U.S. patent application number 15/840662 was filed with the patent office on 2018-06-14 for facilitating installation of fiber optic networks.
The applicant listed for this patent is CommScope Techologies LLC. Invention is credited to Timothy G. Badar, Todd Loeffelholz.
Application Number | 20180164527 15/840662 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 55632727 |
Filed Date | 2018-06-14 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180164527 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Loeffelholz; Todd ; et
al. |
June 14, 2018 |
FACILITATING INSTALLATION OF FIBER OPTIC NETWORKS
Abstract
An optical system architecture includes indexed optical lines
that are indexed between first and second multi-fiber connectors; a
first of the optical line having a first end terminated at the
first multi-fiber connector; and a second optical line having a
first end terminated at the second multi-fiber. An input of an
optical splitter is optically coupled to second ends of the first
and second optical lines. The optical splitter splits optical
signals carried over the first and second optical lines onto output
lines so that each output line carries signals split from the first
optical line and signals split from the second optical line.
Inventors: |
Loeffelholz; Todd;
(Bellingham, WA) ; Badar; Timothy G.; (Redwood
City, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
CommScope Techologies LLC |
Hickory |
NC |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
55632727 |
Appl. No.: |
15/840662 |
Filed: |
December 13, 2017 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
|
|
|
|
|
|
Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
14876140 |
Oct 6, 2015 |
9851525 |
|
|
15840662 |
|
|
|
|
62060289 |
Oct 6, 2014 |
|
|
|
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G02B 6/4471 20130101;
G02B 6/46 20130101 |
International
Class: |
G02B 6/44 20060101
G02B006/44; G02B 6/46 20060101 G02B006/46 |
Claims
1. (canceled)
2. A fiber distribution system comprising: a first ruggedized
multi-fiber connection location having a number of fiber positions;
a second ruggedized multi-fiber connection location having the same
number of fiber positions as the first ruggedized multi-fiber
connection location; first fibers indexed between the first and
second multi-fiber connection locations; a third ruggedized
multi-fiber connection location; second fibers routed from the
first ruggedized multi-fiber connection location to the ruggedized
hardened multi-fiber connection location, the second fibers being
fewer in number than the first fibers; and third fibers routed from
the second ruggedized multi-fiber connection location to the third
ruggedized multi-fiber connection location, the third fibers being
fewer in number than the first fibers.
3. The fiber distribution system of claim 2, wherein the first,
second, and third fibers form a cable arrangement extending between
the first and second ruggedized multi-fiber connection
locations.
4. The fiber distribution system of claim 3, wherein the cable
arrangement includes between twelve and twenty-four optical
fibers.
5. The fiber distribution system of claim 2, wherein the first
ruggedized multi-fiber connection location includes a multi-fiber
connector.
6. The fiber distribution system of claim 2, wherein the third
ruggedized multi-fiber connection location includes a multi-fiber
adapter port.
7. The fiber distribution system of claim 2, further comprising: an
optical splitter having an input and an output; and an output cable
extending between the third ruggedized multi-fiber connection
location and the input of the optical splitter.
8. The fiber distribution system of claim 7, wherein the output of
the optical splitter includes a multi-fiber output port.
9. The fiber distribution system of claim 7, wherein the input of
the splitter includes a sealed pass-through at which a portion of
the output cable enters the optical splitter.
10. The fiber distribution system of claim 7, wherein the input of
the splitter includes a ruggedized external port.
11. The fiber distribution system of claim 7, wherein the input of
the splitter is one of a plurality of input ports.
12. The fiber distribution system of claim 7, wherein the output of
the optical splitter includes a plurality of output ports.
13. A fiber distribution system comprising: a cable arrangement
including: a first ruggedized multi-fiber connection location, the
first ruggedized multi-fiber connection location having a number of
fiber positions; a second ruggedized multi-fiber connection
location, the second ruggedized multi-fiber connection location
having the same number of fiber positions as the first ruggedized
multi-fiber connection location; first fibers indexed between the
first and second multi-fiber connection locations; a splitter
having a plurality of outputs terminated at a third multi-fiber
connection location; a first fiber line extending from the first
ruggedized multi-fiber connection location to an input of the
splitter; and a second fiber line extending from the second
ruggedized multi-fiber connection location to the input of the
splitter.
