Inc and Cabling Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

14: Insertion Loss.

Insertion loss - the optical power loss caused by inserting an optical component such as a fiber
connector into an optical path, occurs because the end-faces of each fiber are not in close
contact with each other over their full area, such as misalignment of fibers. The diagram shows
a connection between two fibers that are not on the same center axis. This results in some of
the power in the core of one fiber being fed into the cladding on the other. There are many
factors that prevent perfect alignment at the joint face; most of them are the result of inaccurate
manufacture, poor workmanship or excessive stress and wear.

Copyright © 2018 CommScope Inc and Cabling Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

15: Return Loss.

Poor fiber end-face geometry is another potential source of insertion loss. This diagram shows
fiber cores that are not shaped and aligned properly. As a result, there is not full glass-to-glass
contact and there are air gaps between the two faces that will cause reflectance, i.e. return loss.
There are many other geometrical imperfections of the end-face that can result in poor mating of
the glass surfaces. These include protrusions, undercuts and poor polishing. The performance
of connections with poor end-face geometry are likely to get worse under temperature extremes
or after re-mating. In extreme cases, where the ratio of reflected power to incident power is high,
this can cause 'false' signals as power is reflected back and forth in the link. This is a particular
issue for broadband video and telecom links and may become one for future high speed digital
data connections. Cleaning of fiber ends is also a key area for control and process. Even a
fingerprint can significantly affect the end-face quality and loss.

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16: Keyed LC Connectors.

Today's facilities often employ more than one network and need mechanical security to limit
access and prevent inadvertent cross-connection. The CommScope Keyed LC connectors and
adapters offer a tamper-proof design, reducing the chance of unauthorized connections, and in
order for a connection to be possible, the connector and adapter colors must match for it to
work. The CommScope Keyed LC adapters mount in the same footprint as a simplex SC
adapter and is pull proof for patch cords. The small form factor is half the size of standard
connectors and the single-fiber ferrule maintains proper polarity. Connectors and adapters are
available in Behind the Wall, simplex and duplex jumper versions, come in ten distinct colors
while a black universal key is available for use while testing.

Copyright © 2018 CommScope Inc and Cabling Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

17: Connector Types: Many Other Options.

The LC is established as THE small form connector on the market today. But you may still see
other types in addition to the SC and ST. Here are some of them. They include the MT-RJ,
which has an existing base but few new installations, the MU common in Asia and the SMA
which is still used by the British military is some installations. The SMA is not the best connector
for losses; it uses a screw connector which means that repeatability of getting the connector
exactly aligned every time is near on impossible to do. The FC, also known as the FCPC
connector, is used by telecom providers for long haul applications, while the e2000 connector is
a bit like an SC 2.5mm ferruled connector with its own spring loaded dust cap.

Copyright © 2018 CommScope Inc and Cabling Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

18: Connector Termination.

As well as a variety of connector designs, there are various ways of fitting them. All of these are
designed to achieve tight, full area contact between the fiber cores to minimize insertion loss. All
factory terminated connectors utilize heat-cured epoxy for bonding. This method utilizes the
lowest cost components, and the curing time can be offset by utilizing a batch process. There
are some other variations to list above. Other epoxies 'air' dry over a 24 hour period or use a UV
lamp. One product holds the fiber in place by mechanical methods (crimp without epoxy) but
then the end-face still needs to be polished. For field installation of connectors, anaerobic glues
are the preferred bonding agent or alternatively, mechanical splicing is an option.

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19: Epoxy & Polish Termination.

As we have seen, there are alternative methods of bonding fibers into connectors. Bonding with
epoxy involves a two part glue that must be cured in an oven. Although this provides a very
good bond, the practicalities of using an oven on site means that this type of termination method
is normally used in a production or lab environment. Far more common are anaerobic glues that
cure on exclusion of air without need for anything else. The anaerobic glue process works within
a minute and all that is required are the activator and primer which can easily be carried as part
of an engineer's fiber tool kit.

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20: Polishing.

Once the fiber's termination method has been decided on, polishing is required. For both the
epoxy or anaerobic methods the termination and polishing methods are the same. Kits are
available provided with all the necessary components, tools and consumable materials,
alternatively you may have already your own tools, but most important is a decent quality
microscope as end-face inspection of the ferrule is essential.

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21: Endface Quality.

Interferometers are instruments that use polarized light to examine the profile of fiber end-faces,
they make it easy to see defects and judge the quality of polishing but are used in labs and
professional fiber polishing production and are too expensive and bulky for field use. However,
they are utilized to evaluate polishing results and optimize polishing procedures before
implementing a process in the factory or in the field.

Copyright © 2018 CommScope Inc and Cabling Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

22: Adhesive Termination: Polishing Steps.

The hand polishing technique is critical to the quality of a connection. The images from an
interferometer are used to examine the fiber end-face and show the difference between good
and bad polishing. Polishing in a circular figure of eight pattern produces a uniform face, so
round patterns over 75mm or 3 inch will produce an optimum end-face. If the polishing
technique is long and skinny over the same area, this will result in a irregular dome with the
end-face being distorted.

Copyright © 2018 CommScope Inc and Cabling Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

23: Endface Quality.

Microscopes used to examine fiber end-faces should have a typical magnification of 400 times if
they are to be useful in the field.  The image on the right illustrates what you want to see when
you look at the end of multimode fiber.  The four images to the left show some of the things you
don't want to see after polishing - scratching, chipping and broken ends. To see a good example
of a polished connector end-face, look at a factory pre-terminated one on a fiber patch cord and
then compare it to a hand polished version.  We will cover inspection fully in a later lesson.

Copyright © 2018 CommScope Inc and Cabling Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

24: Pre-Polished Fiber - Stub Connectors.

