My TN Connection

When you are deploying fiber within your network, the type of fiber cable that will need to be used is almost always dictated by the applications that will be supported on the network and the physical distance between the pieces of equipment that you are connecting. However, when the time comes to connectorize the fiber, there really isn’t a clear cut direction for what fiber connector to use. Often times a Network Manager will try to standardize based on the fiber connectors that are on the equipment they are linking to in their network, but this isn’t a hard and fast rule. In this edition of Fiber FAQ’s I would like to outline the most common fiber optic connectors and give some insight into when they are most often used.

ST Fiber Connector
The ST fiber connector, developed by AT&T labs, was one of the first connectors to be widely implemented in fiber optic installations. The “ST” stands for Straight Tip, which describes the bayonet-style twist lock mechanism that keeps the connector in place. Although extremely popular in the 80’s and early 90’s, the ST is slowly being replaced by smaller connectors that allow for more dense installations.

SC Fiber Connector
The SC fiber connector, developed in Japan by NTT (the Japanese Telecommunications Company), features a push-pull coupling which is easier to use than the twist-off ST connector and also allows for higher installation densities. The SC is square in shape and is often connected in a duplex configuration (two SC’s held together by a plastic clip). In fast Ethernet and Gigabit environments, where space constraints are not a concern, the SC is a popular choice.

LC Fiber Connector
The LC fiber connector, developed by Lucent Technologies, is a small form factor connector that has been gaining popularity among electronics manufacturers because of its relatively small size and strong performance. Roughly two LC’s can fit in the footprint of an SC or ST connector. Because of this small size the LC is often used in data center environments where port density and space saving is of great value. The LC is also the favored connector for singlemode and laser-optimized multimode applications.

MTP Fiber Connector
The MTP fiber connector, developed by US Conec, is an improvement on the MPO (Multi-fiber Push-On) connector originally designed by NTT. The MTP connector differs from the rest in that it terminates multiple fibers (typically 12 and 24 strands) in a single ferrule. Due to the high number of strands available in a relatively small space, MTP fiber assemblies are most often used for cross-connect and backbone applications. Although MTP’s were originally offered as a pre-terminated fiber assembly solution, field terminated MTP connectors have also been introduced to the market.

Next up in the Fiber FAQ’s series will be an introduction to fiber types.

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