Custom Fiber Optic Patch Cables

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Custom Patch Cable Manufacturing Area
at Thorlabs' Newton, NJ Facility

Custom Patch Cable Manufacturing Areaat Thorlabs' Newton, NJ Facility

For more information, please visit our website.

Thorlabs stocks the largest selection of single mode and multimode optical fibers in the photonics industry. If our selection of stocked patch cables does not meet your needs, we also offer custom patch cable services. Please use the form below to build and order your custom cable. If you find your needs are not met by the options in the form below, please contact us and we will design a specialty cable to meet your needs.

Fast Turnaround Service
Need a cable right away to finish your project? If your order is placed before 2 PM EST weekdays* and the order request meets the following criteria, we will manufacture and ship them the same day (PM cables ship in 2 days):

• Total order request is for five or fewer SM or MM cables
• Each individual cable has a maximum length of 20 meters

Please note that certain custom cables, such as those utilizing epoxies with longer cure times or incorporating high-power connectors, require a longer assembly time and hence cannot be shipped same day. In those instances, the quoted lead time will be longer.

*Holiday exceptions apply. Please note that our custom patch cables are manufactured in the United States, which observes the following holidays: New Year's Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, the 4th of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. At these times, please contact your local sales office for a confirmed production timeline.

OEM Patch Cables
We offer scheduled deliveries, competitive pricing, account support, and kanban stocking agreements. Please contact us with any questions you may have so we can better meet your OEM needs.

Build Your Custom Patch Cable

Custom Cable Configurator

Step 1: Select Your Fiber Type

Please select Single Mode (SM), Multimode (MM), or Polarization-Maintaining (PM).  Alternatively, enter the item number of the specific fiber you require.  If you are unsure which fiber type will best meet your needs, please go to the Fiber Options tab for more information on each fiber option.

SM  PM  MM   or  Part Number:    

  Part not found!

Step 2: Select Your Fiber

Step 3: Select Your Tubing

(Preferred options will be noted with an asterisk (*)

Step 4: Select Your Connectors

(Preferred options will be noted with an asterisk (*)

Connector 1:
Connector 2:

Connector 1:Connector 2:

Select your key alignment for Connector 1:

(Preferred options will be noted with an asterisk (*)

Connector 1: Slow (*)FastNone

Connector 1:

Select your key alignment for Connector 2:

(Preferred options will be noted with an asterisk (*)

Connector 2: Slow (*)FastNone

Connector 2:

Step 5: Select Your Length and Quantity

Length:   

meters.  

 Minimum length of 0.2 m. Please contact us to order shorter cables.

 Tolerance of ±1% or ±7 cm, Whichever is Greater.

  

Quantity:   

  The requested quantity is greater than

.

Minimum length of 0.2 m. Please contact us to order shorter cables.Tolerance of ±1% or ±7 cm, Whichever is Greater.

Price and Shipping Information

Please contact us so a representative can follow up with you concerning volume pricing and lead time.

Notes:

We are experiencing some delays in our distribution center due to a planned system upgrade. We sincerely apologize for any resulting inconvenience.

The pricing above reflects the choices made in the form. If you require greater tolerances or any other specialty request, please contact us (contains all selections made in form) and we will be happy to speak with you as to how we can best meet your needs.

CLOSE FORM [X] )Please use the Special Request web form below to send us your request for your custom patch cable.Customer Information:Patch Cable Worksheet:Please Login if you have an account with us.

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Indicates required fieldFiber :

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Tubing :

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Connector 1 :

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Fiber Optic Cable Structure

Fiber Cable Video
Click for Summary Image

General Fiber Information

A fiber optic cable is made of 5 main parts, labeled in the figure to the right. The core, made of glass or plastic, provides the path for light propagation. Larger core sizes allow a greater amount of light, or a larger beam diameter, to enter the fiber. The numerical aperture (NA) of the core determines the range of incident angles the fiber can accept and still perform within its specified range. The cladding prevents light from exiting the core and being absorbed by the rest of the cable. The coating, or buffer, protects the core and cladding and provides strength. The next layer of the cable is a material, such as Kevlar, that reinforces the cable and helps prevent damage due to stress. The entire package is then encased in a jacket. This outer jacket provides one last layer of protection and also adds strength to the fiber. The jacket is typically colored to help the user determine what type of optical fiber is in the cable.

