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Connectors. By: Joshua Beharry Delano Villarroel Max Wall. Ease of Use and Size. Early connectors were screw-on. But now, they snap into place. Easy to use Adaptable for duplex Polarized connectors are structures that guide the fiber into place for proper orientation.
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Connectors By: Joshua Beharry Delano Villarroel Max Wall
Ease of Use and Size • Early connectors were screw-on. • But now, they snap into place. • Easy to use • Adaptable for duplex • Polarized connectors are structures that guide the fiber into place for proper orientation. • Density is an important factor.
Durability • Repeated unmating and mating can ruin connector. (Indoor : 500 – 1000 mating cycles.) • Connectors attached to cables by mechanical/epoxy bonds to the fiber, cable sheath, and strength members • Sudden sharp forces, bends, nicks, and exposure can cause attenuation/break connections
Environmental Conditions • Keeping free from contaminants is most important • Dirt, dust, etc. can attenuate • When not connected, a cap should cover the connector • Special hermetically sealed connectors are required for outdoor use (Bulky and expensive)
Ferrule-Based Connectors • The Ferrule centers and aligns the fiber and protects it from mechanical damage • Metal or ceramic, sometimes plastic (usually stripped) • The hole of the Ferrule needs to be large enough to fit the cladding but tight enough to be in a fixed position • Standard bore diameters: Single mode: 126+1/-0 µm Multimode: 127+2/-0 µm • Special ferrule connectors for high power • High temperature epoxies must be used • Quartz sleeves help
V-Groove Connectors • Can align fibers in the connector • Presses free fiber into the groove and butts it against another fiber • Aligns fibers in V-grooves in a substrate, fixes it in place, then mates • Can etch multiple grooves for multifiber functions
Expanded Beam Connectors • Limited to applications with large tolerances • Expands beam by a factor of 10 or more • Larger factor for single mode • Prevents most dirt blockage and small misalignments • Used for outdoor or hostile connectors
Mating Connectors • Plugged into adapters that serves as an interface to other connectors • In a patch panel, cable may be divided into individual fibers that run into an array of connector adapters, ready for single fiber connections. • Adapters have the advantage of flexibility because they can accept one type of connector on one side and a different type on the other.
Connector Installation • Fiber connectors can be installed in a fixed or factory • Have tight tolerance an are easier to be replaced in factory • Field installation gives more flexibility meeting system requirements allows for quick repairs • Splicing is easier, but requires prior knowledge
Multifiber Connectors • Duplex connector • Link cables that contain a pair of fibers • Polarized to be mated in only one way • Multifiber Connector • Connect many fibers • Simplify installation • Reduce space • Loss high, but easy to make
Polarization Maintaining Connectors • Most likely to encounter polarity in duplex connectors • Rare, but important • Align fibers in order to retain the polarization orientation of the light.
QUESTONS • What factors can damage or attenuate the connector? • List and describe the three types of connector structures. • What are the advantages of factory and field installations?