MPO/SC/LC Secure Lockable Fiber Connector

 The secure lockable fiber optic connector is mainly used in some private networks with high security level requirements, and improves security by preventing unauthorized modifications in the entire critical network.

MPO Secure Lockable Connector

The MPO secure lockable connector is a secure accessory that can be compatible with conventional MPO connector.  Once the MPO connector with secure accessory insert into the adapter, it will be locked. The connector cannot be pulled out unless remove the secure accessory. MPO connectors equipped with safety locks will not affect the original height and density of the connectors, and are also compatible with conventional adapters and optical modules. The installation is simple and convenient, requires no extra tools. It can effectively prevent releasing the connector by mistake, and to reduce the chance of getting dusty on the connector's surface.

SC Secure Lockable Connector

SC secure lockable connector is designed with unique keying details in the connector body, as long as it is inserted into the adapter, it is locked and the connector cannot be pulled out. The connectors of different colors correspond to the keys of the same color to open the lock and pull out the connector. There are also dust caps with locks that are suitable for SC conventional adapters, which can prevent dust and lock. For some unused fiber ports, it can prevent mistaken insertion.

 

LC secure lockable connector

LC keyed connector is installed with a secure lock accessory on the LC duplex connector. The connector with lock accessory can be locked once insert into the adapter. You need to use the equipped unlocking key to pull out the connector. There is also a dust cap with lock for the LC adapter, which can be unlocked with the same key. Removing the security lock accessory on the connector will not interfere with the LC adapter or cause network performance degradation.

HYC Co., Ltd was founded in 2000, has 20 years experiences in OEM ODM manufacturing of passive optical devices. We focus on providing customers one-stop services of the design, R&D and manufacturing of passive optical communication devices. We have fiber optic connectors, fiber optic jumpers, WDM wavelength division multiplexing, PLC optical splitters, MEMS optical switches and other product lines.

What is the IL Value of Ultra Low Loss MPO Fiber Optic Cable?

With the wide application of FTTH, the requirements for data transmission capability and speed have become more and more important in optical fiber communications, which has also led to high requirements for high-density, low-loss optical fiber connectors.

In the previous article, we introduced what are insertion loss and return loss? These two parameters are the most important indicators of fiber optic connectors. The three factors that affect fiber connection loss are the lateral shift of the fiber core, fiber tilt and gap. Among them, lateral offset is the most important factor.

For MPO connectors, the factors that affect the lateral offset are the eccentricity of the fiber hole, the gap between the fiber hole and the fiber, and the gap between the positioning pin hole and the positioning pin. By determining the dimensional tolerances required for MT sleeves, optical fibers and positioning pins, low losses can be achieved. This requires MPO connectors to have low-loss and high-reliability performance during the grinding process, polishing process, and manufacturing process of experimental testing.

So what is low loss? First, let's take a look at the standard typical insertion loss values of MPO fiber connectors.

 Optical performance index of MPO single-mode fiber connector
－The maximum insertion loss of any plug through the standard adapter and standard plug ≤0.75dB (including repeatability); return loss>30dB (MPO/PC),>50dB (MPO/APC)
－The maximum insertion loss of two plugs connected arbitrarily through the adapter ≤1dB; return loss>20dB (MPO/PC),>40dB

 Optical performance index of MPO multimode fiber connector plug
－The maximum insertion loss of any plug through the standard adapter and standard plug ≤0.35dB (including repeatability)
－The maximum insertion loss of two plugs connected arbitrarily through the adapter ≤1dB

Although the IEC standard specifies the maximum insertion loss of the connector, the typical insertion loss of most manufacturers' connectors will be below the standard value. At present, the insertion loss index of 8-core or 12-core multimode MPO connectors in the industry is generally standard loss 0.5dB, and low loss is less than 0.35dB.

MPO/MTP fiber optic connectors are an important part of high-density optical interconnect products in data centers. Today, data center cabling also requires higher-performance, higher-density MPO/MTP fiber optic cables. By improving the connector technology and manufacturing technology, HYC Co., Ltd successfully reduced the loss of the MPO connector SM single-mode 12-core to less than 0.25dB, which is 28% lower than the industry low loss value of 0.35dB; The loss of SM single-mode 24 core is reduced to 0.35dB, which is far below the industry standard and the typical loss value of MPO connectors provided by other manufacturers. It provides high-quality MPO fiber optic cables for data center 400G network construction.

About HYC Co., Ltd
HYC can provide customized high-quality MPO/MTP optical fiber cable according to customer needs. Founded in 2000, HYC has more than 20 years of OEM/ODM manufacturing experience in optical communication devices. The main products include high-density optical connectivity, PLC optical splitters, WDM wavelength division multiplexers, MEMS optical switches and other products, which are widely used in FTTx, telecommunications, 5G networks, data centers and other fields.

A comprehensive understanding of fiber optic connectors

Optical fiber connectors are used most often to transmit light by connecting two optical fibers instead of splicing. It is a flexible device that widely used in fiber-optic communications systems. Optical fiber connectors ensure precisely connections between the two ends of the fibers so that the optical energy output from the transmitting fiber can be coupled to the receiving fiber to the maximum extent. Better connectors will have little impact on the system due to its involvement. Since the outer diameter of the optical fiber is the only 125um, and the light passing core is smaller. The cores of single-mode fiber are only 9um, and the multi-mode optical fiber has 50um and 62.5um. So it is important to ensure the properly aligned.

Main component: Ferrule
One of the most important main components of fiber optic connector is ferrule. The quality of the ferrule directly affects the precision connections of the two fibers. Ferrule is usually made of different materials such as ceramic, metal or plastic. Most of the ferrules used in optical connectors are made of ceramic material (zirconia) due to its hardened characteristics, such as good thermal stability, high hardness, high melting point, wear-resistance, and high processing precision. The inner diameter of the ceramic sleeve is slightly smaller than the outer diameter of the ferrule, and the slitted sleeve tightens the two ferrules for precise alignment.

