Splicing is a process to join two different cables into one. You can splice fiber optic cable using two distinct methods. It is an effective way to cover longer distances than your cable length or to make repairs or modifications to an existing system.
How Can You Splice Fiber Optic Cables?
There are two main ways to splice fiber cables: fusion splicing and mechanical splicing. Each one allows light transmission to continue from one cable to the other by aligning the glass strands that comprise fiber optics.
Mechanical Splicing
Mechanical splicing uses an attachment sleeve to align the ends of both fiber cables and hold them in place. You can remove the sleeve at any time, making this a potentially temporary solution. However, it can also be left in place permanently. You can expect an approximate 0.3 dB insertion loss with mechanical splicing.
This is a very quick and cost-effective process for joining cables. It is often used for time-sensitive repairs or modifications. It is also commonly used to temporarily join cables during installations and then later changed out to a more permanent fusion bond.
Fusion Splicing
Fusion splicing does not use an attachment sleeve. Instead, you use heat or an arc to melt the fiber ends together. When done correctly, fusion splicing provides a permanent bond with minimal signal loss, usually 0.2 dB or less.
This is considered an incredibly reliable method of splicing single-mode fibers. Skilled technicians can also use it on multi-mode fibers.
Connectorization
In addition to those two methods, you can also use mechanical connectors in a process called fiber connectorization. This is different from direct splicing and can cause signal loss if done incorrectly. High-quality connectors and fiber preparation are crucial for success with connectorization.
You might use connectorization if you need to bring two vastly different cables together. The fiber optic color code allows you to easily identify what size and type of cable you are working with.
Why Would You Splice Fiber Optic Cables?
You can splice fiber optic cable for several reasons, including to extend an existing cable, to make repairs, and to transition from one type of cable to another. It is also useful for connecting transceivers and peripherals via pigtails.
What Factors Affect Splice Performance?
Fiber quality and end finishing are major factors in splice performance. If the ends do not align well, you will not get a good splice. Fiber mismatch is the leading cause of signal loss at the splice.
Additional factors include the cleanliness of the splicing site, using clean, well-maintained tools, and proper fusion parameters. Attention to these can help you achieve effective splices in fiber optic cables.
Let Equal Optics Show You How You Can Splice Fiber Optic Cable
Mechanical and fusion fiber optic splicing are effective methods for joining two fiber optic cables together. The unions can be temporary or permanent, depending on the method used. The team at Equal Optics can explain how you can splice fiber optic cable and why you might want to. Contact us today to explore our networking solutions.
