What is the difference between Fiber Optic Patch Cord and Fiber Optic Pigtail?

Before know What is the difference between fiber optic patch cord and fiber optic pigtail, we should know What is a fiber optic patch cord and What is a fiber optic pigtail. Fiber optic patch cord, also known as fiber optic connector, refers to the connector plugs installed on both ends of the optical cable to achieve active connection of the optical path.

Similar to coaxial cable, but without mesh shielding layer, it used as a patch cord from equipment to fiber optic wiring link. Generally used for connection between optical terminal and terminal box.

Fiber optic patch cord is similar to coaxial cable, but without mesh shielding layer. The center is the glass core for light propagation. In multimode optical fiber, the core diameter is 50μm~65μm, which is roughly equivalent to the thickness of human hair. The diameter of single-mode optical fiber core is 8μm~10μm. The core surrounded by a glass envelope with a lower refractive index than the core to keep the optical fiber in the core. On the outside is a thin plastic jacket to protect the envelope.

Brief Introduction of Types of Fiber Optic Patch Cord

Fiber optic patch cords can divided into common single-mode and multi-mode patch cords of silica-based optical fiber according to different transmission media. There are also other fiber optic patch cords with plastic as transmission media. According to the connector structure, it can divided into: FC jumper, SC jumper, ST jumper, LC jumper, MTRJ jumper, MPO jumper, MU jumper, SMA jumper, FDDI jumper, E2000 jumper, DIN4 jumper, D4 jumper and other forms. The more common fiber jumpers can also divided into FC-FC, FC-SC, FC-LC, FC-ST, SC-SC, SC-ST, etc.

①FC type fiber jumper

The external reinforcement method is to use a metal sleeve, and the fastening method is a screw buckle. FC fiber patch cord generally used on the ODF side (most used on the patch panel).

②SC type fiber jumper

The connector that connects the GBIC optical module has a rectangular shell and a plug-in latch type fastening method without rotation. SC fiber jumper is most used on router switch transceivers.

③ST type fiber jumper

Commonly used in ODF fiber patch panels, the shell is round, and the fastening method is a screw buckle. For 10Base-F connections, the connector is usually ST type. Commonly used in fiber patch panels.

④LC type fiber patch cord

The connector for connecting SFP modules made of modular jack (RJ) latch mechanism which easy to operate. LC fiber optic patch cord is commonly used in optical modules.

What is a fiber optic pigtail?

Fiber optic pigtail, also known as pigtail line, has only one end with a connector, and the other end is the broken end of a fiber optic cable core. It connected to other fiber optic cable cores by fusion. It often appears in fiber optic terminal boxes and used to connect optical cables and fiber optic transceivers. Couplers and jumpers also used in between.

Fiber optic pigtails divided into multimode pigtails and single-mode pigtails:

Multimode pigtails are orange, with a wavelength of 850nm and a transmission distance of 500m, which are used for short-distance interconnection.

Single-mode pigtails are yellow, with two wavelengths, 1310nm and 1550nm, and transmission distances of 10km and 40km respectively.

What is the difference between Fiber Optic Patch Cord and Fiber Optic Pigtail?

Fiber optic pigtails have only one end with an active connector, while jumpers have both ends with active connectors. There are many types of interfaces, and different interfaces require different couplers. Jumpers can be divided into two and can also used as pigtails, so it can also be understood that pigtails are jumpers with one connector.