SC/APC fiber optic connectors connected and disconnected under high optical power

Verizon is using optical power in the range of 15 to 22 dBm at 1550 nm, to carry analog video signal through feeder cables and connection elements in a passive optical network, for fiber-to-the-premises applications. This study was performed to investigate the possibility of catastrophic failures on SC/APC fiber optic connectors, with clean end faces, connected and disconnected under high optical power. It was found that for the number of connections/disconnections tested, the insertion loss of clean high quality connectors remained stable and the return loss remained higher than 65 dB. The results indicate that even for large number of optical connections/disconnections, no optical damage occurs if the end faces of the SP/APC connectors remain clean, for optical powers up to 22 dBm. The data was used to establish connector end face cleaning recommendations. To avoid damage during cleaning of connectors carrying optical power, reduction of power to a proper level not exceeding 15 dBm is suggested. Cleaned connectors should be inspected and coupled only if the end faces meet the cleaning requirements.