A fiber pigtail is typically a fiber optic cable with one end factory pre-terminated fiber connector and the other exposed fiber. It is usually suitable for field termination using a mechanical or fusion splicer. Compared with quick termination or epoxy and polish connections placed on the field site, the pre-terminated connectors provide time-saving, superior performance, and reliability.
There are many types of fiber pigtails based on one different factor. Fiber connector types include LC pigtails, SC pigtails, ST pigtails, FC pigtails, MU pigtails, and E2000 pigtails. By fiber types, including single mode and mulitmode pigtails.
Multimode pigtails are made with 62.5/125μm or 50/125μm bulk multimode fiber cables and terminated with multimode connectors. However, if we want to classify them in more detail, we can divide them into OM1, OM2, OM3, OM4, and OM5 pigtails.
Single mode pigtails are made with 9/125μm OS1 or OS2 bulk single mode fiber cables and terminated with single mode connectors.
LC Fiber Pigtail
LC connectors are compact form factor fiber connectors for high-density connections. They are a 50% smaller version of the older SC fiber connector and have a square plastic enclosure with a 1.25mm ceramic ferrule. The LC fiber pigtails are pre-assembled with an LC connector. It is one of the most common types.
SC Fiber Pigtail
SC, which stands for Subscriber Connector, has also been called Square Connector or Standard Connector. The SC connector has a 2.5mm pre-radiused zirconia or stainless alloy ferrule. The SC fiber pigtails are pre-assembled pigtails with an SC connector. Because of the low cost, longevity, and ease of installation, SC pigtail is commonly used in both P2P and PON applications.
FC Fiber Pigtail
FC fiber pigtails benefit from the metallic body of FC optical connectors, which have a screw-type structure and high-accuracy ceramic ferrules. FC fiber pigtails and related items are widely used in various applications.
ST Fiber Pigtail
ST fiber pigtail is similar to the FC pigtail, but instead of threads, the ST connector has a locking mechanism different from FC connectors. It has a ferrule with an extended 2.5mm diameter composed of ceramic (zirconia), stainless alloy, or plastic. As a result, ST pigtails are commonly used in telecom, industry, medical, and sensor applications.