Assembling Optical Fibers in Fusion Splicing Mode
Context
Optical fibers in hybrid cables can be assembled in one of two modes: mechanical splicing and fusion splicing.
- In mechanical splicing mode, LC connectors in the purchased 02233FKY or 02233FLA auxiliary material package are used to terminate optical fibers.
- In fusion splicing mode, optical fibers are fusion spliced with fiber pigtails in the purchased 02233FLA or 02233FLB auxiliary material package, without the need of LC connectors.
Procedure
- Feed one end of an optical fiber and one end of a pigtail through the caps of a fusion splice protection sleeve.
- Assemble the optical fiber. Remove the fiber jacket and fiber coating in the same way as in the mechanical splicing scenario.
If no 02233FKY or 02233FLA auxiliary material package is purchased, you can use fiber stripper pliers.
- Process the pigtail. Use fiber stripper pliers to strip a pigtail, cut off the unwanted aramid yarn, strip the fiber coating, and route the pigtail into the heat shrink tubing.
- Cut the optical fiber and pigtail. Place the fiber holder on the fiber cleaver and use the trough matching the optical fiber and pigtail.
- Use a 0.9 mm trough for the pigtail.
- Use a 0.25 mm trough for the optical fiber.
- Use a 0.9 mm trough for the pigtail.
- Clean bare fibers in the optical fibers and pigtails with pure alcohol using fiber cleaning papers.
- Fusion splice the optical fiber and pigtail. Place the optical fiber and pigtail on the fiber fusion splicer, while ensuring that they do not outreach the electrodes.
Test the insertion loss of the spliced optical fiber. If the value is greater than 0.05 dB, repeat the preceding fusion splicing operations. (The fiber fusion splicer will display the cause, such as uneven end face, bubbles, or fiber core damage.)
- Heat the heat shrink tubing. Cover the splicing point with the heat shrink tubing, secure the heat shrink tubing to the heat shrink trough, and start heating.
Check whether the heat shrink tubing is tightly wrapped around the jacket of the optical fiber. If not, continue to heat it.
- Assemble the fusion splice protection sleeve. Place the spliced optical fiber into the fusion splice protection sleeve, and tighten the caps at both ends.
Ensure that the heat shrink tubing has cooled down before you assemble the fusion splice protection sleeve.
- Repeat steps 1 to 8 to fusion splice the other optical fiber.