Thorlabs follows the industry standard in jacket coloration. We use a yellow jacket for our Single Mode (SM) fibers, an orange jacket for our Multimode (MM) fibers, and a blue jacket for our Polarization Maintaining (PM) fibers. Our custom patch cables can be made with any jacket color / fiber combination. Some Ø900 µm jackets are avaliable only in lengths up to a certain maximum as shown in the table below.

Jacket Lengthsa Item # FT900Y FT900SM-BLUE FT900KY FT900KB FT900KK Maximum Length <5 m <3 m <10 m <10 m <10 m
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Patch Cable Inspection at Thorlabs in Newton, NJ

Patch Cable Inspection at Thorlabs in Newton, NJ

Building Your Custom Patch Cable

Have you looked through our broad selection of stocked patch cables to see if one of them meets your needs? If none of the stocked options are what you are looking for, a custom cable can be manufactured.

Select a Fiber

Thorlabs offers four major types of fiber: Single Mode (SM), Multimode (MM), Polarization Maintaining (PM), and Doped. Each fiber type is explained in detail below. You will also find a complete list of all the fibers that we offer for our custom patch cables along with key specifications that may help you decide which fiber is best for your application. We sell all of these fibers individually on our website as well, along with a wide variety of others. Click here to view all of the fiber options Thorlabs offers. Please contact Tech Support if you have any other questions about our fiber.

 

Single Mode Video

Light Propagation Down Single Mode Fiber

Single Mode (SM) Fiber

SM fiber has small core sizes that only allow one mode, or ray, to propagate through the fiber. The mode defines how the light travels through space. Light propagates along the axis of the fiber in this single mode (see drawing to the right). In SM fiber, waves have the same mode but different frequencies. This type of fiber is useful in situations where the integrity of the incident pulse of light needs to be retained over long distances. SM fiber offers high bandwidth and low modal dispersion.

Photosensitive SM Fiber
Photosensitive single mode fiber is designed to provide high photosensitivity for UV radiation. These fibers offer lower splice loss than standard SM fibers and are suitable for a range of applications. For more information about these fibers, click here.

Photosensitive SM Fiber Options Item # Wavelength Range NA MFD PS 980 to  nm 0.13 6.2 µm ± 0.8 µm @ nm GF3 to  nm 0.16 10.5 µm ± 0.8 µm @  nm GF1 to  nm 0.13 9.3 µm ± 0.5 µm @ nm GF4A nm 0.13 4.4 µm ± 0.2 µm @ nm GF1B nm 0.13 10.4 µm ± 0.8 µm @  nm

SM Fiber Options Item # Wavelength Range NA MFD SM300 320 to 430 nm 0.12 to 0.14 2.0 to 2.4 µm @ 350 nm S405-XP 400 to 680 nm 0.12 3.3 µm ± 0.5 µm @ 405 nm
4.6 µm ± 0.5 µm @ 630 nm 460HP 450 to 600 nm 0.13 3.5 µm ± 0.5 µm @ 515 nm 630HP 600 to 770 nm 0.13 4.0 µm ± 0.5 µm @ 630 nm SM600 633 to 780 nm 0.10 to 0.14 3.6 to 5.3 µm @ 633 nm S630-HP 630 to 860 nm 0.12 4.2 µm ± 0.5 µm @ 630 nm 780HP 780 to 970 nm 0.13 5.0 µm ± 0.5 µm @ 850 nm SM800-5.6-125 830 to 980 nm 0.10 to 0.14 4.7 to 6.9 µm @ 830 nm SM800G80* 830 to 980 nm 0.14 to 0.18 3.75 to 4.9 µm @ 830 nm SM980-5.8-125 980 to nm 0.13 to 0.15 5.3 to 6.4 µm @ 980 nm HI-J9** 980 to nm 0.14 5.9 µm ± 0.3 µm @ 980 nm
6.2 µm ± 0.3 µm @ nm XP 980 to nm 0.14 5.9 µm ± 0.5 µm @ 980 nm
6.2 µm ± 0.5 µm @ nm
9.5 µm ± 0.5 µm @ nm 980HP 980 to nm 0.20 4.2 µm ± 0.5 µm @ 980 nm
6.8 µm ± 0.5 µm @  nm SM980G80* 980 to nm 0.17 to 0.19 4.2 to 4.9 µm @ 980 nm SMF-28-J9** to nm 0.14 9.2 µm ± 0.4 µm @ nm
10.4 µm ± 0.5 µm @ nm CCC-J9** to nm 0.14 8.6 µm ± 0.4 µm @ nm
9.7 µm ± 0.5 µm @ nm BHP to nm 0.13 8.6 µm ± 0.5 µm @ nm
9.7 µm ± 0.5 µm @ nm SMG80* to nm 0.11 to 0.13 8.2 to 9.9 µm @ nm BHP to nm 0.13 9.5 µm ± 0.5 µm @ nm SMG80* to nm 0.19 to 0.21 6.0 to 6.8 µm @ nm

