Fiber Pigtail and Fiber Optic Patch Cords in Comparision

The fiber pigtail is a fiber optic cable with optic connector only on one end. One end with fiber connector, pigtails can be constructed with nearly any connectors. The other end remains unterminated, allowing it to be spliced into a fiber optic network. Pigtails offer low insertion loss and low back-reflection. They are especially designed for high count fiber optic splicing.

Pigtails are attached to cables by fusion splicing or mechanical splicing, both of which provide a fast termination method. Ninety-nine percent of single-mode applications use pigtails, also used in many multi-mode applications. One of the benefits of pigtail use is lower labor costs. Installers working with single-mode fiber typically have access to fusion splicers--expensive equipments. With a fusion splicer you just splice the pigtail right onto the cable in a minute or less.

Pigtails may be simplex: single fiber or multi-fiber up to 144 fibers. Pigtails do have male and female connectors in which male connectors will be used for direct plugging of an optical transceiver while the female connectors are mounted on a wall mount or patch panel. Fiber optical pigtails are usually used to realize the connection between patch panels in a Central Office or Head End and OSP cable. Often times they may also provide a connection to another splice point outside of the Head End or central office. The purpose of this is because various jacket materials may only be used a limited distance inside the building.

Fiber Optic Connector vs Fiber Patch Cord vs Fiber Pigtail

You may be confused the purpose between fiber optic connector, fiber optic patch cord and fiber optic pigtail. Here we will figure it out.

1.Fiber optic connector is used for connecting fiber. Using one or two fiber optic connectors in one cable has two items with different assistance in fiber optical solutions.

2.The fiber optic patch cords(or called fiber patch cables and fiber jumpers) are fiber optic cable with optical connectors on both ends, used as a connection from a patch panel to a network element. Fiber optic patch cords, thick protective layer, generally used in the connection between the optical transceiver and the terminal box.

3.Fiber Optic Pigtail called pigtail line, only one end of the connector, while the other end is a cable core decapitation. Welding and connecting to other fiber optic cable core, often appear in the fiber optic terminal box, used to connect fiber optic cable, etc.

Fiber optic pigtails can be with various types of fiber optic terminations such as SC, FC, ST, LC, MU, MT-RJ, MTP, MPO, etc. Pigtails are often bought in pairs to be connected to endpoints or other fiber runs with patch cables. Testing a pigtail in the field is not easy. The unterminated end is difficult to check until the pigtail is actually spliced to the equipment. Because of this, installers rely on the manufacturer and its testing claims. The manufacturer should makE the pigtail is guaranteeing low reflection and high quality at a good price.