14. The fiber distribution system of claim 13, wherein the first
fibers are bidirectionally indexed.
15. The fiber distribution system of claim 13, wherein the splitter
is disposed external of the cable arrangement.
16. The fiber distribution system of claim 15, wherein the splitter
is disposed within an enclosure that is separate from the cable
arrangement.
17. The fiber distribution system of claim 13, wherein the first
fiber line includes a portion of the cable arrangement and a
portion of a drop cable.
18. The fiber distribution system of claim 13, further comprising
an indexing terminal disposed at an intermediate location along the
cable arrangement, the indexing terminal defining a fourth
multi-fiber connection location through which the first fiber line
passes.
19. The fiber distribution system of claim 18, wherein the second
fiber line also passes through the fourth multi-fiber connection
location.
20. The fiber distribution system of claim 13, wherein the first
ruggedized multi-fiber connection location includes a multi-fiber
connector.
21. The fiber distribution system of claim 13, wherein the second
ruggedized multi-fiber connection location includes a ruggedized
optical port.
Description
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is a continuation of application Ser. No.
14/876,140, filed Oct. 6, 2015, which application claims the
benefit of provisional application Ser. No. 62/060,289, filed Oct.
6, 2014, and titled "Facilitating Installation of Fiber Optic
Networks," which applications are incorporated herein by reference
in their entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Passive optical networks are becoming prevalent in part
because service providers want to deliver high bandwidth
communication capabilities to customers. Passive optical networks
are a desirable choice for delivering high-speed communication data
because they may not employ active electronic devices, such as
amplifiers and repeaters, between a central office and a subscriber
termination. The absence of active electronic devices may decrease
network complexity and/or cost and may increase network
reliability.
SUMMARY
[0003] In accordance with other aspects of the disclosure, an
optical network includes an optical cable arrangement including a
plurality of optical fibers that define first optical lines that
are indexed in a first indexing direction along the optical cable
arrangement; an indexing terminal disposed at an intermediate
location along the optical cable arrangement; and a splitter
terminal disposed external of the indexing terminal. At least one
of the first optical lines drops off at the indexing terminal. An
output cable defines a drop line that optically couples the first
optical line that dropped off at the indexing terminal to an input
of an optical splitter at the splitter terminal.
[0004] In certain examples, the indexing terminal includes a first
port, a second port, and a third port. The first optical lines of
the optical cable arrangement are indexed at the second port. The
first optical line that drops off is routed to the third port. In
certain examples, the splitter terminal defines a network output
port and a subscriber output port. The optical splitter has first
outputs directed to the network output port and an additional
output directed to the subscriber output port.
[0005] In certain examples, the optical fibers of the optical cable
arrangement also define second optical lines that are indexed in a
second indexing direction along the optical cable arrangement. The
second indexing direction is different from the first indexing
direction. At least one of the second optical lines drops off at
the indexing terminal. In an example, the output cable defines a
second drop line that optically couples the second optical line
that dropped off at the indexing terminal to the input of the
optical splitter at the splitter terminal.
[0006] A variety of additional aspects will be set forth in the
description that follows. These aspects can relate to individual
features and to combinations of features. It is to be understood
that both the foregoing general description and the following
detailed description are exemplary and explanatory only and are not
restrictive of the broad concepts upon which the embodiments
disclosed herein are based.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and
constitute a part of the specification, illustrate several aspects
of the present disclosure and together with the description, serve
to explain the principles of the disclosure. A brief description of
the drawings is as follows:
[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an example network
including bi-directional indexing terminals and separate splitter
terminals.
[0009] FIG. 2 is a schematic block diagram of a splitter terminal
disposed external of the indexing terminals shown in FIG. 1.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0010] Reference will now be made in detail to the exemplary
aspects of the present disclosure that are illustrated in the
accompanying drawings. Wherever possible, the same reference
numbers will be used throughout the drawings to refer to the same
or like structure.