Having just looked at connectors, there is another type available on the market which is called a
pre-polished fiber stub connector or a pre-polished field installable connector. This is where a
short length of fiber has been cleaved at both ends and then glued into a connector. The ferrule
is then polished and is ready to accept a 900 micron fiber into the back end of the connector.
Inside the connector is small amount of index matching gel that has the same refractive index
as the fiber it will be mated to. The fiber connecting to it is cleaved to the required length and
inserted into the rear of the connector, pushing into the gel, creating a good connection between
the two fiber ends. If there was no gel, the connection would be poor as two dry surfaces
together can cause problems. A clamping mechanism usually holds the fiber in place. The fiber
connector is now finished! Pre-polished fiber stub connectors do offer cost and convenience
advantages in the field but the downside is that not all field-installable connectors are the same.
Although there are several types available on the market, quality in manufacture is critical, so
choose by a known manufacturer rather than by price. Although this point is really a design
issue, you need to be aware when calculating losses on these types of connectors, there is the
standard loss of the connector being used but you also need to add the 'mechanical splice' loss
inside the connector. This could increase the loss on an overall link and should be taken into
account in the design phase.

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25: Example - CommScope Qwik II Connector.

The Qwik II is an example of this type of connector but requires no crimp tool for termination
and has a visual indicator to confirm it is attached correctly. A VFL (Visual Fault Locator) can be
used to perform this continuity check. Should the fiber need to be re-seated in the connector for
any reason, the connector can be opened and the fiber re-inserted as required. The benefits of
this connector is that it is available in SC or LC versions and in both single-mode and multimode
versions. There is also a tool kit for all connector types, alternatively all that is required is a good
quality cleaver along with basic fiber stripping tools.

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26: The Qwik II Connector.

The Qwik II connector is supplied in its own disposable sprung holder that has a wedge built into
it, to hold the connector open, ready to receive the fiber. Squeezing the sides of the holder
retracts the wedge and closes the connector, clamping the fiber in place. By squeezing the
holder again the connector can be removed. Should there be a problem, the connector can be
placed back into the holder to reactivate the wedge. A video and instruction sheet for these
connectors are available in the download area.

Copyright © 2018 CommScope Inc and Cabling Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

27: Jumpers / Patchcords & Pigtails.

Jumpers or patch cords are one or two fiber cables with connectors on either end available in
wide variety of lengths and connector types. Reputable manufacturers supply these patch cords
with test results as standard.   Pigtails are pre-polished terminated connectors on a 1m length of
900 micron fiber available in single-mode or multimode with a choice of connectors. This length
is usually ample for fiber management and are designed to be fusion spliced onto the end of
internal or external fiber cables, either 250 micron or 900 micron as required. Please note that
with the pigtails themselves, there are different types of 900 micron fiber jacket available, some
of which can be kevlar buffered, so choose the correct fiber type and construction for your
application.

Copyright © 2018 CommScope Inc and Cabling Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

28: That Completes This Lesson.

QUIZ
Question 1:
According to the TIA 598 standards body, what color should the connector body and couplers be for
OM4 fiber?

Beige.
Incorrect Answer - Beige is the color used for OM1 or multimode fibers.
B

d
Aqua.
Correct Answer - Aqua is the color used to identify laser optimized fiber and connectors, OM2+, OM3
and OM4.
C

Light green.
Incorrect Answer - Light green is the color used to identify APC style connections which have angled
ferrules.
D

Erika Violet.
Incorrect Answer - This color is used by some manufacturers but has been rejected by the TIA-TR42
standards body as they state the color of the connectors and couplers identifies the core diameter of the
fiber only not bandwidth grades

Question 2:
What substance inside a pre-polished stub connector allows the fibers to mate effectively?

A
All of the answers included here.
Incorrect Answer - You will only find one of these products listed here inside a pre polished stub
connector
B
Index matching gel.
Correct Answer - Index matching gel is used inside the connector between the end of the prepolished stub
and the fiber being inserted. It has the same refractive index as both the fibers ensuring effective low loss
mating.
C
Isopropyl alcohol
Incorrect Answer - Isopropyl alcohol is not what you would want to find inside the connector.
D
Epoxy resin
Incorrect Answer - You will not find epoxy resin inside a pre polished stub connector
A
Accented Performance Connector
Incorrect Answer - Try again!
B
Angled Physical Contact
Correct Answer - APC stands for Angled Physical Contact. these are special low loss connectors used in
broadband and radio type applications.
C
Acute Performance Contact
Incorrect Answer - Try again!
D
Angled Plane Connector
Incorrect Answer - Try again!
Question 4:
What is the maximum insertion Loss that TIA/EIA standards allow for at a mated pair of connectors ?
Answers:
A
0.2dB
Incorrect Answer - 0.2dB Insertion loss can be achieved but it is not the loss referred to in this standard.
B
0.6dB
Incorrect Answer - 0.5dB Insertion loss can be achieved but it is not the loss referred to in this standard.
C
0.75dB
Correct Answer - Although most connector losses will be better than this and CommScope connectors
will require a lower loss for warranty support.
D
3dB
Incorrect Answer - This is far too high an insertion Loss at a mated pair of connectors.
Which of the following connectors will show the LOWEST attenuation?

Singlemode SC
Incorrect Answer - The SC singlemode will show an average mated loss of around 0.3dB
B

Multimode SC
Incorrect Answer - The SC multimode will show an average mated loss of around 0.3dB
C

Singlemode LC
Incorrect Answer - The LC singlemode will show a average mated loss of around 0.2dB
D

Multimode LC
Correct Answer - The LC on multimode will show an average mated loss of around 0.1 dB. It should be
noted that the lowest of all would be LC on 62.5/125 MMF. The smaller the core size the more significant
the alignment becomes.