Mechanical Splice with Keyed

Angle Cleaved Fibers

9i28 KeyedAngleSplice R4.ppt
Don Larson
Lab Project Manager
3M Company
Communication Markets Division
Austin, Texas
Co-authors:
-Dr. William V. Dower
-Dan J . Treadwell
Mechan|ca| Sp||ce w|th
keyed Ang|e C|eaved I|bers
Fiber optic mechanical splices with keyed, angle
cleaved fibers are an attractive option for achieving
low return loss for analog video applications,
especially in outside plant where long term splice
stability is an important consideration.
Introducnon
Mechanical splices: in outside plant over 20 years
Fast and easy installation without investing in fusion equipment
Perpendicular cleave fibers: well accepted for FTTH, especially in Asia
for data and digital video
Standard video transmission in North America is analog
Analog networks require stringent reflection performance
Splice joint
Ana|og V|deo 1ransm|ss|on kequ|rements
For AM-VSB (analog video) Telcordia GR-765
requires 45dB with objective of 50dB
IEC 61753-131-3 Grade 1 specification is 60dB
Telcordia GR-765 Generic Requirements for Single Fiber Single-Mode Optical Splices
and Splicing Systems
IEC 61753-131-1 Fibre Optic Interconnecting Devices and Passive Components-
Performance Standard Part 131-3: Singlemode Mechanical Fibre Splice for Category U
Uncontrolled Environment
erformance Cha||enge
Return loss (RL) of 60dB: difficult for
perpendicular cleaved mechanical splices to meet at
extremes of outside plant temperatures of
-40C/75C (-40F/167F)
We will show that keyed angle cleave mechanical
splices are a viable technique for outside plant
analog signal transmission systems
Keyed, Angle Cleave Splice
keturn Loss vs keecnon
Reflection: light which is reflected from an interface
Some reflection from an interface becomes return loss
Return loss (RL): reflected light which is guided in the
fiber core toward transmitter (backreflection)
Keyed, Angle Cleave Splice
Reflection
Return loss
Transmitted Light
Incident Light
Index Match Ge|
Gel: thixotropic dispersion
in silicone fluid
Matches index of optical
fibers at room temperature
Refractive indices of gel
and glass change with
temperature
Index change with
temperature (dn/dT)
Glass
Particles
Calculated
Index Match Across 1emperature Lxtremes
I|at C|eaved Sp||ce
- Celled spllce [olnLs wlLh perpendlcular cleaves show
reLurn loss ln Lhe range of 33d8 aL LemperaLure exLremes
- Cause: predlcLable lndex mlsmaLch, noL gel lnsLablllLy
- lndex gel ls proven Lo be lnerL and sLable across wlde
LemperaLure ranges over long ume durauons
Gel
I|at C|eaved Sp||ce
1. Sp||ce asses Ag|ng kequ|rements of
1e|cord|a Gk-76S (-40I to 167I)
A|| <0.2 d8 |oss
2. Ge| aged at 11SC (239I) for 7 months
No opnca| performance change
3. Ge| aged at 80C (176I) for 17.S months
A|| 30 sp||ces assemb|ed w|th aged ge|
had <0.1d8 |oss
4. 30 sp||ces aged 83 days (2000hrs) at 8SC
A|| <0.2 d8 |oss
S. 30 sp||ces |mmersed 30 months |n water
A|| <0.2 d8 |oss
No Significant Optical Performance Change
Temp Cycle Chamber
Water Tank
S|ng|e Dry I|ber Lnd |n A|r
Measured: HP Reflectometer
- lncreaslng angle of ber aL alr lnLerface reduces reLurn loss
- 1he angle reecLs Lhe llghL lnLo Lhe claddlng where lL ls dlsslpaLed
- erpendlcular cleaves creaLe abouL 13d8 reLurn loss
- 8 degree cleaves produce abouL 33d8 reLurn loss
S|ng|e Dry I|ber Lnd |n A|r
8e|ow S c|eaved hber ang|e, exper|menta| resu|ts match theory
Above S c|eave ang|e, we observed |ower return |oss: poor theory match
keturn |oss rough|y represents the c|eaved dry hber end face ang|e
u|ck check of c|eave ang|e |n the he|d: c|eaver ]I test
I|ber Lnd a|r |n Ge|
- 1he reLurn loss from a spllce [olnL of ber ends coupled ln lndex
maLch gel dlers from 8L of slngle dry ber ln alr
- 1here are Lwo lnLerfaces
- 1he end face ls coupled wlLh lndex maLchlng gel
- 1he maxlmum* reLurn loss value aL LemperaLure exLremes ls
shown on followlng sllde
*Due to constructive interference
Pair of Fiber Ends in Gel at -40C or 75C
Theoretical Maximum Return Loss vs. Fiber Endface Angle
7
o
c|eaved hber [o|nt w|th |ndex match ge|: kL beuer than no|se oor of most detecnon
equ|pment, between -40C]7SC
D|mcu|t to contro| c|eaved hber ang|e var|anon at h|gher c|eave ang|es
Nom|na| c|eave ang|e set to 7
o
, c|eave ang|e contro| |s +]- 2
o
, c|eave ang|e over S
o

