Friday, March 6, 2015

Not All Key Connectors Are Born Equal

By Leslie Ball


Since the introduction of fibre optic technology over the last few decades, many businesses have tried to outdo one another. It's an ongoing competition of who can create the cheapest, most efficient key connectors on the market. There has been over a 100 different kinds presented to the marketplace but only a few has been the front runners in popularity.

They are produced to connect together as male and female matching parts. The male part has an extended ferule that keep the fibres together and it's made to fit perfectly into the female part with the uniquely designed sleeve. You can connect it directly to the apparatus with the use of an adapter.

They use to be made colour coded but metallic models of yore, made it difficult. Colour tags were used instead to help identify them for single mode or multimode. Either a ceramic, metallic or plastic ferule to hold the fibre, is preferred.

There are a few that are the most popular. The SC is widely used for its excellent performance. Although it is more expensive it is preferred because of the snap in connector that's attaches with a push pull motion. They are also simpler to use and more durable. The ST is still the most commonly used ceramic ferule for multimode networks in offices or campuses. They have a built in spring that has to be joined correctly. They push and twist into the connection.

The other is the ST that is a popular choice for multimode systems, but the downside is the spring that is built in as it takes effort to align and screw in. The FC is not widely used anymore although a popular choice years ago. They became too costly to produce because of the metal casing and it required to be mated more carefully for fear of damaging fibres.

There are things that can be done to make these models work at their best. They have to be kept free from dust to give the best signal possible, thus the dust cap was manufactured. It also is suggested that they be tested thoroughly to ensure the required amount of light is going through the cable run. Another factor to keep in mind is the tiny amount of signal loss that leaks from the connector. It may be vital to go over power cables.

There are some tips and tricks to make these models work far more efficiently. It is recommended that they must be tested with a power meter to make sure enough light is being used through the cable run. Also each connector causes a small amount of signal loss so checking power levels on the cables is essential. The devices themselves have to be kept dust free to prevent it from interfering with the signal. They come with a dust cap just for this reason.

These adapters are used for a variety of applications, with some being fairly customizable and offering really surprising levels of signal stability. The connectors are available in all sorts of polishes, colors and shapes to make mating and connection simpler. This will ensure that all you networking needs are met and you will be able to use it with any device of your choice without hassle.




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