Are you planning a Fiber optic cable installation and wondering which connector might work best for your business? Fear not as we have got you covered. Most companies hire the expert fiber optics installer for the Fiber optic cable installation but it is crucial to know a bit about it.
Choosing the right fiber connector can make all the difference to your network and overall business performance.
Wondering about the differences between APC, UPC, and PC connectors and how to choose the one? This blog addresses all your questions regarding the diverse connector types and helps you make an informed decision.
Types of Fiber Connectors
The different types of fiber connectors used during the fiber optic cable installation include:
- PC
- UPC
- APC
These refer to the polish styles of the ferrules inside the fiber connector. Now you must be thinking- what is ferrule? The ferrule is the end part of the fiber meant to connect to other fiber. On installing the connector, light is reflected which in turn disrupts the signal.
Engineers upgrade the surface of the attachment to increase the efficiency of the fiber and this is how ferrule technologies are introduced. Let’s understand each connector type in greater depth.
PC Fiber Connector
The connector polished in the physical contact style is known as a PC fiber connector. It is also the most common type found in OM1 and OM2 fiber. Its main purpose is to overcome the air gap between two surfaces from minor imperfections in the connector.
The slight cylindrical curve in its design is meant to improve or eliminate the air gap. The return loss in single-mode applications is around -40db, quite higher than the loss of the original Polish style.
UPC Fiber Connector
The next type of fiber connector used during the fiber optic cable installation is UPC. UPC stands for ultra-physical contact. It is an improved version of the PC fiber connector and has a better surface finish after extended polishing.
Compared to PC fiber connectors, its return loss is better around -50db or even higher. The only thing is that it is not robust enough.
Another thing to bear in mind is that repeated connections and disconnections will cause degradation of the surface and a decrease in overall performance. The poor performance is not due to its design but to poor cleaving and polishing techniques.
APC Fiber Connector
APC stands for the Angled Physical Contact connector. The connector has the green fiber connector to indicate APC. Due to its lowest back reflection of the polish, it can sustain repeated connections without any return loss and affecting the connector performance.
The applications where APC connectors are found include DAS, FTTH, and CCTV. These are also used in passive optical connectors because the systems use RF signals to deliver videos.
APC connectors are required to be mated with other angled-polished connectors compared to non-angled polished connectors. Otherwise, it will result in high insertion loss. The return loss of APC connectors is higher than the other connector types, nearly -60dB or higher.
Differences Between PC, UPC, and APC Connectors
Now that you know the definition of the diverse connector types used during the fiber optic cable installation, you’ll know that these connectors vary greatly from one another.
The major differences between all three connector types are in terms of their appearance, performance, and application categories.
Appearance
The fiber end face is the major difference between these connectors. PC and UPC connectors are polished with no angle. The end face of the UPC connector has only a slight curvature. But the APC connector has an 8-degree angle end face.
Another notable difference is the color. For instance, APC single-mode fiber optic cable has green connectors whereas UPC single-mode fiber has blue connectors. With this, you can easily distinguish between different connectors.
Performance
Each of these connectors differs in terms of performance as well. Achieving low insertion loss using APC connectors was hard but the improvement in its design and manufacturing has led APC connectors to perform better.
APC connectors have the lowest back reflection of all the fiber connectors when evaluated in the performance for return loss. This is the reason why the values for return loss are different.
The higher the return loss, the better its performance, and vice versa. Among all the connector types, APC connectors perform the best.
Application
The APC connectors are preferred in applications that are more sensitive to return loss. For instance, APC connectors are preferred in FTTx applications and for passive optical network applications.
UPC or PC fiber connectors come into play for applications where return loss is not that significant.
Wrapping Up
Consider the differences mentioned above while choosing the fiber optic connector for the fiber optic cable installation. Take the help of the expert fiber optics installers to help you make an informed decision.
Author Bio:
Harrison Thornburg has 10+ years of experience as a network cabling engineer. He has been writing technical blogs for the last 7 years on the latest trends, best practices, and innovations in cabling to educate both beginners and seasoned professionals.