Ultra High NA SM Fiber Options Item # Wavelength Range NA MFD UHNA1 to nm 0.28 4.0 µm @ nm UHNA3 960 to nm 0.35 3.3 µm @ nm UHNA4 to nm 0.35 3.3 µm @ nm

 

Step Index Video

Light Propagation Down Step-Index Multimode Fiber

Graded-Index Video

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Light Propagation Down Graded-Index Multimode Fiber

Multimode (MM) Fiber

The larger core diameters of multimode (MM) fiber allow for the propagation of more than one mode. Light not only propagates along the axis of the fiber, as in SM fiber, but also travels away from the axis toward the cladding (see animations to the right). The total internal reflection that occurs at the core-cladding boundary helps reflect the light back towards the fiber axis. MM fiber tends to have a higher NA and larger core sizes than SM fiber, which allows it to gather larger beams of light at greater incident angles. It has lower bandwidth than SM fiber and is susceptible to modal dispersion.

Modal dispersion is a distortion of the incident light pulse caused by the fact that the propagation velocity of the different modes varies. Due to the &#;zigzag&#; path the modes take to travel down the fiber, the modes that zigzag more take longer to reach the end than those that travel in a straighter path. When all modes, both fast and slow, combine again at the other end of the fiber, the pulse is widened.

There are two main types of MM fiber: Step Index and Graded Index. The core in a step-index fiber has a uniform refractive index throughout. There is a sharp decrease in refractive index at the core-cladding boundary where the cladding refractive index is lower than that of the core. This results in the modes traveling down the fiber in a very jagged path (see animation to the right). Step-index fiber is generally made by doping the fiber with another material.

The refractive index of the core in a graded-index fiber decreases as the distance to the center of the core increases. This results in a much smaller change in the refractive indice at the core-cladding interface. The smoother transition causes the modes to travel in sinusoidal paths down the fiber (see animation to the right). Graded-index fibers have much lower modal dispersion than step-index fibers. The parabolic wave profile of the modes continuously re-focuses the rays. Those traveling straight down the center of the fiber travel much slower than those traveling in a more sinusoidal path due to the differences in refractive index. The resulting pulse is less spread out and very close in profile to the incident one.

Solarization-Resistant MM Fiber
Solarization-Resistant multimode fiber exhibits impressive performance and transmission from the UV to the NIR (180 to  nm). With exceptional UV radiation resistance compared to standard fibers, these multimode fibers are ideal for use in applications such as spectroscopy for pollution analysis and chemical processing, UV photolithography, and medical diagnostics. The polyimide buffer allows this fiber to be used at temperatures up to 300 °C. For more information about these fibers, click here.

