The contamination of fiber optics connectors and their effect on optical performance

In this paper, a study of the source of contamination for ST and SC connectors and the influence of the contamination on the optical performance was studied. The PVC protective dust cap was confirmed as the primary source of contamination. The contaminants found on the inner surface of the dust cap correlated to that found on the end face of the connectors. Contamination is readily transferred to the optical surfaces of the connector by deforming the PVC cap when it is push-fitted onto the connector. The PVC cap has been replaced with a hard, polyethylene dust cap, resulting in improved quality of the incoming parts up to 80-85%. This was further improved by using a polyethylene non-contact duct cap. The influence of contamination and scratches on BER was studied and we can conclude that the BER results strongly depended upon different levels of contamination and scratches. This and other issues will be subject to further research.