LC Connectors, also known as Lucent Connectors are also referred to as “Little Connector” or “Local Connector”, were developed by Lucent Technologies in 1994 as a small form factor (SFF) connector. They entered commercial production by the end of 1996 with the aim of broad licensing. The first standards for the LC connector were ratified in 1999.
LC Connectors are identifiable by their square housing and a push-pull design with an anti-snag latch/retaining tab. They offer the same ease of use, pull-proof reliability as SC connectors, but in a smaller, more cost-effective package with a ferrule diameter of 1.25mm, half that of the FC, SC, and ST connectors.
The ‘smaller footprint’ of LC connectors makes them ideal for high-density applications like data centers, SFP and SFP+ transceivers, Local Area Networks (LAN) and enterprise networks, making them the most commonly used connectors today.
LC Connectors are most often used in pairs, clipped together for use with duplex tight-buffered fiber cable in both single-mode and multimode applications. Another common configuration is the unibody duplex LC design for round duplex loose tube cable. While the latching mechanism facilitates easy connections and disconnections, the high panel density can complicate accessing the right connector, leading to innovations like extraction tools, push/pull tabs, and push/pull boots.
Key features of LC connectors include:
- A small form-factor ideal for high-density applications.
- Compatibility with both single-mode and multimode optical fiber.
- Low insertion loss, typically less than 0.5 dB, for signal integrity over long distances.
- A clip-latching mechanism for stable connections, making accidental disconnections rare.
- Compatibility with standard SFP+, SFP28, QSFP+, and QSFP28 transceivers.
Assembly of the LC Connector mirrors that of the SC connector, though it requires specific equipment and processes due to the 1.25mm ferrule diameter.