High OH Step-Index MM Fiber Options Item # Wavelength Range NA Core Size Glass-Clad Silica FG050UGA 250 to  nm 0.22 ±  0.02 50 µm ± 1 µm FG105UCA 105 µm +1/-3 µm FG200UEA 200 µm ± 4 µm FG400UEA 400 µm ± 8 µm FG600UEA 600 µm ± 12 µm FGUEA µm ± 30 µm Dual Clad: TECS Hard Polymer Clad Over Silica Clad FG200UCC 250 to  nm 0.22 ± 0.02 200 µm ± 8 µm FG365UEC 365 µm ± 14 µm FG550UEC 550 µm ± 19 µm FG910UEC 910 µm ± 30 µm TECS Hard Polymer Clad (Over Silica Core) FT200UMT 300 to  nm 0.39 ± 0.02 200 µm ± 5 µm FT300UMT 300 µm ± 6 µm FT400UMT 400 µm ± 8 µm FT600UMT 600 µm ± 10 µm FT800UMT 800 µm ± 10 µm FTUMT µm ± 15 µm FTUMT µm ± 30 µm Hard Polymer Clad (Over Silica Core) FP200URT 300 to  nm 0.50 ± 0.05 200 µm ± 5 µm FP400URT 400 µm ± 8 µm FP600URT 600 µm ± 10 µm FPURT µm ± 15 µm FPURT µm ± 30 µm

Graded-Index MM Fiber Options Item # Wavelength Range NA Core Size GIF50C 750 to  nm 0.20 ± 0.015 50.0 µm ± 2.5 µm GIF625 800 to  nm 0.275 ± 0.015 62.5 µm ± 2.5 µm

Low OH Step-Index MM Fiber Options Item # Wavelength Range NA Core Size Glass-Clad Silica FG010LDA 400 to 550 nm and
700 to  nm 0.100 ± 0.015 10 µm ± 3 µm FG025LJA 400 to 550 nm and
700 to  nm 25 µm ± 3 µm FG050LGA 400 to  nm 0.22 ± 0.02 50 µm ± 1 µm FG105LVA 400 to nm 0.100 ± 0.015 105 µm ± 3 µm FG105LCA 400 to nm 0.22 ± 0.02 105 µm +1/-3 µm FG200LEA 200 µm ± 4 µm FG400LEA 400 µm ± 8 µm FG600LEA 600 µm ± 12 µm FGLEA µm ± 30 µm Dual Clad: TECS Hard Polymer Clad Over Silica Clad FG200LCC 400 to  nm 0.22 ± 0.02 200 µm ± 8 µm FG365LEC 365 µm ± 14 µm FG550LEC 550 µm ± 19 µm FG910LEC 910 µm ± 30 µm TECS Hard Polymer Clad (Over Silica Core) FT200EMT 400 to  nm 0.39 ± 0.02 200 µm ± 5 µm FT300EMT 300 µm ± 6 µm FT400EMT 400 µm ± 8 µm FT600EMT 600 µm ± 10 µm FT800EMT 800 µm ± 10 µm FTEMT µm ± 15 µm FTEMT µm ± 30 µm Hard Polymer Clad (Over Silica Core) FP200ERT 400 to nm 0.50 ± 0.05 200 µm ± 5 µm FP400ERT 400 µm ± 8 µm FP600ERT 600 µm ± 10 µm FPERT µm ± 15 µm FPERT µm ± 30 µm

Solarization Resistant Step-Index MM Fiber Options Item # Wavelength Range NA Core Size UM22-100 180 to  nm 0.22 ± 0.02 100 µm ± 3 µm UM22-200 200 µm ± 4 µm UM22-300 300 µm ± 6 µm UM22-400 400 µm ± 8 µm UM22-600 600 µm ± 10 µm

 

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Polarization-Maintaining (PM) Fiber

The polarization of incident light is maintained during propagation through polarization-maintaining (PM) fiber. There are many types of PM fibers, but they all work the same way: stress is induced in the core via rods within the cladding. The stress aligns the fiber, and the light, to a particular polarization. Thorlabs offers two types of PM fiber: PANDA style and Bow-Tie style. The types are named for the shape of the stress rods incorporated into the fiber (see drawing to the right). PM fiber is used in fiber optic sensing, interferometry, and quantum key distribution. It is also commonly found in telecommunications applications connecting a laser source and a modulator. PM fiber has higher attenuation than SM and MM fibers.