[0011] FIG. 1 illustrates a fiber optic network 100 including an
optical cable arrangement 102 having optical fibers 103 that define
first optical lines A.sub.1-An. In certain examples, the cable
arrangement 102 includes between two and forty-eight optical fibers
103. In certain examples, the cable arrangement 102 includes
between eight and sixteen optical fibers 103. In certain examples,
the cable arrangement 102 includes between sixteen and thirty-two
optical fibers 103. In certain examples, the cable arrangement 102
includes between twelve and twenty-four optical fibers 103. In an
example, the cable arrangement 102 includes twenty-four optical
fibers 103. However, cables arrangements 102 with even larger fiber
counts are contemplated.
[0012] One or more indexing terminals 110 are disposed along the
optical cable arrangement 102. In certain implementations, multiple
indexing terminals 110 are daisy chained together using the cable
arrangement 102. In certain examples, each indexing terminal 110 is
disposed at an intermediate location along the cable arrangement
102. In certain examples, the first optical lines A.sub.1-An pass
through the indexing terminals 110. The first optical lines
A.sub.1-An of the optical cable arrangement 102 are indexed at the
indexing terminal 110 so that at least one of the first optical
lines A.sub.1-An drops off at the indexing terminal 110.
[0013] The cable arrangement 102 includes one or more multi-fiber
cables. Opposite ends of the multi-fiber cables are terminated at
optical connectors. In certain implementations, one or both
multi-fiber cables can be configured to be ruggedly connected to
indexing terminals 110. As the term is used herein, a connection is
"ruggedized" when the optical connector and optical adapter are
configured to environmentally seal together and are configured to
robustly connect together. As the term is used herein, a "robust
connection" refers to a connection of an optical connector to an
optical adapter such that the optical connector can withstand an
axial load of at least 100 pounds without pulling out of the
optical adapter. In certain examples, a robust connection structure
includes twist-to-lock connections. In an example, a twist-to-lock
connection includes a bayonet connection. In another example, a
twist-to-lock connection includes a threaded connection. Some
non-limiting example ruggedized optical connector interfaces
suitable for use with an indexing terminal are disclosed in U.S.
Pat. Nos. 7,744,288, 7,762,726, 7,744,286, 7,942,510, and
7,959,361, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein
by reference.
[0014] In some implementations, the cable arrangement 102 includes
multiple multi-fiber cables 104 terminated at a first end by a
first optical connector 105 and terminated at a second end by a
second optical connector 115. In examples, the first optical
connector 105 is a ruggedized optical connector. The optical fibers
103 are disposed at the first optical connector 105 in sequential
positions. The optical fibers 103 are also disposed at the second
optical connector 115 in sequential positions. In some
implementations, the optical fibers 103 are loose within the cables
104. In other implementations, the optical fibers 103 are arranged
in fiber ribbons.
[0015] The first optical lines A.sub.1-An are indexed in a first
indexing direction F along the optical cable arrangement 102. For
example, one or more of the first optical lines A.sub.1-An
progressively drops off at various indexing locations (e.g.,
indexing terminals 110) along the cable arrangement 102. In the
example shown, the optical fibers 103 of each fiber ribbon R1, R2
are disposed at the first optical connector 105 in sequential
positions P.sub.F1-P.sub.FN, P.sub.S1-P.sub.SN, respectively. In
some implementations, the first optical lines A.sub.1-An are
indexed in the first direction F by dropping off at least the first
optical line A.sub.1 at the first sequential position PF1 of the
first optical connector 105. A first optical line A.sub.2 extending
from a second sequential position P.sub.F2 at the first optical
connector 105 also drops off at the indexing terminal 110. The
remaining first optical lines extend from the first optical
connector 105 to the first available position in sequence at the
second connector 115 beginning with the first optical line A.sub.3
extending from a third sequential position P.sub.F3 at the first
optical connector 105 to a first sequential position P.sub.S1 at
the second optical connector 115.
[0016] In some implementations, the sequential positions at the
connectors 105, 115 are disposed in one or more rows R1, R2. For
example, the first optical connector 105 can include a first row R1
of sequential positions P.sub.F1- P.sub.FX and a second row R1 of
sequential positions P.sub.FA-P.sub.FN. In certain implementations,
each row R1, R2 of positions is separately indexed. Indexing the
ribbons R1, R2 separately avoids the need to cross-index the
optical fibers between the ribbons R1, R2.
