How to terminate a POF fiber optic cable in 25 seconds
In order to terminate a glass optical fiber cable, great skills and specific and expensive tools are required.
What do you need to terminate plastic optical fiber?
It's easy...
· a cutting tool (such as scissors)
· a 16 ~ 14 AWG or 1,29 ~ 1,63mm stripping tool
· a 3mm hexagonal crimping tool
· 1.000 grit sandpaper
· an optional stand (puck) to remove imperfections
How is plastic fiber terminated?
1st step: cut the cable
Any cutting tool can be used (scissors...)
2nd step: strip the jacket
Remove the 2.2mm-diameter jacket from the 1mm-diameter optical fiber over a lenght of about 15mm.
The strip can be made with any commercial tool. Just make sure you are using the proper gauge stripping diameter (16 ~ 14 AWG or 1,29 ~ 1,63mm)
3rd step: crimp the connector
Insert the plastic boot on the cable.
Place the F-SMA fiber optic connector over the end of the stripped cable; the fiber should protrude about 2.5mm out of the connector's end.
Crimp the connector on the cable's jacket.
4th step: polish the fiber end
Insert the connector into the polishing fixture (puck), ensuring that the stripped fiber protrudes from its bottom.
Polish the termination using a 1000 grit sandpaper sheet until the connector is flush with the bottom surface of the puck.
5th step: visual test
Termination is finished.
To check if it works you have just to check if there is a light coming out of the cable.