It is important to note PM fiber does not polarize the incident light; rather, it just maintains the existing polarization of the light that is aligned with the stress rods. The fiber key is aligned during the manufacturing process to ensure high-quality output, as evidenced by the polarization extinction ratio (PER). A higher PER indicates that the light exiting the fiber has a polarization that is more consistent with that of what entered.

Bow-Tie Style PM Fiber Options Item # Wavelength NA MFD HB800G 830 nm 0.14 to 0.18 3.7 to 4.9 µm @ 830 nm HB980T 980 nm 0.13 to 0.15 5.3 to 6.4 µm @ 980 nm HBT nm 0.11 to 0.13 8.1 to 9.9 µm @ nm

Photosensitive PM Fiber Options Item # Wavelength Range NA MFD PS-PM980 980 nm 0.12 10.4 µm ± 0.8 µm @  nm

PANDA Style PM Fiber Options Item # Wavelength Range NA MFD PM460-HP 460 to 700 nm 0.12 3.3 µm ± 0.5 µm @ 515 nm PM630-HP 620 to 850 nm 0.12 4.5 µm ± 0.5 µm @ 630 nm PM780-HP 770 to  nm 0.12 5.3 µm ± 1.0 µm @ 850 nm PM980-XP 970 to  nm 0.12 6.6 µm ± 0.5 µm @ 980 nm PM-XP to  nm 0.12 9.3 µm ± 0.5 µm @ nm PM-XP to  nm 0.125 10.1 µm ± 0.4 µm @ nm PM to  nm 0.20 8.0 µm @ nm Pure Silica Core PM-S350-HP 350 to 460 nm 0.12 2.3 µm @ 350 nm PM-S405-XP 400 to 680 nm 0.12 3.3 µm ± 0.5 µm @ 405 nm
4.6 µm ± 0.5 µm @ 630 nm

Polarizing Fiber Optionsa Item # Wavelength NA MFD HB830Z 830 nm 0.14 4.1 to 7.7 µm @ 830 nm HBZ nm 0.14 6 to 8 µm @  nm HBZ nm 0.09 to 0.11 10.0 to 12.5 µm @ nm

Spun Fiber Optionsa Item # Operating Wavelength NA MFD SHBG80 nm 0.13 to 0.17 6.2 to 8.4 µm @ nm SHB nm 0.13 to 0.17 6.2 to 8.4 µm @ nm SHB nm 0.13 to 0.16 7.9 to 9.9 µm @ nm

 

Doped Fiber

Erbium-Doped SM Fiber Options Item # Peak Core Absorption NA MFD ER16-8/125a 16.0 ± 3.0 dB/m 0.13 9.5 µm ± 0.8 μm
@  nm ER30-4/125a 30.0 ± 3.0 dB/m 0.2 6.5 µm ± 0.5 μm
@  nm ER80-8/125a 80.0 ± 8.0 dB/m 0.13 9.5 µm ± 0.8 μm
@  nm ER110-4/125a 110.0 ± 10.0 dB/m 0.2 6.5 µm ± 0.5 μm
@  nm L-Band Fiber M12-980-125b 11.0 to 13.0 dB/m @ 980 nm
16.0 to 20.0 dB/m @  nm 0.21 to 0.24 5.7 to 6.6 μm
@  nm

Erbium-Doped SM Fiber
Our wide range of highly doped erbium fibers are suitable for fiber lasers and amplifiers operating in the to  nm wavelength region. These fibers are utilized in a broad range of applications, ranging from telecommunication amplifiers (EDFAs) to high-power PON/CATV boosters and ultra-short pulse amplifiers used in instrumentation, industrial, and medical applications. For more information about these fibers, click here.

