In fiber optic cable installation, how to connect the cable to the system is very important to the success of the network. If handled properly, the attenuation of optical signal is small and the return loss is small when it passes through the link. Fiber optic pigtails provide the best way to connect fibers, which is used in 99% of single-mode applications. This article contains some basic knowledge of fiber optic pigtail, including the type of pigtail connector, fiber optic pigtail classification and fiber optic pigtail splicing method.
Fiber optic pigtail specifications
Fiber optic pigtail is a kind of fiber-optic cable, one end is terminated by factory installed connector, the other end is terminated. Therefore, the connector side can be connected with the equipment, and the other side can be fused with the optical cable. Fiber optic pigtail s are used to terminate fiber optic cables by fusion or mechanical splicing. High quality pigtail cables, coupled with the correct fusion practices, provide the best performance for fiber optic cable terminations. Fiber optic pigtail s are usually found in fiber management equipment, such as ODF, fiber terminal box and distribution box.
The difference between Fiber optic pigtail & fiber optic patch cord
Only one end of the fiber optic pigtail is equipped with an optical fiber connector, and the other end is empty. Both ends of the optical fiber patch cord are terminated with optical fiber connectors. Patch cord fibers are usually jacketed, while fiber pigtail cables are usually jacketed because they are usually spliced and protected in the fiber splice tray. In addition, the patch cord fiber can be cut into two sections to make two pigtails. Some installers prefer to do so to avoid the problem of testing the pigtail cable in the field, just test the performance of the fiber patch cord, and then cut it into two halves as two fiber pigtails.
Fiber optic pigtail type
There are many types of fiber optic pigtails: grouped by pigtail connector type, including LC fiber optic pigtail, SC fiber optic pigtail and ST fiber optic pigtail; grouped by fiber type, including single-mode fiber optic pigtail and multimode fiber optic pigtail. According to optical fiber statistics, there are 6 optical fibers and 12 optical fiber optic pigtails on the market.
By fiber type
Fiber optic pigtails can be divided into single-mode (yellow) and multi-mode (Orange) fibers. Multimode fiber optic pigtails use 62.5/125 micron or 50 / 125 micron bulk multimode fiber cables and are terminated at one end with multimode fiber connectors. 10g multimode fiber optic cable (OM3 or OM4) can also be used for fiber optic pigtails. The jacket color of 10G OM3 and OM4 fiber optic pigtails is usually light green. The single-mode fiber optic pigtail cable is 9 / 125 micron single-mode fiber cable, and one end is terminated with a single-mode fiber connector.
By connector type
According to different types of pigtail cable connectors, there are LC pigtail, SC pigtail, St pigtail, FC pigtail, MT-RJ pigtail, E2000 pigtail, etc. Because of their different structure and appearance, they have their own advantages in different applications and systems. Let's take a look at some of the widely used.
SC fiber optic pigtail: SC pigtail cable connector is a non-optical disconnect connector with 2.5mm pre radiated zirconia or stainless steel alloy ferrule. SC fiber optic pigtail is economical in CATV, LAN, Wan, test and measurement applications.
FC fiber optic pigtail: FC optical fiber optic pigtail uses the metal body of the optical fiber connector, with spiral structure and high-precision ceramic ferrule. Fiber optic pigtails and related products are widely used in general applications.
ST fiber optic pigtail: the ST pigtail connector is the most popular connector in multimode fiber LAN applications. It has a 2.5mm diameter ferrule made of ceramic (zirconia), stainless steel alloy or plastic. Therefore, SC fiber optic pigtail is widely used in the fields of telecommunication, industry, medical treatment and sensor.
Like fiber patch cord, fiber optic pigtail can be divided into UPC and APC versions. The most commonly used types are SC / APC pigtail, FC / APC pigtail and mu / UPC pigtail.
By application environment
Some pigtail cables are specially installed to withstand harsh or extreme environments, so here comes armored fiber optic pigtail and waterproof fiber optic pigtail.
Armored pigtail: the outer sheath is wrapped with stainless steel tube or other strong steel. The armored fiber optic pigtail provides additional protection for the inner fiber, increases the reliability of the network, and reduces unnecessary damage caused by rodents, construction operations, and other cable weights.
Waterproof pigtail: it adopts stainless steel reinforced waterproof unit and armored outdoor polyethylene (polyethylene) sheath design, which is very suitable for communication tower, cable TV, military and other harsh environment. Waterproof pigtail cable has good toughness, tensile property and reliability, which is convenient for outdoor connection.
Count by fiber
Fiber optic pigtails can have 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, and 48 strand fiber counts. A single fiber optic pigtail has a fiber and a connector at one end. The two core fiber optic pigtail has two fibers and two connectors at one end. Each fiber is labeled "a" or "B," or polarity is marked with a different color of connector sheath. Similarly, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48 and more than 48 fiber optic pigtails have corresponding characteristics.
Note: fiber optic pigtail has female or male connector. The female connector can be installed on the terminal block. They also have male connectors that plug directly into the optical transceiver.
Fiber optic pigtail splicing: a convenient and fast fiber terminal
Fiber optic pigtails are usually of high quality because the connection ends are factory connected, making them more accurate than field end cables. It can be connected to the fiber by melting or mechanical splicing. If you can use a fusion splicer, you can splice the pigtail directly to the cable in a minute or less, which will greatly speed up splicing and save a lot of time and cost on field terminals. For mechanical fiber optic pigtail splicing, it can precisely fix the fiber optic pigtail and fiber patch cord together, and the connector can be temporary or permanent, so that the light can be transmitted from one fiber to another. Always order several feet more fiber optic pigtail components than you need. Additional slack allows for correction of splice errors. In addition, the selection of reliable quality fiber optic pigtail components makes the splicing process easier.
AIDA fiber optic pigtail solution
AIDA provides a series of factory terminated and tested fiber optic pigtail assemblies, made of 900 μ m buffered fiber optic cable and PVC sheath, which have a variety of fiber types, cable structures and connector options. We have various types of fiber pigtails, including standard 900 μ m buffered fiber pigtails, 6 to 24 core color coded fiber pigtails, armored pigtails and waterproof pigtails. All of our fiber pigtail components are 100% tested to ensure excellent performance, interoperability and durability. You can also customize the fiber pigtail according to your specific needs. A large inventory of cables and connectors enables quick turnaround of custom components.