PETER DYKES CONNECTIVITY
MAKING CONNECTIONS: DEVELOPMENTS IN CONNECTOR TECH
Optical connectors come in a myriad of shapes and sizes, each for a specific application. Some are more popular than others for a variety of reasons, among them size, performance and capabilities, but more variations will be required with the onset of 5G and IoT, writes Optical Connections editor Peter Dykes .
P robably the most application, for using either, according to Stephen Chivers, residential project director, at UK-based broadband connectivity provider Glide. He says, “A variety of optical fibre connectors are available, but SC and LC connectors are the most common types of commonly form factors in use today are the SC and the LC connectors, and there are good reasons, depending on the connectors on the market. Due to the equipment selection made by operators which often stipulate dimensions and methods of coupling, there is a wide variety of connectors. History also plays a part as many were made for different uses, for example in data centre applications, small LC and multi-fibre connectors have replaced larger, older style SC connectors, allowing more fibre ports per unit of rack space. Further, outside plant applications may require connectors be located underground, or on outdoor walls or utility poles”.
WHICH FORM FACTOR? Cost is also a significant factor,
In a written response to questions, connectivity specialist Senko told Optical Connections, “In addition to its compact size, One of the key features that became very popular with the LC was to couple two of them side-by-side utilising a clip or a unibody design. This dual-fibre or also known as duplex style connector, is widespread through various datacom application. Nevertheless, as we continue to move towards a more digitised world there is a rising demand in 400G+ networks for even more density where the LC footprint just isn’t small enough. This is where the next generation duplex connectors, CS® and the SN® connectors, are becoming very well accepted by the users. Other than the size, the ability to break-out at the transceiver is also a key feature of the CS® and SN® as it is in line with the adoption of leaf- and-spine architectures in modern data centres. Other than Datacom, these two connectors are quickly also becoming the new preferred interconnect form factor for 5G wireless applications, where constrain of premium space is one of the challenges for densification. Of course, we
particularly as fibre densification means an almost exponential rise in the number of connectors required for specific applications. This is particularly true in places such as datacentres and points of aggregation in fibre optic networks. Brian Leonard, European product manager, optical connectivity, Fujikura Europe says, “There are pro’s and con’s about most connector types, but one of the big deciders is manufacturing costs. For example, FC connectors are metal- milled, which makes them very resilient, but when it comes to manufacturing them in high volumes, they’re very expensive. That said, they’re very versatile and come with a range of keyway sizes which are generally application specific.” He adds, “SC’s on the other hand, are good for data centres and FTTx, indeed, they are the preferred connector in access networks. Both FC and SC connectors are widely distributed but some operators, from a cost perspective, prefer to use the same form factors they have used for many years, such as SC-APC.”
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| ISSUE 22 | Q4 2020
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