Double Clad Ytterbium-Doped MM Fiber Options Item # Wavelength Range NA Core Size YB-4/125 to  nm 0.2 4.4 µm ± 0.8 µm MFD YB-6/125DC 0.12 7.0 µm ± 0.5 µm MFD YB-10/125DC 0.080 ± 0.005 10.0 µm ± 1.0 µm YB-20/400DC 0.065 ± 0.003 20.0 µm ± 1.5 µm YB-25/250DC 0.070 ± 0.005 25.0 µm ± 1.5 µm

Ytterbium-Doped MM Fiber
Thorlabs offers state-of-the-art Ytterbium doped optical fibers for optical amplifiers, ASE light sources, and high-power pulsed and CW fiber laser applications. These fibers are fabricated using the latest doped fiber production technology. For more information about these fibers, please click here.

Passive Double Clad Fiber Options Item # Compatible Active Fiber P-6/125DC YB-6/125DC P-10/125DC YB-10/125DC P-20/400DC YB-20/400DC P-25/250DC YB-25/250DC

Passive Double Clad Fiber
Thorlabs' passive large-mode-area (LMA) fibers are matched to the core diameters and numerical apertures of their active counterparts to maintain excellent beam quality throughout fiber laser or amplifier systems. The outer cladding diameter is designed to "round" the shaped active fibers, thereby achieving low pump coupling loss from passive to active fibers. The passive fibers are coated with low-index fluoroacrylate enabling active fibers to be pumped through them. For more information about these fibers, click here.

Click to Enlarge

Choose a Connector

A connector terminates the end of an optical fiber and enables quick, easy connection and disconnection. The connectors mechanically couple and align the cores of the fibers so that light can pass from one to the other unobstructed. Thorlabs offers a flat-cleave option as well as 6 narrow key connectors for our Custom Patch Cables.

 

Flat-Cleave

A flat-cleave is a carefully controlled break in the fiber perpendicular to the fiber axis, resulting in a flat end face. No connector is attached to the fiber. A flat-cleave allows for bare fiber connection. Flat-Cleaves are ideal for mechanical or fusion splicing or free space applications without the use of a connector.

 

Scissor Cut

A scissor cut is a very quick cut that will not produce an even output or splice surface on the end of the fiber. This cut is ideal for the user who is proficient in cleaving fibers or intend to terminate a fiber with their own connector. The end of a scissor cut fiber must be cleaved and connectorized before it can be used.

 

FC/PC Connectors

The threaded FC/PC connector is designed for high vibration environments. The "PC" stands for "physical contact" because this connector allows the fibers' surfaces to be in direct contact with each other at the connector interface. The ceramic or stainless steel ferrule, or end, of an FC/PC connector is spring loaded to control the force on the fiber as the connector is screwed into its port.

Single Mode FC/PC Connectors

Our single mode (SM) FC/PC connector features a pre-radiused (R20 mm) ceramic ferrule to help minimize back reflections. The SM FC/PC connector has a hole size tolerance of +1/-0 µm and a maximum concentricity of 1 µm.

Multimode FC/PC Connectors

Our multimode (MM) FC/PC connector has a precision-drilled bore to match the fiber diameter and a maximum concentricity of 3 µm.

Polarization-Maintaining FC/PC Connectors

For Polarization-Maintaining (PM) fibers, we offer a FC connector with a continuously adjustable key to allow you to rotate the back of the connector to align to the slow or fast axis of the fiber. Once the connector is aligned, you can lock it in place with a drop of superglue. If you purchase a PM fiber cable that is aligned by us, the connector key will be aligned to your specification.

 

FC/APC Connectors

This connector has the same basic design as the FC/PC connector, but the fiber end is polished at an angle. This &#;Angled Physical Contact&#; (APC) interface prevents light reflected at the fiber-fiber junction from traveling back up the fiber. FC/APC connectors only mate properly with other FC/APC connectors. Mating FC/APC with any other connector results in high insertion loss. These connectors minimize back reflections but have a higher insertion loss than their FC/PC counterparts.

All of our FC/APC connectors offer a minimum back reflection of -65 dB due to the nature of the APC end. Thorlabs' APC connectors are distinguished by the use of a green strain relief boot.

 

SMA Connectors

Our subminiature version A (SMA) connectors are used for large core, multimode fibers. These connectors are threaded like our FC/PC and FC/APC connectors. We stock SMA connectors for fibers with cladding diameters ranging from 125 to µm.