[0017] Accordingly, first optical lines extending from the first
sequential position P.sub.F1, P.sub.FAof each row R1, R2 can drop
off at the indexing terminal 110 while a first optical lines
extending from subsequent sequential positions (e.g., the third
sequential positions) can be routed to the first available position
in sequence at a corresponding row on the second optical connector
115. If an optical fiber 103 extends from one of the positions in a
first row R1 at the first optical connector 105, then the optical
fiber 103 will extend to one of the positions in the first row at
the second optical connector 115 and will not extend to a different
row at the second connector 115.
[0018] In other implementations, the first optical lines can be
dropped off in any desired configuration. For example, the first
optical lines could be indexed non-sequentially or sequentially
starting with the last sequential position. In still other
examples, a greater or lesser number of first optical lines can
drop off at the indexing terminal 110.
[0019] The example indexing terminals 110 shown in FIG. 1 includes
a closure 111 defining a first cable port 112, a second cable port
114, and a third cable port 116. The first optical lines A.sub.1-An
of the optical cable arrangement 102 pass through the first cable
port 112 and are indexed at the second cable port 114. A first
optical line that drops off at the indexing terminal 110 is routed
to the third cable port (i.e., drop port) 116. In certain examples,
multiple first optical lines drop off at the indexing terminal 110.
In some such examples, the first optical lines that drop off are
routed to the third cable port 116. In other such examples, the
first optical lines that drop off are routed to multiple drop ports
including the third cable port 116.
[0020] In some implementations, each indexing terminal 110 is
associated with one of the multi-fiber cables 104 of the cable
arrangement 102. In certain examples, the cable 104 is pre-cabled
within the indexing terminal 110 at a factory prior to installation
in the field. In certain implementations, the first optical
connector 105 of the cable 104 is disposed external of the indexing
terminal 110 and the second optical connector 115 of the cable 104
is disposed internal of the indexing terminal 110. For example, the
cable 104 can extend into the closure 111 through a sealed
pass-through port 112 and the second connector 115 can be received
at the second cable port 114. In an example, the second connector
115 can be received at a ruggedized external port of a ruggedized
optical adapter. In an example, the internal port of the optical
adapter is non-ruggedized.
[0021] As the term is used herein, an optical adapter is
"ruggedized" when at least one port of the optical adapter is
configured to provide a ruggedized connection to an optical
connector received at the port. If a ruggedized optical adapter is
carried by a closure, then the ruggedized optical adapter will be
environmentally sealed (e.g., using a gasket) to the closure. In
some examples, a ruggedized port can include a seal (e.g., a
gasket) disposed therein to press against an optical connector
received in the port. In other examples, the ruggedized port can
include a wall or other structure against which a seal on a
connector may press when the connector is received at the port.
Examples of non-ruggedized ports include ports configured to
receive standard single fiber connectors (e.g., SC plugs, SC
adapters, LC plugs, LC adapters, ST plugs, ST adapters, etc.) or
standard multi-fiber connectors (e.g., MPO plugs and/or MPO
adapters).
[0022] The cable 104 extends out of the closure 111 a sufficient
distance so that the first optical connector 105 can be received at
the second cable port 114 (e.g., at a ruggedized external port of
an optical adapter) of another indexing terminal 110 or other
equipment. In other implementations, optical adapters can be
disposed at both the first and second cable ports 112, 114 of each
indexing terminal 110. Internal cabling within each indexing
terminal 110 connects the first, second, and third cable ports 112,
114, 116 of the indexing terminal 110. In such implementations,
non-indexed multi-fiber cables can be routed to the first and
second cable ports 112. 114.