In order to make the end faces of the two fibers better contact, the ends of the ferrules are usually poshing into different structures. PC, UPC, and APC are the polish styles of ferrules inside the fiber optic connectors. PC is Physical Contact. The two end faces are polished to be slightly curved or microspherical, and the fiber core is at the highest point of the bending. This eliminates the air gap and forces the fibers into physical contact. APC is Angled Physical Contact. The end face of APC is usually ground into an 8-degree angle. The 8° angled bevel makes the fiber end face tighter and reflects light through its beveled angle to the cladding instead of returning directly to the source, providing better connection performance. UPC (Ultra Physical Contact) is based on the PC to optimize the end face polishing and surface finish, the end face looks more dome-shaped. Connector connections need to be in the same end face structure, for example, APC and UPC cannot be combined, resulting in poor connector performance.

Basic parameters: insertion loss, return loss
Due to the different ferrule end faces, the performance of the connector loss is also different. The optical performance of fiber optic connectors is primarily measured by two basic parameters: insertion loss and return loss. So what is the insertion loss? Insertion Loss (“IL”) is the loss of optical power caused by the connection. It is mainly used to measure the optical loss between two fixed points in optical fiber, which is usually caused by the transverse deviation between two optical fibers, the longitudinal gap in optical fiber joints, the end mass, etc. The unit is expressed in decibels (dB). Lower the insertion loss, better the performance. The general requirement should be no more than 0.5dB.

Return Loss (“RL”) refers to the parameter of signal reflection performance. It describes the power loss of optical signal return/reflection. The value is usually expressed in decibels (dB). The larger, the better. The typical RL value of APC connector is about -60db, and that of PC connector is about -30db.

Except for the two optical performance parameters of insertion loss and return loss, there are also other parameters should be considered including the interchangeability, repeatability, tensile strength and operating temperature of the fiber optic connector.

Fiber optic connector types
There are various fiber connector types in the market, such as LC, SC, FC, ST, MU, MT, MPO/MTP and so on.

LC connector
The LC optical connector is made with an easy-to-use modular jack (RJ) latch mechanism. The size of the pins and sleeves used in the LC connector is 1.25 mm, which is the half-size of SC, FC, etc..

SC connector
SC fiber optic connector (‘Subscriber Connector’ or ‘Standard Connector’) is a snap-on standard square connector, which features a push-pull coupling mechanism, and does not need to be rotated. This type of connector is usually made of engineering plastics, which are inexpensive and easy to insert and remove.

FC connector
FC fiber connector (Ferrule Connector) and the SC connector are the same sizes, except that the FC is made of a metal sleeve and the fastening method is a turnbuckle. It has the advantages of simple structure, convenient operation, easy manufacture, and durability, and can be used in a high vibration environment.

ST connector
The ST fiber optic connector (Straight Tip) has a rounded outer that made by a 2.5mm ring-shaped plastic or metal. The bayonet-style keyed coupling mechanism, which is commonly used in fiber distribution frames.

MTP/MPO connector
The MTP/MPO fiber optic connector is a special type of multi-fiber connector. The structure of the MPO connector is complex, connecting 12 or 24 fibers in a rectangular fiber ferrule.

In addition to the above, the connector types include MU connectors, MT connectors, MTRJ connectors, E2000 connectors, etc. Due to low cost-benefit, SC connector is probably the most commonly used fiber optic connector. LC fiber optic connectors are also a commonly used fiber optic connector, especially for connection to SFP and SFP+ fiber optic transceivers. FC connector is mostly used in single-mode and is relatively rare in multimode fiber. Complex designs and metal housing makes it more expensive. ST fiber optic connectors are typically used in long and short-range applications such as campus and architectural multimode fiber applications, enterprise network environments, and military applications.

Choosing the appropriate connector for a fiber network depends on things such as network design and function. HYC(HYC Co., Ltd)offers a variety of fiber optic connectors of various specifications and types, including SC, FC, LC, ST, MPO, MTP and so on.

High Density MPO Connector Available for 400G

With the widespread deployment of data centers, the demand for 400G solutions is growing. The rapid increase in the number of network links in the data centers can cause the data center of conventional fiber cabling to become cramped and difficult to manage.  To solve this problem, data centers must obtain ultra-density to accommodate all the cabling used in the cabling. The MPO connector is designed to meet this high bandwidth requirement and meet the 400G high-speed transmission requirements.

MPO (Multi Push On) is a multi-core fiber connector type. It usually has 12 core fibers arranged in a row. A MPO connector can supports one or more rows of fibers. MPO connectors support higher bandwidth and higher density applications with 12 to 48 fiber count, which also can reach 72 or 96 in some limited applications.

MPO has many fibers in a single connector, so it reduces the amount of time required to connect fibers. Same size as SC connector, MPO connector can accommodate multi optical fibers, providing the same times the density. This flexibility basically gives you a backbone cabling system that can be adapted to any technology change or connector change in the future.

This HYC’s MPO connector, comes with SM,SMLL,MM,MMLL,8C,12C, 24C,regular force spring, high force spring for your choice. Its patented push-pull tab design provides quick and easy connection, and is also well-suited for high-density, high-traffic applications. The Push-pull tab offers maximum accessibility in high density installations; install or remove with one hand without needing additional tools.

Many applications are pursuing the high bandwidth throughput, therefore using high-density patching is inevitable. MPO connector has been widely used in data centers, telecom network, Ethernet network, and Optical communication equipment.