LC Fiber Optic Connector Plug and Adapter Overview

LC style optical fiber plugs and adapters offer all the benefits of SC and ST style connectors in a SFF (Small Form Factor), high density design. LC style connectors are about half the size of SC style duplex connectors, providing significantly greater density.

LC connectors are available in a simplex and duplex arrangement. The simplex connectors are suitable for termination to buffered fiber while maintaining proper bend radius requirements in tight spaces.

Let's take a look at a simplex LC fiber plug before it's terminated.

Here's a look at a duplex LC fiber plug, typically more common with fiber patch jumpers.

LC male connectors use the familiar RJ style latch found on balanced copper twisted pair plugs and of course are available in singlemode and multimode.

Advantages and disadvantages of LC style fiber optic connectors

Let's check out some of the advantages:

• It is available as a simplex connector that can be converted to a duplex connector using a clip.
• It is keyed, low loss, pull proof, and wiggle proof.
• It can be terminated quickly in many different ways, including quick-cure adhesive, cleave and crimp, and hot melt.
• It features SFF design, suitable for high density applications.
• The LC connector and adapters are commonly used in network equipment transceivers.

The disadvantage of the LC connector design is that SFF designs may be difficult to access in high density fields, you may want to pick up a LC extraction tool.

Numerous application standards recognize the use of simplex and duplex LC style connectors and adapters such as fiber distributed data interface (FDDI), Fibre Channel, broadband integrated services digital network (ISDN), and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM). Gigabit Ethernet also allows the use of SFF connectors.

Need more fiber optic information? Check out other post on our blog and our YouTube Channel. 

"By Mercy Salinas"