[0023] In accordance with some aspects of the disclosure, the
network 100 has a bidirectional indexing architecture. For example,
the optical fibers 103 of the optical cable arrangement 102 also
can define second optical lines B.sub.1-Bn that are indexed in a
second indexing direction S along the optical cable arrangement
102. The second indexing direction S is different from the first
indexing direction F. In an example, the directions F and S are
opposites. At least one of the second optical lines B.sub.1-Bn
drops off at each indexing terminal 110. In some examples, the
first optical lines A1-A12 and the second optical lines B1-B12
extend to a common location, such as a central office. For example,
each end of the optical cable arrangement 102 can be received at a
central office (e.g., the same central office or a different
central office). In this way, the optical fiber lines A1-A12 and
the optical fiber lines B1-B12 cooperate to form a fiber loop. In
other examples, the first and second fibers can be routed to
different locations.
[0024] In some implementations, the second optical lines B.sub.1-Bn
are indexed in the second direction S by dropping off at least the
second optical line at the last sequential position P.sub.SN of the
second optical connector 115. In the example shown, a second
optical line extending from a penultimate sequential position at
the second optical connector 115 also drops off at the indexing
terminal 110. A second optical line extending from an
antepenultimate sequential position at the second optical connector
115 extends to the last sequential position P.sub.FN at the first
optical connector 105. In other examples, the second optical lines
could be indexed non-sequentially or sequentially starting with the
first sequential position. In still other examples, a greater or
lesser number of second optical lines can drop off at the indexing
terminal 110.
[0025] In the example shown, first optical lines extending from the
first two sequential positions P.sub.F1, P.sub.F2 of a first ribbon
R1 at the first optical connector 105, first optical lines
extending from the first two sequential positions of a second
ribbon R2 at the first optical connector 105, second optical lines
extending from the last two sequential positions of the first
ribbon R1 at the second optical connector 115, and second optical
lines extending from the last two sequential positions of a second
ribbon R2 are dropped off at the indexing terminal 110. In other
examples, other routing configurations are possible.
[0026] In some bidirectional architectures, the indexing terminal
110 is cabled so that the first and second optical lines that drop
off at the indexing terminal 110 are routed to a common drop port
(e.g., the third cable port 116). In other examples, the first and
second optical lines that drop off can be routed to multiple drop
ports 116. In an example, the first optical lines that drop off can
be routed to one drop port and the second optical lines that drop
off can be routed to another drop port. In other examples, each
drop port 116 can receive one of the first optical lines that drops
off and one of the second optical lines that drops off.
[0027] A splitter terminal 130 is disposed external of the indexing
terminals 110. In certain implementations, each indexing terminal
110 has a corresponding splitter terminal 130. In certain
implementations, each indexing terminal 110 may be associated with
multiple splitter terminals 130. The splitter terminal 130 includes
an enclosure 131 that houses an optical splitter 180 (see FIG. 2).
In certain examples, the enclosure 131 can house multiple optical
splitters. In various examples, the optical splitter 180 is
configured to split (e.g., power split) any optical signal received
at the splitter input 181 into multiple (e.g., two, three, four,
eight, sixteen, thirty-two, sixty-four, etc.) optical signals that
are each output onto a separate optical fiber 185.
[0028] An output cable 120 includes an optical fiber 123 that
optically couples one of the first optical lines (e.g., first
optical line A.sub.S) that dropped off at the indexing terminal 110
to an input 181 of the optical splitter 180 at the splitter
terminal 130. In some implementations, the output cable 120 also
includes an optical fiber 123 that optically couples one of the
second optical lines (e.g., second optical line B.sub.1) that
dropped off at the indexing terminal 110 to a second input 181 of
the optical splitter 180 at the splitter terminal 130. Accordingly,
the optical splitter 180 receives optical signals carried over the
first optical line A.sub.1 and optical signals carried over the
second optical line B.sub.1.
[0029] First outputs 185 of the optical splitter 180 are routed to
a network output port 134 of the splitter terminal 130. In some
examples, the first outputs 185 include optical signals split from
the first optical line received at the splitter input 181. In
certain examples, the first outputs 185 include optical signals
split from the second optical line received at the splitter input
181. In certain examples, the first outputs 185 include optical
signals split from the first optical lines and optical signals
split from the second optical lines. An additional output 187 of
the optical splitter180 is routed to a subscriber output port 136
of the splitter terminal 130. In some examples, the additional
output 187 includes optical signals split from the first optical
line received at the splitter input 181. In certain examples, the
additional output 187 includes optical signals split from the
second optical line received at the splitter input 181. In certain
examples, the additional output 187 includes optical signals split
from the first optical lines and optical signals split from the
second optical lines. In other implementations, however, the
splitter terminal 130 may include only one or more network output
ports 134 (i.e., multi-fiber output ports). In still other
implementations, the splitter terminal 130 may include only one or
more subscriber output ports 136 (i.e., single-fiber output
ports).
