What Is Fiber Optic Pigtail and How to Splice It?

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In
fiber optic cable installation, how cables are attached to the system is vital
to the success of network. If done properly, optical signals would pass through
the link with low attenuation and little return loss. Fiber optic pigtail
offers an optimal way to joint optical fiber, which is used in 99% of
single-mode applications. This post contains some basic knowledge of fiber
optic pigtail, including pigtail connector types, fiber pigtail
classifications, and fiber pigtail splicing methods.

 

Fiber
Pigtail Specification

Fiber
optic pigtail is a fiber optic cable terminated with a factory-installed
connector on one end, leaving the other end terminated. Hence the connector
side can be linked to equipment and the other side melted with optical fiber
cables. Fiber optic pigtail are utilized to terminate fiber optic cables via
fusion or mechanical splicing. High-quality pigtail cables, coupled with
correct fusion splicing practices offer the best performance possible for fiber
optic cable terminations. Fiber optic pigtails are usually found in fiber optic
management equipment like ODF, fiber terminal box and distribution box.

 

Fiber
Pigtail vs Fiber Patch Cord: What Is the Difference?

Fiber
optic pigtail has fiber connector installed at only one end, and the other end
is left empty. While both ends of a fiber patch cord are terminated with fiber
optic connectors. Patch cord fibers are usually jacketed, whereas fiber pigtail
cables are usually unjacketed for they are usually spliced and protected in a
fiber splice tray. Moreover, patch cord fiber can be cut into two pieces to
make two pigtails. Some installers prefer to do this to avoid the problem of
testing a pigtail cables in the field—just
test the performance of a fiber patch cord, then cutting it into halves as two
fiber pigtails.

 

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 different types of pigtail cable connector terminated at the end, there are
LC fiber pigtail, SC fiber pigtail, ST fiber pigtail, FC fiber pigtail, MT-RJ
fiber pigtail, E2000 fiber pigtail and so on. With different structures and
appearance, each of them has their own advantages in different applications and
systems. Let’s go through some widely used ones.

 

SC
Fiber Optic Pigtail: SC pigtail cable connector is a non-optical disconnect
connector with a 2.5mm pre-radiused zirconia or stainless alloy ferrule. SC
fiber pigtail is economical for use in applications such as CATV, LAN, WAN,
test and measurement.

 

FC
Fiber Optic Pigtail: FC fiber pigtail takes the advantage of the metallic body
of FC optical connectors, featuring the screw type structure and high precision
ceramic ferrules. FC fiber optic pigtails and its related products are widely
applied for the general applications.

 

ST
Fiber Optic Pigtail: ST pigtail connector is the most popular connector for
multimode fiber optic LAN applications. It has a long 2.5mm diameter ferrule
made of ceramic (zirconia), stainless alloy or plastic. Hence SC fiber pigtails
are commonly seen in telecommunications, industry, medical and sensor fields.

 

Like
fiber optic patch cords, fiber optic pigtails can be divided into UPC and APC
versions. Most commonly used types are SC/APC pigtail, FC/APC pigtail and
MU/UPC pigtail.

 

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.

 

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.

 

Fiber
Optic Pigtail Splicing: Easy and Fast Fiber Termination

The
quality of fiber pigtail is typically high because the connectorized end is
attached in the factory, making it more accurately than a field-terminated
cables. It can be attached to optical fibers by fusion or mechanical splicing.
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. While for mechanical
fiber optic pigtail splicing, it precisely holds a fiber optic pigtail and
fiber patch cord together, the joint could be temporary or permanent, enabling
light to pass from one fiber to the other. Always ordering fiber pigtail
assembly a few feet more than you’ll need. The extra slack allows for splicing
errors to be corrected. Besides, selecting fiber pigtail assembly with reliable
quality would made the splicing process way easier.