Can You Splice Fiber Optic Cable?

Yes, it is possible to splice fiber optic cable. There are numerous fiber networks where fiber optic splicing is the method used for connecting two cables permanently. Fusion splicing is the most common type of splicing. If done properly, splicing can create low-loss and stable connection between fibers.

There are different types of fiber cables and there are various techniques for splicing them. However, the technique chosen should depend on the cable, environment, and requirements.

For most fiber optic installations, especially in the outdoors and telecommunications, fusion splicing is the most appropriate method.

Mechanical splicing can be used in some cases, however, it generally results in higher insertion loss and is not common for permanent backbone connections.

How Fiber Optic Cable Splicing Works

A typical fiber splicing process involves several steps:

1. Prepare the cable
   Remove the outer jacket and protective layers carefully to expose the individual fibers.
2. Clean the fiber
   Dirt, dust, and coating residue can affect the quality of the splice. The exposed fiber should be cleaned thoroughly.
3. Strip the coating
   The protective coating around the glass fiber is removed from the section that will be spliced.
4. Cleave the fiber
   A precision cleaver creates a flat and clean fiber end. This step is critical because a poor cleave can result in high optical loss.
5. Align and splice
   For fusion splicing, the two fiber ends are aligned and joined using an electric arc. Modern fusion splicers can automatically adjust alignment based on the fiber core or cladding.
6. Protect the splice
   A splice protector is placed over the finished joint and heated to provide mechanical protection.
7. Store the splice
   The protected splice is carefully placed into a splice tray, where the fiber is routed and secured with an appropriate bend radius.

The entire process may look straightforward, but the quality of preparation and handling makes a major difference. In my experience, technicians often spend more time cleaning, stripping, and preparing the fiber than actually performing the fusion itself.

What Equipment Do You Need?

The basic equipment for professional fiber optic cable splicing usually includes:

• Fusion splicer
• Precision fiber cleaver
• Fiber stripper
• Fiber cleaning tools
• Isopropyl alcohol and lint-free wipes
• Splice protectors
• Fiber splice tray
• Optical power meter and light source
• OTDR for testing longer or critical links

OTDR proves to be a helpful tool during troubleshooting. It is capable of detecting excessive loss, bad splices, connector issues, and other events along the fiber link.

Fusion Splicing vs Mechanical Splicing

Here is a quick comparison of fusion splicing and mechanical splicing:

For long distance telecommunications, data centers, FTTH network, and other applications where low optical loss is required, fusion splicing is usually the preferable method.

Where Are Spliced Fiber Cables Used?

Fiber optic splicing is widely used in communication infrastructure. The most popular applications include:

• FTTH and FTTx networks
• Telecom backbone networks
• Data centers
• Metropolitan area networks
• Fiber-to-the-building connections
• Underground communication networks
• Aerial fiber optic networks
• Industrial communication systems
• Long-distance fiber links

If the connection of two fiber optic cables is needed outside the building, then this splice requires additional protection. That’s when a Fiber Optic Splice Closure becomes necessary.

Splice closure is a protected housing for multiple fiber splices, fiber loops, and cable entries. Depending on the application, it is installed either on poles, underground or in other outdoor environments.

Unlike splice protector that is used for the protection of the fiber splice itself, the splice closure provides protection of the complete splice assembly and cable connection.

Can You Splice Different Fiber Types?

Sometimes, yes, but compatibility has to be considered.

For example, splicing of single-mode fibers with different specifications is possible; however, the result of the splicing might be the extra loss depending on fiber specifications and characteristics. Splicing single-mode fiber to multimode fiber is possible in certain cases, however, this connection cannot be used as a regular network connection since they have different transmission characteristics.

Type of fiber, core size, mode field diameter, coating condition, and cable construction should be taken into account before splicing.

How Much Loss Does a Fiber Splice Add?

Good fusion splice does not add optical loss significantly. In real-world installations, the result of splicing is about 0.1dB loss or even lower, although it depends on many factors including fiber, equipment, alignment, and installation conditions.

One splice might not affect the network significantly, however, when there are hundreds of splices, it adds up. That’s why professional fiber networks require proper splicing and testing.

It is also important to distinguish splice loss from total link loss. Connectors, cable length, bends, splitters, and other equipment contribute to the total optical loss.

Final Thoughts

So, can you splice fiber optic cable? Yes, of course. For the permanent network installation, fusion splicing is usually the most effective method since it creates the strong and low-loss connection of fibers.

Splicing is just a part of the job. Good preparation, cleaning, protection, routing, and testing are as important as proper splicing itself. Various products like splice protectors, splice trays, and Fiber Optic Splice Closures make splicing easy and reliable in the field. If you need these products, please contact us for a special price.