 

ST® Connectors

Straight Tip (ST) connectors have a bayonet-style mount that allows for quick connects and disconnects but does not seat the fiber as well as other connections.

Our single mode (SM) ST connector features a ceramic ferrule with a pre-radiused tip (R20 mm) to minimize back reflections. The ST connectors feature a concentricity of maximum 1 µm.

We also carry ST-style connectors designed for multimode (MM) applications. Our standard connectors have a bore size of 140 µm but we also carry a full supply of drilled conectors to meet custom requirements. These connectors feature a maximum concentricity of 1 µm.

*ST® is a registered trademark of Lucent Technologies, Inc.

 

SC Connectors

Subscriber Connector (SC) connectors are snap-in connectors that are easy and quick to use. Our SC-style connectors, which have a bore size of Ø125 µm, feature a pre-radiused (R20 mm) ceramic ferrule to help minimize back reflections.

 

LC Connectors

Lucent Connectors (LC) are similar to SC connectors but contain ferrules that are half the size of those found on SC connectors. We stock LC connectors for single mode fibers. Multimode LC connectors for fiber claddings up to Ø127 µm are available upon request. Due to their small size, they are ideal for situations where a large number of connectors are used in a small space.

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One of the most important things to think about when you are planning a fiber optic project is, "how am I going to attach my fibers to my lights?" It's crucial create a clean strong connection between your light source and the ends of your fibers so that light shines directly into the fibers and makes them glow as brightly as possible. A big challenge in this is the fact that the fiber optics themselves are quite slippery and don't adhere to most glues very effectively. I have found that superglue and some epoxies seem to stick the best, but you have to be careful not to get superglue on the end of the fibers where is can cause clouding that effects light transmission down the strand.

As I mentioned in the previous step, standard 5mm diffused LEDs are fairly easy to attach to fiber optics because you can slip a heat shrink tube over both the LED and the fiber optic bundle, shrink it down, add a little glue and you have a fairly strong connection between the two (see first photo). You can buy RGB addressable LEDs in this form from places like Adafruit, so you don't need to sacrifice programability. This Instructable also shows how to achieve a similar connection using Sugru instead of heat shrink.

If you are using LED strip to light your fibers, connecting them gets a bit trickier because the LEDs have such a low profile, there isn't much to connect to. Everyone I know who works with fiber optics seems to have come up with their own solution to this problem.

Ashley Newton, who first introduced me to side emitting fiber optics, and worked with me to create my Sea Warrior outfit, has a very effective method that involves 3D printing a piece that holds the LED strip and has nodes with holes that the fiber optics plug into above each pixel (see photos 2 and 3 above). Variations on this shape can be 3D modeled to fit the form of what you are creating. I talk more about this method in my Fiber Optic Sea Warrior Instructable.

For a recent project I also created a double sided version of these LED nodes that holds a folded LED strip allowing fiber optics to emerge and be illuminated from both sides (photo 4). In another piece of the same project I used 3D modeling to create a module that held a 12 a neopixel LED ring with holes above each pixel for a bundle of fiber optics (photo 5).

Jenn Mann who also makes amazing fiber optic wearables, has found a way to use layers of laser cut acrylic to create a similarly shaped connecting strip between LEDs and fibers.

For my Fiber Optic Fairy Wings, I used a much simpler, and slightly jankier, method. I bundled my end glow fibers into groups of about 30, then heat shrunk the ends together and cut them with an exacto knife to create a smooth edge. I installed my LED strip inside a small box with holes drilled in the sides, then fed my fiber optic bundles through the holes and hot glued them into place up against the LEDs, being careful not to get any hot glue between the ends of the fibers and the LEDs as that would block light from illuminating the fibers (last photo).

This worked fairly well, though some fibers in the middle of the bundles were still loose after I had glued them in. Since I was going to be sewing all my fibers down very securely anyway, this didn't really matter, but I would like to find even better ways make sure all the fibers are secure.

Are you interested in learning more about China Fiber optic installation kits manufacturer? Contact us today to secure an expert consultation!