[0030] In certain implementations, the subscriber output port 136
of the splitter enclosure 131 is one of multiple subscriber output
ports 136 that each receive optical signals output by the optical
splitter. In examples, the splitter enclosure 131 defines about two
to about sixteen subscriber output ports 136. In examples, the
splitter enclosure 131 defines about four to about twelve
subscriber output ports 136. In an example, the splitter enclosure
131 defines about six subscriber output ports 136. In an example,
the splitter enclosure 131 defines about eight subscriber output
ports 136. In other examples, the splitter enclosure 131 can define
a greater or lesser number of subscriber output ports 136. In an
example, each subscriber output port 136 receives one split line
from the optical splitter. Accordingly, a single-fiber cable can be
plugged into each subscriber output port 136 at the splitter
terminal 130 to receive the optical signals carried over the split
line.
[0031] In certain implementations, the network output port 134 of
the splitter enclosure 131 is one of multiple network output ports
134 that each receive optical signals output by the optical
splitter. In an example, the splitter enclosure 131 defines two
network output ports 134. In other examples, the splitter enclosure
131 can define a greater or lesser number of network output ports
134. In examples, each network output port 134 receives multiple
split lines from the optical splitter. Accordingly, a multi-fiber
cable can be plugged into each network output port 134 at the
splitter terminal 130 to receive the optical signals carried over
the split lines.
[0032] The splitter enclosure 131 also defines an input port 132.
Signals received at the input port 132 are directed to the input of
the optical splitter. In some examples, the input port 132 includes
a sealed pass-through at which a portion of the output cable 120
can enter the splitter enclosure 131. In other examples, the input
port 132 includes a ruggedized optical adapter having a ruggedized
external port. In such an example, a ruggedized optical connector
of the output cable 120 can be received at the ruggedized external
port so that optical signals carried over the output cable 120 are
directed to the splitter input. In an example, the splitter
enclosure 131 includes multiple input ports 132.
[0033] The output cable 120 extends from a first end 121 to a
second end 122. The first end 121 is coupled (e.g., robustly
connected) to the third cable port 116 of the first indexing
terminal 110. In some implementations, the first end 121 is
terminated by an optical connector (e.g., a ruggedized multi-fiber
connector) configured to be received at the third cable port 116.
For example, the first end 121 can be aligned with a multi-fiber
optic connector (e.g., a non-ruggedized connector) 117 that holds
the dropped optical lines and that is received at an interior of
the third cable port 116. In other implementations, the first end
121 is disposed within the closure 111 and coupled (e.g., spliced)
to the first and second optical lines that dropped off at the
indexing terminal 110.
[0034] At least part of the second end 122 of the output cable 120
is optically coupled to the input of the optical splitter. In an
example, the at least part of the second end 122 is disposed within
the splitter enclosure 131 so that a portion of the output cable
120 passes through the input port 132 of the splitter enclosure
131. In another example, the at least part of the second end 122 is
terminated by an optical connector 125 (e.g., a ruggedized optical
connector) that is received at an input port 132 of the splitter
terminal 132.
[0035] In some implementations, the output cable 120 includes
multiple optical fibers 123 that each optically coupled to one of
the first and second optical lines that drop off at the indexing
terminal 110. In an example, each optical fiber 123 is optically
coupled to one of the dropped lines. In certain examples, the
optical fibers 123 of the output cable 120 are separately
terminated by ruggedized optical connectors 125 (e.g., DLX
connectors) at the second end 122 of the output cable 120. In such
implementations, less than all of the optical fibers 123 are routed
to the splitter terminal 130. In the examples shown, the optical
fiber 123 carrying the dropped first optical line As and the
optical fiber 123 carrying the dropped second optical line B.sub.1
are routed to the splitter input ports 132.