assures return |oss beuer than 6Sd8
CAD Image of kotanona|
M|s-keyed I|ber Lnds
Core Cap uue Lo 43Mls-keyed llber Lnds
- unkeyed" bers wlll fall ln a
random range from perfecL
face maLch Lo 180 roLauonal
mlsmaLch
- Mls-keylng aecLs 8eecuon
and 8eLurn Loss
Un-keyed Ang|e C|eaves
Ang|e C|eaved Sp||ce
kotanona||y M|sa||gned I|bers
180misaligned
Centers are 15.3 um apart
For both cases:
Clad Diameters = 125 um
Edge R = 0 um (not polished)
Cleave Angle = 7
45misaligned
Centers are 5.9 um apart
Core Gap Due to kotanona| M|s-key I|ber Lnds
M|s-keyed Ang|e C|eaves
Lnv|ronmenta| erformance
- 1he ber mls-keylng angles: 0, 42, 180
- Cleaves checked Lo be 7
- Spllces sub[ecLed Lo 21 cycles of ouLslde planL LemperaLures
from -40C Lo 73C (-40l Lo 167l)
- 1he lnseruon loss and reLurn loss were conunuously sampled
durlng Lhe LesL
- 1he nexL sllde reporLs Lhe summary of Lhe Lesung
Lnv|ronmenta| kesu|ts Summary
Sp||ces w|th M|s-keyed I|ber Lnds
0 samples remained above 70dB, fully met analog requirements
42 mis-keyed fiber ends, the RL was generally better than 60db
180mis-keyed fiber ends, the RL was not acceptable for analog
1310nm
T/C -40C/75C, 21 cycles
Mlskey WorsL 8L
durlng 1/C
Average of
worsL 8L
8L
> 60d8
8L
> 30d8
8L
> 40d8
0 70.4 d8 71.3 d8 100 100 100
42 48.3 d8 67.0 d8 80 90 100
180 21.4 d8 43.0 d8 0 40 80
- lnseruon loss per spllce <0.23d8 max
- 8eLurn loss per spllce > 60d8
- 1ermlnauon ?leld: 97 of 100 spllces musL meeL above crlLerla
- 8efore and aer LesL, spllces shall meeL lL and 8L crlLerla
- uurlng LesL, max allowable change ln auenuauon ls < +/- 0.2d8
- uurlng Lhe LesL, Lhe samples musL remaln aL > 60d8 8L
Standards 1esnng: ILC 617S3-131-3
Mechanlcal Angle Spllce
verlcauon 1esung
Mechanlcal Angle Spllce
7 Angle Cleaver
Assembly 1ool for keyed angle cleaves
Mechanlcal Angle Spllce
Open
Aluminum
Splice Element
Closed
Aluminum
Splice Element
Ang|e C|eaver
SLep 1: Clamp ber
wlLh le clamp
SLep 2: Clamp ber
wlLh rlghL clamp
SLep 3: ress cleavlng
mechanlsm down
lace llber holder here
Cleaving mechanism
automatically tensions, torques,
scribes and cleaves fiber
Ang|e Sp||ce Assemb|y 1oo|
A||ows b||nd |nsernon of hber |nto sp||ce
Automanca||y keys ang|e c|eaved hbers
Angle Cleave Fiber using Fiber Holder
Insert Fibers and
Activate Splice
Automanc C|eaved I|ber key|ng
When second holder is rotated 180 degrees, the two fibers will be keyed
7 Degree Angle Cleave
keyed I|ber Ang|e Sp||ce
Optical Stability of Mechanical Splice -40C to 75C
Summary
keyed Ang|e C|eave Mechan|ca| Sp||ce
Fiber optic mechanical splices with keyed,
angle cleave fibers are an attractive option
for achieving low return loss for analog video
applications, especially in outside plant
where long term splice stability is an
important consideration.
THANK YOU
lease compleLe and reLurn your
evaluauon form.
Contact Information: dklarson@mmm.com
Authors:
-Donald K. Larson
-Dr William V. Dower
-Dan J . Treadwell