Trends in fibre and copper cabling termination

In the contractor world, the termination process is probably the most important aspect of network installation. In this article, Mark Putica explains different termination and installation procedures and elucidates the pros, cons and trends in cable termination to help you make the right decision.

Without the right tools and knowledgeable staff, the installation process can be a total disaster and can drastically prolong the project completion and handover to the end user. In addition, by using outdated installation and termination procedures on today’s bandwidth-hungry networks, the installer can be drastically slowed down and ultimately add significant cost to the overall process. So what are the most efficient termination methods? This would be easier to understand by looking at the most commonly used technologies and tools on offer to contractors.

Fibre installation

For years, installers in the Australian and New Zealand telecommunications industry have been using epoxy and polish technology for fibre installation procedures. This incorporates glueing of fibre into the connector with epoxy and polishing the end with a special polishing film. It is a good long-standing process with lowest costs, especially if a lot of connectors are being installed. However, it’s a slow process and may even need to set overnight. Overall, it is not as high-quality a termination process as fusion splicing.

The other, most commonly used method is fusion splicing. It is a process of fusing or welding two fibres together, usually by an electric arc. While it is the most expensive, prepolished cable and connector termination method, it is not as convenient because it requires power and can be challenging for installers depending on the job location. The advantages of this method include lower loss, least reflectance, and strong and reliable joints between fibres. Just about all singlemode splices are fusion. Multimode fibres can be challenging to fusion splice as the larger core with many layers of glass that produces the graded-index profile are sometimes harder to match up, especially with fibres from different types or manufacturers. Several different types of terminations are available for multimode fibres. Each version has its advantages and disadvantages, so learning more about how each method works helps decide which one to use and when.

With the current key requirements of termination process being speed, quality of terminations and of course the cost of tooling, TE Connectivity has developed a quick termination technology program (QTTP) for installers. This technology program provides the installer with the right tools to perform by far the quickest and consistent fibre, UTP/STP copper and cable installations. LightCrimp Plus is a simple mechanical process to terminate optical fibres for premises cabling and fibre-to-the-desk applications. With LightCrimp Plus, fibres can be terminated without epoxy, polishing papers, ovens, UV lamps or electrical power for field termination tooling.

As enhanced services such as 10, 40 and 100 Gbps ethernet require a high-quality controlled end face, the epoxy and polish technology will not be sufficient in future. The IEC 60874-19-1 standard specifies the dimensional details of fibre-optic connectors in order to ensure interoperability and performance within an ISO 11801 specified application. These dimensional requirements are directly related to the end-face characteristics of a polished ferrule, namely its radius, dome offset and fibre position. If these ferrule characteristics are optimal, an optimised physical contact (OPC) between two connectors is guaranteed. This will enhance data transmission parameters like optical performance, attenuation, return loss and data link stability. Also, the optical interoperability between connectors of different suppliers can be ensured by controlled end-faces. As a result of OPC, a stable physical contact between the end-faces is achieved. This provides a very low insertion loss as well as a high return loss in order to run high-speed applications like 10, 40, 100 gigabit ethernet.

Copper installation

Copper is still the preferred medium in most parts of IT networks and the number one interface on devices such as personal computers, notebooks, IP devices, switches and servers. As an installer, we can also say we are lucky that copper termination and installation is far easier than fibre. Connecting cables to patch panels, traditional push-down blocks or commonly to the jacks may prove to be time consuming when using tools such as knives, cutters or scissors. In contrast to fibre installations, there is one most commonly used tool in copper installations - a punch-down tool or, as many installers refer to it, a krone tool, which can be used to terminate cross-connect jumpers and cable runs at patch panels, disconnect modules and 110 blocks. This mechanical handheld tool is simple to use and can effectively and speedily cut through wires. It has a strong handle that allows firm gripping during punch-down movement. Once the wires are stripped off from the insulating and protective casing by the installers, they are placed on patch panels or push-down blocks, and the tool is then positioned on top of the wires and pushed to set the wires in place. A similar procedure is followed for termination of jacks. This punch-down technology has been working well for years but is becoming outdated as technology advancements in termination tooling emerge.

New UTP termination methods take the existing krone punch-down tool and put it in the form of multipair (4 pairs at once) termination technology. It simultaneously terminates and trims all four pairs of conductors in one effortless action. This allows the installer to be faster - resulting in on-site job efficiency. Furthermore, you can rest assured all four pairs have been terminated with consistent quality and accuracy. One example of such technology is the MultiMate tool. Shielded termination is a little more complex and time consuming if the right tool is not used. With the stringent requirements for 10 and 40 Gbps, careful attention needs to be paid when terminating shielded cable. Many untrained installers who are in a rush to complete a job still terminate the cable incorrectly. The most common method of terminating the shielded cable is by using a punch-down tool. If you or the end user is going to the effort of installing a superior cable solution, then you really have to make sure the terminations are done carefully and there is no interference at the jack level.

An SL Tool is available on the market for quick shielded terminations. Three factors can contribute to most installation inconsistencies: lacing the conductors, maintaining pair twists to satisfy standards and producing consistent terminations. The SL Tool comes with a belt holster and an integrated jacket stripper to cut and remove the cable jacketing and foil/screen. This means there is no need to put the tool down and reach for another, thus increasing the time a technician can spend on the actual termination even further.

Cable installation

This is one aspect of network deployment which seems to have been forgotten by manufacturers and no development has been made to simplify this process for installers. Most of the installation contractors use cable which comes in traditional cardboard reel boxes of some sort. However, a newly launched cable reel, ReelSpeed, specifically created to provide contractors with an easy and efficient method of cable installation, is available. The Australian-designed ReelSpeed is manufactured with six interlocking pieces that fit together without mechanical fasteners or adhesives and is produced from polypropylene and glass fibre.

*Mark Putica, Regional Marketing and Communications Manager for Australia and New Zealand, TE Connectivity. Putica has been a significant termination technology market driver for a number of years now and has extensive experience in installer programs and over seven years of dedicated office networks and data centre infrastructure marketing programs.