Nov. 20, 2021
What are Fiber Optic Pigtails?
A fiber pigtail is a single, short, usually tight-buffered fiber optic cable with a factory-installed connector on one end, and un-terminated fiber on the other end.
Fiber optic patch cables are basic media of optical light transmission. A successful fiber cable choice and deployment is vital for fiber access networks. A well-done cable installation not only makes optical signals pass through the fiber links but also offers low attenuation and little return loss.
Advantages oF Using Factory-Terminated Pigtails
Lower labor costs
Installers working with single mode fiber typically have a fusion splicer machine. With a fusion splicer, you just splice the pigtail right onto the fiber cable in a minute or less
Factory guaranteed high quality
The factory-terminated pigtails are made in a controlled environment (the factory) and high quality polishing machines. The factory promises low insertion loss, high return loss (low reflection).
Each pigtail is labeled with factory-tested insertion loss and return loss. Also a serial number that you can trace to the factory measurements.
How To Choose Correct Fiber Pigtails?
There are different kinds of fiber optic pigtails are available in the market to meet the various applications. The correct choice of fiber pigtails will make our work simple & high efficiency.
Fiber Optic Pigtail Types
Fiber optic pigtails are available in various types: Grouped by pigtail connector type, there are LC fiber optic pigtails, SC fiber pigtails and ST fiber pigtails, etc. By fiber type, there are single-mode fiber optic pigtail and multimode fiber optic pigtail. And by fiber count, 6 fibers, 12 fibers optic pigtails can be found in the market.
By Fiber Type
Fiber optic pigtails can be divided into single-mode (colored yellow) and multimode (colored orange) fiber. Multimode fiber optic pigtails use 62.5/125 micron or 50/125 micron bulk multimode fiber cables and terminated them with multimode fiber optic connectors at one end. 10G multimode fiber cables (OM3 or OM4) are also available in fiber optic pigtails. The jacket color of 10G OM3 and OM4 fiber optic pigtail is usually aqua. Single-mode fiber pigtail cables use 9/125 micron single-mode fiber cable and terminated with single-mode fiber connectors at one end.
By Connector Type
According to the fiber connectors terminated, The fiber pigtails covers:
▴SC fiber pigtails
▴LC fiber pigtails
▴ST fiber pigtails
▴FC fiber pigtails
▴E2000 fiber pigtails
▴DIN fiber pigtails
Like fiber optic patch cords, The connector of a fiber optic pigtail can be divided into UPC and APC versions, like SC/UPC, SC/APC, LC/UPC. LC/APC, ST/UPC, FC/UPC, FC/APC pigtails, etc.
By Fiber Count
Fiber optic pigtails could have 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24 and 48 strand fiber counts. Simplex fiber optic pigtail has one fiber and a connector on one end. Duplex fiber optic pigtail has two fibers and two connectors on one end. Each fiber is marked “A” or “B” or different colored connector boots are used to mark polarity. Similarly, 4, 6, 8, 12, 24, 48 and more than 48 fibers fiber optic pigtails have their corresponding feature.
By Application Environment
Some pigtail cables are specially installed to withstand the harsh or extreme environments, so here comes armored fiber pigtail and waterproof fiber pigtail.
Armored Pigtail: enclosed with stainless steel tube or other strong steel inside the outer jacket, armored fiber optic pigtails provide extra protection for the fiber inside and added reliability for the network, while reduce the unnecessary damage caused by rodents, construction work, weight of other cables.
Waterproof Pigtail: designed with a stainless steel strengthened waterproof unit and armored outdoor PE (Poly Ethylene) jacket, waterproof fiber pigtail is a great fit in harsh environments, like communication towers, CATV and military. Waterproof pigtail cable boosts good toughness, tensile and reliable performance, facilitating the use in outdoor connections.
How To Do Easy & Fast Fiber Pigtail Deployment?
Factory pre-terminated, especially breakout style, fiber pigtail offers stable optical performance, . The open-ended is spliced with the fiber of entrance cables. Given the access to a fusion splicer, you can splice the pigtail right onto the cable in a minute or less, which greatly speeds the splicing and saves significant time and cost spent on field termination. Sometimes, we could use a fast connector on the other end to realize the jump connection as a regular fiber patch cord.
All our fiber cable assemblies are 100% factory tested to ensure excellent optical performance, good repeatability, and durability.
Customized cable jacket color, boot color of connectors, stagger lengths of breakout cables are available for customary solutions.
