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ESCON Connector
(with 2.5mm ceramic ferrule)
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Duplex SC connector
(with 2.5mm ceramic ferrule)
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ST Connector
(with 2.5mm ceramic ferrule)
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MT-RJ Connector
(with MT2 ferrule)
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Duplex LC Connector
(with 1.25mm ceramic ferrule)
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ESCON Connector:
A 2.5mm ceramic ferrule based, duplex connector
system developed by IBM and Siemens for use in mainframe connectivity
systems in the early 1990s. The connector has two ceramic ferrules
protected under a spring-loaded retractable shroud and has an
extremely robust strain relief design.
Duplex SC Connector:
Originally developed by NTT, the SC connector
has a push / pull snap mating. The duplex SC connector uses
the same mating profile as the simplex design. A number of SC
suppliers actually clip simplex SC connectors together to form
the duplex version. The ceramic is a 2.5mm design. Mating conformity
is through compliance with the TIA/EIA 604-3 specification.
ST Connector:
Developed by AT&T, the ST connector (for
Straight Tip) has been a perennial favorite for its termination
simplicity and low cost. Based around a 2.5mm ceramic ferrule,
the ST connector is used in simplex form exclusively.
MT-RJ Connector:
This connector is radically different than
the other connectors shown, in large part, due to the single
MT ferrule that handles two fibers. This is the first of the
Small Form Factor (SFF) connector designs to reach a measure
of market acceptance. The MT-RJ is a variation of the reliable
MT-ferrule connector series, the first major multi-fiber ferrule
design, originally developed by NTT in Japan. The MT-RJ has
been primarily used as a multimode connector.
Duplex LC Connector:
A small form factor ceramic-based connector
developed by Lucent. It is based on the tiny 1.25mm ceramic
ferrule. The second major SFF connector design to be well received
in the market, the LC is the connector of choice for 1 Gbps
+ multimode and singlemode applications. Mating conformity is
through compliance with the TIA/EIA 604-10 specification.
Ferrule Designs:
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Examples of ceramic and metal ferrules
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Notice the size difference of the
two fiber connectors on the right. The last connector
has a 1.25mm ceramic ferrule while its neighbor has
a 2.5mm ferrule. These are all simplex (1 fiber) connectors.
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Left - a duplex LC with two
simplex LC connectors in a clipped, duplex form. There
are two 1.25mm ceramic ferrules in this duplex connectors.
Ceramic ferrules for fiber optic connectors for the LC
and MU connectors are 1.25 mm in diameter while ferrules
for ST, SC, ESCON, FDDI and FC connectors are 2.5mm in
diameter.
Diameter is 1.25mm for LC ceramic ferrules and 2.5mm for
SC, ST, ESCON, FC connectors. |
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The MT-RJ connector uses a duplex
MT ferrule. This ferrule is unique in that there
is only one ferrule but with two holes for the glass.
Note that there are two large holes visible in the
color photo. The actual optical glass fibers are
located between these larger holes and are not visible
in this photo. These large holes are the guide-pin
holes. The guide-pins are used to align the ferrules
when mated. When the pins are inserted in the ferrule,
this is called a "male" connector. An
MT-RJ connector with no pins is called a "female"
MT-RJ.
The lower left photo shows the ferrules only as
they mate. The actual MT-RJ ferrule must be inserted
in a housing in order to latch. |
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Coupler / Adapter Designs:
In order to mate non-matching connectors or ferrules, couples
and adapters must be used. Depending on the connectors involved,
mating non-matching connectors can range from low cost, and
easily done, to higher cost. In some cases, direct coupling
of different connectors is impossible due to fiber spacing or
physical dimensions.
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A duplex ESCON to dual ST coupler
is shown.
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A duplex SC to dual ST coupler is
shown.
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Issue arise when converting from LC to SC due to the difference
in spacing between the LC connectors and SC connectors as well
as the need for different alignment sleeve dimensions.
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Alignment Sleeve (shown as transparent)
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The purpose of the alignment sleeve is to guide the two ferrule
tips together and to align them so that light passes between
the optical glass in ferrule #1 and ferrule #2.
For the MT-RJ connector, the adapter is a mechanical piece that
holds the two ferrules in contact. The actual alignment is achieved
through the metal pins supplied in the male MT-RJ connector.
As can be seen, converting from a 2.5mm ferrule diameter to
a 1.25mm ferrule requires a more complex alignment sleeve design.
For example, an LC to SC adapter would require a special multi-sized
alignment sleeve. This design is being developed and should
be available to the optics market soon.
| 1) |
CONVERT DUPLEX
SM SC to DUPLEX LC |
Part No.: K-010LT001-STSM
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Kit includes (1) 1 Meter Duplex
LC to ST single-mode jumper and (1) Single-mode ST to
SC Coupler |
| 2) |
CONVERT DUPLEX 50/125 SC
to DUPLEX LC |
Part No.: K-050LT001-STMM
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Kit includes (1) 1 Meter Duplex
LC to ST 50/125 jumper and (1) Multimode ST to SC Coupler |
| 3) |
CONVERT DUPLEX 50/125 SC
to DUPLEX LC |
Part No.: K-062LT001-STMM
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Kit includes (1) 1 Meter Duplex
LC to ST 62.5/125 jumper and (1) Multimode ST to SC Coupler
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| 4) |
CONVERT ESCON 62.5/125 to
DUPLEX LC |
Part No.: K-062LT001-QTMM
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Kit includes (1) 1 Meter Duplex
LC to ST 62.5/125 jumper and (1) Multimode ESCON to dual
ST Coupler |
| 5) |
CONVERT ESCON 62.5/125 to
DUPLEX SC |
Part No.: K-062ST001-QTMM
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Kit includes (1) 1 Meter Duplex
SC to ST 62.5/125 jumper and (1) Multimode ESCON to dual
ST Coupler |
| 6) |
CONVERT ESCON 62.5/125 to
MT-RJ Female |
Part No.: K-062RT001-QTMM
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Kit includes (1) 1 Meter Duplex
MT-RJ to ST 62.5/125 jumper and (1) Multimode ESCON to
dual ST Coupler |
| 7) |
CONVERT Duplex SC 62.5/125
to MT-RJ Female |
Part No.: K-062RT001-STMM
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Kit includes (1) 1 Meter Duplex
MT-RJ to ST 62.5/125 jumper and (1) Multimode duplex SC
to dual ST Coupler |
| 8) |
CONVERT Duplex SC 50/125
to MT-RJ Female |
Part No.: K-050RT001-STMM
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Kit includes (1) 1 Meter Duplex
MT-RJ to ST 50/125 jumper and (1) Multimode duplex SC
to dual ST Coupler |
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