Fiber Patch Cords vs Fiber Pigtails

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Fiber
optic patch cord and fiber optic pigtail are two commonly used components in
fiber optic network. They have many things in common and they also differ in
distinct ways. Knowing both the similarities and the differences between them
will help you make the best selection for your project. The passage mainly
talks about their similarities and differences in both structures and
applications.

 

Structures
of Fiber Patch Cords and Pigtails

 

Fiber
patch cord, also known as fiber optic patch cable or fiber jumper cable, is a
short length of optical fiber cable with a connector on each end. Connector
types on each side of the fiber patch cable can be different and they can also
be the same. Fiber optic pigtail is a piece of cable terminated with a fiber
optic connector at only one end of the cable and leaves a length of exposed
fiber at the other end, so that the connector side can link to the equipment
and the other side can be melted with optical cable fibers or stripped and
fusion spliced to a single fiber of a multi-fiber trunk. The following picture
shows a fiber patch cord and a fiber pigtail.

 

Fiber
optic patch cords and pigtails structurally have much in common.
They are both available in single mode and multi-mode, and they can be made
into simplex and duplex. Besides, both fiber patch cord and pigtail can
terminate with many kinds of fiber optic connectors, including FC, SC, ST, LC,
MTRJ, MPO, MU, SMA, FDDI, E2000, DIN4, and D4.

 

The
major physical difference between fiber patch cord and pigtail is that fiber
patch cord is a fixed length piece of cable with fiber connectors on each end
while fiber pigtail has fiber connectors on only one end of the cable. Fiber
optic patch cords can be cut into shorter lengths to make two pigtails.

 

Applications
of Fiber Patch Cords and Pigtails

 

Fiber
optic patch cords and pigtails provide interconnect and cross-connect of
applications over installations in entrance facilities, telecommunications
rooms, and data centers. They are available in OM4, OM3, OM2, OM1, or OS1/OS2
fiber types to meet the demands of Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet and
high speed Fibre Channel. However, they have their respective application
areas, too.

 

Fiber
patch cords are commonly used to connect ports on fiber distribution frames.
They support network applications in main, horizontal and equipment
distribution areas and are available in optical fiber riser cable (OFNR), and
low smoke zero halogen (LSZH) rated jacket materials to comply with local
cabling ordinances. They also support high speed (10/40 Gbs)
telecommunications. Fiber optic patch cords can be used in many areas, such as
integrated optics, laser detection and display, and materials processing.

 

Fiber
optic pigtails support fusion splice field termination applications. They
should be installed where they will be protected and spliced, so they are
usually used with fiber optic management equipment like optical distribution
frame (ODF), splice closures and cross cabinets. Pigtails are found anywhere,
but most commonly in optical assemblages or optical components. There are
waterproof fiber optic pigtails used for outdoor applications, which is with
thick poly ethylene (PE) jacket and big diameter.

 

fiber-mart.com
produces high quality fiber optic patch cords and pigtails using a variety of
commercially available connectors and fibers. We provide various single mode
and multi-mode fiber patch cords and fiber pigtails. These patch cords and
pigtails offer low insertion losses, and excellent repeatability. And they can
be manufactured to custom length.