What are the types of fiber terminations?

In the past decade, the development of the optical fiber industry has made tremendous progress. However, there are many termination technologies, products, processes and procedures to choose from. How to choose a suitable solution in the application is very difficult, and it will also affect the speed of work and the effective use of cost. So, what are the types of fiber terminations?

1. Non-epoxy resin type/non-grinding type

2. Non-epoxy resin type/grinding type

3. Epoxy resin type/grinding type

4. Pigtail splicing

Fiber Termination

Appropriate application of these technologies will help reduce the installation cost of fiber optic networks. Because there is no "one size fits all" solution, it is entirely possible and recommended to use multiple techniques in the same network layout. The key to choosing the right termination device for each installation is understanding the benefits and pros and cons of each option.

Many enterprises adopt multiple technologies at the same time according to practical application needs. For example, some companies use epoxy/polished fiber optic connectors in indoor installation layouts and non-epoxy/non-polished fiber optic connectors on the outlet end. Similarly, it is also helpful to provide non-epoxy/non-polished fiber optic connectors to professional testers to quickly replace those fiber optic connectors that do not meet specifications during testing, so that the inspection process can be completed quickly. meaningful.

The two major factors in fiber optic connector installation costs are labor costs (hours of work, training hours, and experience) and material costs (fiber optic connectors, tools, and consumable materials). Therefore, in the case of paying higher wage rates, it can be very beneficial to adopt a technology that can obtain the shortest time for personnel training and equipment installation.

As a basis for comparison, these factors that affect terminal installation costs should be considered when selecting a connection technology. For ease of discussion, it is assumed that all techniques require alcohol and wipes as consumable materials, as well as cable preparation tools, transit times, and necessary cables.

Placement refers to the preparation time before installing the first fiber optic connector to the termination location. This includes distributing necessary tools and ovens, setting up termination areas, and preparing consumables.

Installation refers to the time it takes to connect the first fiber optic connector to the fiber. Include the steps required to remove the buffer layer, glue and cure the adhesive, sand, and crimp the test terminals in order to obtain a testable termination condition.

Materials include the cost of the fiber optic connector assembly, as well as the cost of consumable materials (adhesive, sandpaper) for any protective hardware and as a must-have tool.

Skills are also a factor, as all fiber optic connector installations require a certain level of training, with some techniques requiring only a skilled technician to master, while others can be performed in the field with minimal training by the installer. Higher skills typically require higher labor costs when measured in hours.

No matter which fiber optic connector technology is chosen, the most important factor to consider is that you must use fiber optic connectors that meet or exceed the requirements of the ANSI/TIA/EIA-568B.3 standard.

In addition, factors that must be considered when selecting fiber termination models include: user choice, product availability, product familiarity, and performance requirements. These factors may require choosing a combination that does not minimize costs.

Non-Epoxy/Non-Polished Fiber Optic Connectors

Non-epoxy/non-polished fiber optic connectors provide the easiest and fastest termination technology available. Simply strip the fiber, then cut it open and insert it into the fiber optic connector, which contains a pre-polished short pin in the fiber optic connector ferrule. When these operations are completed, a fiber optic connector with built-in mechanical connections and high-quality end faces is formed that provides excellent return loss performance for field-terminated fiber optic connectors.

These fiber optic connectors are best used in low fiber count layouts (less than 24 fibers), such as small building backbones or work area outlets. They are also easy to maintain, repair, and allow for small moves, additions and changes. If you need to pay higher wages and have a team of unskilled operators, or a team of workers who don't work well with each other, you want to be able to train staff quickly and install equipment quickly. The truth is that only very short fiber lengths are required to be successfully terminated.

Placement: Each sanded layup takes about five minutes.

Installation: It takes about two minutes to lock and polish each fiber

Materials: Fiber optic connector assemblies are inexpensive to purchase and do not require expensive consumable materials such as ovens, epoxies or adhesives. Because you need to target different fiber optic connector models, you will need a complete set of grinding tools and some jigs, consumables such as sandpaper and matching fluid, and the right amount of investment capital.

Skills: While non-epoxy/non-sanding techniques also require a locking mechanism, the amount of training and skill requirements will increase due to the sanding procedure. You need to spend a little time developing the "feel" in order to learn how to use this technique.

That's all for the fiber termination categories compared to each other. Advances in machine and molding tolerances, factory automation, and adhesives provide a wide range of options for fiber optic connector technology. It also makes terminal operation easier and cheaper.