If you are working in a telecommunication industry, it is essential for you to acquire information about fiber optic patch cable. Fiber optic patch cable, also called as fiber optic cable jumper or fiber optic patch cord, is a fiber optic cable terminated with connectors on both sides to achieve cross connections of fibers. On the basis of different criteria, there are varieties of fiber optic patch cables. According to different connector types, optical patch cables can be classified into LC, SC, and ST fiber optic patch cables, etc. Fiber optic patch cables with various connectors are mainly applied in two areas—computer work station to outlet and fiber optic patch panels or optical cross connect distribution center. Today, I would like to provide you some fiber optic patch cable types based on different optical connectors.
LC fiber cable is terminated with LC connectors at both ends. LC connector (lucent connector) can have a push-and latch design providing pull-proof stability in system rack mount. With plastic housing and accurate 1.25mm ceramic ferrule, LC is a preferred connector type for high-performance network. LC fiber cable with this small form factor connector is specially designed for use with today’s narrower aperture components, which can be widely applied for high-density applications. There are many types of LC patch cords, including single-mode (yellow) and multimode (orange) types, in simplex and duplex versions, and several special types, such as armored LC-LC patch cords, multi-core LC-LC patch cords, and so on. An example of LC fiber optic patch cable is shown below.
SC fiber cable is terminated with SC connectors (subscribe connector), which latches with a simple push-pull motion and is perfectly suited for telecoms and datacoms. It is one of the earliest types and one of the most commonly used fiber optic patch cables following the advent of ceramic ferrules. SC patch cable is with a locking tab on the cable termination and provides for accurate alignment through their ceramic ferrule. It takes the advantage of keyed duplexibility to support sending and receiving channels. This kind of patch cable also comes in single-mode and multimode versions. In addition, with its low cost, simplicity along with good durability, SC patch cord is popular in fiber optic network. Here is a picture of SC fiber optic patch cable.
Terminated with FC connector, a screw type connection, FC fiber cable was quite prevalent previously. FC (ferrule connector) was the first fiber optic connector to use a ceramic ferrule and was one of the most popular single-mode connector for many years. It also uses a 2.5mm ferrule, like SC and ST. Since it is usually used with single-mode fiber optic cables, many datacom and telecom systems employ FC connectors for this purpose. Nevertheless it has been almost replaced by LCs and SCs. FC fiber cable is available with both single-mode fiber and polarization-maintaining optic fiber. It is applied in high-vibration environment and can screw on firmly, but you need to have the key aligned in the slot properly before you tighten it. There is a FC fiber optic patch cable.
ST fiber optic connector features a slotted bayonet with long ferrule, about a 2.5mm ferrule. After the advent of the FC, it was developed by AT&T and was welcomed in the 1980s and 1990s. Most ST are ceramic, but some can be metal or plastic. ST fiber optic patch cable has straight tip type terminations and is easy to insert or remove, so if you experience high light loss, you can reconnect it without any worries. Although ST patch cable is one of the oldest generation, it is still can be seen in multimode networks, including LANs in buildings and campuses. The following image is ST fiber optic patch cable.
In conclusion, we have many choices for fiber optic patch cables, like LC, SC, ST and FC patch cables we have mentioned above. Each of them has unique applications. Besides these fiber patch cables, FS.COM also provides a lot of other choices for patch cables which can meet the requirements of various networking environment, such as bend insensitive fiber patch cable, keyed LC fiber patch cable, uniboot LC fiber patch cable, and so on. If you want more details, please visit FS.COM or contact sales@fs.com.
Write a comment