Thursday, March 12, 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 made as male or female counterpart where the male connector has a protruding ferule that hold the fibres that fits into the securing mechanism of the connector. It uses an adapter to marry the male and female together. It can be connected directly into devices for networking.

The units themselves are manufactured as male and female parts. The male unit has a ferule that is made to fit effortlessly in the female unit that works cohesively with the creatively designed adapter. It is then connected straight into the devices you want to use.

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 LC has a plastic housing that makes aligning easier via metal pins and has a ferule half the size of the SC. It performs well and highly favoured for single mode. The FC was the most popular for years until replaced by the LC and SC. It was too expensive due to high cost of the metal housing. It screwed in tightly but the let-down was that it's tricky to get it aligned in the slot properly.

Using these cables aren't just as simple as plugging and playing like same people think. For the most part it is true but this cabling and connector combination still needs some care and observance. There are some points to follow to make your signal stay uninterrupted such as to make sure that the units are plugged in securely and that the cables are loosely bundled up instead of too tightly, for better signal.

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.

The units themselves are used for a variety of applications. They're typically manufactured in different styles and colours and configurations for convenience of mating and connecting. There is one suited to every networking need, you can even have them specially made, for your convenience.




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