Manual

77
Fiber endface view
Simplex Fiber
Core
Cladding
Ferrule
Body: Houses the ferrule that secures the fiber in place; utilizes a latch and key mechanism that aligns the fiber
and prevents the rotation of ferrules of two mated connectors.
Ferrule: Thin cylinder where the fiber is mounted and acts as the fiber alignment mechanism; the end of the fiber
is located at the end of the ferrule which is referred to as the endface. The overall diameter of the ferrule depends
on the relevant connector type. There are typically two ferrules diameters used: 2.5 mm diameter, such as in SC-
APC type connectors, and the smaller, 1.25 mm diameter such as in LCPC type connectors.
Cladding: Glass layer surrounding the fiber core that prevents the signal in the core from escaping (125 µm
diameter for single connectors).
Core: The critical center layer of the fiber; the conduit that light passes through (8 – 10 µm diameter for single-
mode connectors).