INTERCONNECT: Blog Articles

Cleaning and Inspecting MPO-Type Connectors

MPO cleaning guidelines are much like those for single-fiber connectors. In November 2020, Fiber Optic Center posted an article on cleaning and inspecting connector ends, Ten Practical Tips for Cleaning Connector Ends. With the article below, we are expanding ...
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The 101 on Fiber Optic Connector Types

Recognizing that there are quite a few connectors on the market that are actively being used in fiber optic installations, there are also some older types and discontinued connectors, not being used in the mainstream of data and telco markets, but used in more...
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Key Components of Fiber Optic Connectors and Key Specifications of Connectors

Part 2: Introduction to Fiber Optic Cable Assembly Manufacturing. Key components of Fiber Optic Connectors and Key Specifications of Connectors. This article series introduces engineers and technicians to various aspects of the production process to manufacture ...
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Measuring Fiber Geometry on Large Core Specialty Fibers and Connectors

Where the telecommunication industry standardized their optical connectivity performance with visual, optical and geometrical measurements, the specialty fiber industry traditionally performs only a visual inspection on their fibers assemblies...
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A Call to Action: Automation in the Connector Assembly Process is an Essential Next Step for Fiber Optic Connectivity

Throughout most of the telecommunication industry, manufacturing automation has flourished. Here’s just one example of successful automation: fusion splicing. The operator preps the fiber ends, puts them into the splicer, and presses a button. The equipment...
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Looking at Our Industry From a Systems Perspective: The Future of Cable Is Inextricably Tied to Connectivity

For years, connectivity in the cable industry was considered a “throw it over the wall” issue with a focus on leaving the problem to others who then became responsible for the convenience of connecting the cables designed to the outside world. It wasn’t...
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Why Do Fiber Optic Connectors Fail? Cross-Sectioning Offers a View Inside Connectors – And Insight Into Why They Fail

How many times have you asked yourself: Why did this connector fail? I’ve been in the fiber optic industry since the 1980’s and – despite amazing technological advances – this issue continues to plague our industry. ...
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What Is an SMA Connector and Why Do We Care?

The first connector to be accepted as a widely used standard in the early days of the fiber optic industry, in the late 1970s, was designed by Amphenol in CT as a variation of their coaxial electrical connect known as subminiature assembly, or SMA. In those days, fiber...
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Cross Sectioning of Fiber Optic Connectors: The Three Methods, Advantages and Disadvantages

Cross Sectioning of Fiber Optic Connectors questions answered here… how many methods and what are the options? There are currently three methods of looking inside a fiber optic connector: ...
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The “Weakest Link” of a Connectorized Cable Assembly and More…

In terms of long-term reliability, the “weakest link” of a connectorized cable assembly is the area within the ferrule which contains the strip “transition point” (where the buffered fiber is stripped down to bare fiber) and the majority of the injected epoxy. ...
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