August 2019 QPC Connect
How we connect….
Expanded Beam Insertion Loss
The
insertion loss in expanded beam connectors is a function of design and
manufacturing process. Starting with an optimized design and a high yield
manufacturing process is mandatory, as well as final testing against master
connectors is essential to verify optical performance.
QPC’s expanded beam connectors are designed around precision ARCAP AP1D
connector inserts. These inserts are the working part of the connectors and
they hold up to four fused silica ball lenses, one for each fiber in the final
assembly. These lenses are permanently bonded to the ARCAP making for an
environmentally sealed system. The optical path from fiber to fiber includes
two fiber end faces, two ball lenses, and an air gap. The internal alignment,
the component tolerance stack-up, the six optical surfaces, and the air gap,
all contribute to the overall insertion loss (2.0dB max for Singlemode) which
is significantly higher than that of a typical physical contact connector
(0.25dB – 0.50dB).
QPC’s manufacturing process for lensing the inserts is designed to produce high
yields (> 98%) with predictable insertion losses (1.00dB ±0.50dB). In
addition to the inserts, QPC’s fiber termination process is also designed to
produce minimal insertion losses. QPC’s connectors are designed so that any
experienced fiber optic cable assembly house can successfully assemble them.
QPC measures apex offset, end face radius, and fiber height against
GR-326-CORE, IEC-60874 and Military standards to qualify our polishing
processes using a FiBO Interferometer.
In practice, QPC has demonstrated that the combination of tightly controlled
manufacturing on the inserts / connectors and automatically polished termini
produces the best possible insertion losses on finished cable assemblies.
To read the full White paper on Expanded Beam Insertion Loss Analysis click on
the following link. https://www.qpcfiber.com/category/technical-library/
About QPC Fiber Optic, LLC
QPC Fiber Optic designs and manufactures advanced fiber optic interconnect
systems used in Military / Aerospace, Industrial, Broadcast, Oil &
Gas, Mining, Transportation, Marine, and Medical applications. We are focused
on developing custom solutions to help our customers solve their most
difficult fiber optic connector challenges. For more information or for
pricing on QLink cable assemblies or connectors, please visit https://www.qpcfiber.com/products/
or send an email to sales@qpcfiber.com.
QPC on the Road…
QPC will be attending DSEI in London from September 10-13th and IBC in Amsterdam from September 13-17th.
https://www.dsei.co.uk/ and https://show.ibc.org/
QPC will also attend with JOWO-Systemtechnik, AG at the SPS IPC Drives in Nurnberg, Germany from November 26 – 28th. Come visit us at Hall 9, Stand 373.
https://sps.mesago.com/events/en.html.
Look Inside QPC
Broaching Tool Addition!
QPC Fiber Optic has mounted a special broaching tool to their new Doosan PUMA 2600SY II to produce simple or complex forms quickly, with repeatable and reliable accuracy. QPC uses broaching when precision machining is required for circular and non-circular holes, splines, keyways, and flat surfaces.
QPC’s broaching capability becomes just another step in the process eliminating the need for secondary operations. This process provides precision, low per-part cost and the ability to cut complex forms with accuracy and repeatability not found with many machining processes.