[0036] In some examples, the output cable 120 includes a flexible
service terminal (FST) 128 between the first and second ends 121,
122. In such examples, the portion of the output cable 120
extending between the first end 121 and the FST 128 includes
multiple fibers enclosed within a jacket; the portion of the output
cable 120 extending between the FST 128 and the second end 122
includes jacketed cable segments 124 each having one of the optical
fibers 123. The FST 128 includes a flexible closure at the
transition point between the first portion of the output cable 120
and the second portion of the output cable 120. In an example, each
of the ruggedized optical connectors 125 terminating the dropped
lines includes a single-fiber ruggedized optical connector (e.g., a
DLX connector).
[0037] It will be appreciated that the network architecture is
depicted schematically in FIG. 1 and that additional multi-fiber
optical connectors (e.g., ruggedized connectors) can be added into
the architecture. Additionally, single fiber optical ports, such as
ruggedized fiber optic adapters, can be provided at the drop ports
of the indexing terminals. Moreover, various indexing terminals can
be strung serially together in a daisy chain to form the
architecture. In the depicted embodiment, the multi-fiber optical
connectors are 12-fiber optical connectors. In other examples, the
multi-fiber optical connectors can include at least 4, 6, 8, 12, 24
or more optical fibers.
[0038] In use, the cable arrangement 102 is deployed by installing
the indexing terminals 110 at desired locations in the field. In
certain examples, the indexing terminals 110 are pre-cabled at the
factory before being deployed. Accordingly, the indexing terminals
utilize plug-and-play connections in the field.
[0039] In some examples, each indexing terminal 110 is associated
with a multi-fiber cable 104. To connect an indexing terminal 110
to the network 100, the optical connector 105 of the associated
cable 104 is routed to an adjacent indexing terminal 110 or other
network equipment. In an example, the first optical connector 105
is robustly fastened at a ruggedized external port of an optical
adapter disposed at the second cable port 114 of the adjacent
indexing terminal 110. The optical adapter aligns the optical
fibers of the connector 105 to the optical fibers of the connector
115 received at the internal port of the adjacent terminal.
Likewise, the first optical connector 105 of a subsequent indexing
terminal 110 can be robustly fastened at a ruggedized external port
of the optical adapter disposed at the second cable port 114 of the
indexing terminal 110.
[0040] In other examples, a ruggedized optical adapter having a
ruggedized external port is also disposed at the first cable port
112. In such examples, non-indexed multi-fiber cables can be routed
between the first cable port 112 of an indexing terminal and the
second cable port 114 of a previous indexing terminal in the
network.
[0041] In certain implementations, one or more of the dropped
optical lines can be routed to the splitter terminal 130 using a
plug-and-play connection. For example, a multi-fiber connector
terminating the first end 121 of an output cable 120 can be
received at the third cable port 116 of the indexing terminal 110.
For example, a ruggedized multi-fiber connector can be robustly
fastened to a ruggedized external port of an optical adapter
disposed at the third cable port 116. The optical adapter aligns
the optical fibers of the output cable 120 to the dropped optical
fibers received at the interior port. Accordingly, optical signals
carried over the dropped optical lines are carried over the optical
fibers 123 of the output cable 120. One or more ends 122 of the
output cable 120 can be routed to one or more splitter terminals
130 as described above.
[0042] In certain implementations, fewer than all of the optical
fibers 123 of the output cable 120 are routed to the splitter
terminal 130. In some examples, one or more of the optical fibers
123 can be used in point-to-point (PTP) connections between a
subscriber and a central office. A PTP connection provides unsplit
signals between the central office and a subscriber. Unsplit
signals provide higher bandwidth to the subscriber. Accordingly,
PTP connections are useful for connecting to a Distributed Antenna
System (DAS), a WIFI network, a camera (e.g., security camera,
traffic camera, etc.), a traffic light, or any other
subscriber.
[0043] Various modifications and alterations of this disclosure
will become apparent to those skilled in the art without departing
from the scope and spirit of this disclosure, and it should be
understood that the scope of this disclosure is not to be unduly
limited to the illustrative examples set forth herein.
* * * * *