January 30, 2007 -- Fiber-optic product manufacturer Sumitomo Electric Lightwave (www.sumitomoelectric.com) has introduced its Lynx CustomFit splice-on connector. According to the company, the "fully integrable and cross-compatible" splice-on connector is designed to enable customized FTTH/FTTP, outside plant and inside plant field terminations.
The company says the connector is fully compatible with a wide array of existing splicer and fiber holder brands, eliminating the need for customers to invest in specially designated splicer equipment. Sumitomo further contends that the splice-on connector also offers numerous advantages over existing termination methods (namely pre-terminated jumpers and mechanical splices).
The company says the method of termination provided by its Lynx CustomFit connector eliminates the guess work in pre-determining the length of pre-terminated jumpers required for a given application, allowing field technicians to customize termination in the field, thereby ensuring quick, accurate, permanent connectorizations. Moreover, the company says that use of the connector eliminates the necessity and associated costs of maintaining an inventory of splice trays and varying lengths of pre-terminated jumpers.
According to Sumitomo, unlike mechanical splicing methods, which require index matching gel with a limited shelf life, the Lynx CustomFit splice-on connector provides a quick method of permanently splicing the factory polished connector without hazardous adhesives.
By fusion splicing the connector, the company says that technicians can achieve superior results over mechanical splicing with regard to splice loss ( less than 0.1 dB for fusion splicing versus 0.3 dB for mechanical splicing). The company notes that fusion splicing also results in lower light loss and back reflection when compared to mechanical splicing, thereby making termination to an APC connector possible.
The Lynx CustomFit splice-on SC connector will be available for mass distribution in the second quarter of 2007.