Industrial POF Connectors - POF Application Center

POF Connectors 

A review of what’s available 

Paul M. Mulligan 

CEO, FiberFin Inc. 

Chairman, POFTO Standards Committee 

and member of the SAE, ODVA and 1394 TA

Outline 

3 basic classes of POF connectors 

Industrial / automation Connectors 

Automotive / MOST for POF connector system 

Consumer electronics, Digital audio, 

FTTH, IPTV and networks 

Tools for connector termination 

Summary / Questions

Industrial POF Connectors 

Industrial POF Connectors


Why a 1mm POF Connectors? 

• Currently the world Industrial / automation industries are 

using large amounts of 1mm POF 

(Plastic Optical Fiber) connections' with great success 

• Most Industrial network Consortia’s have adopted POF 

into there standards. 

• The inexpensive fiber connectivity and cabling are 

mainly used for control applications but the need for 

higher speeds for networking are coming fast. 

• The current POF connectors' available are not IP-rated 

for extreme industrial environments 

• Some of the Industrial 1mm POF connectors are the 

SMA, ST , PN/F07 and AVAGO versatile link


SC 

Hybrids / 

Customs 

SC Duplex 

AVAGO 

Versatile Link / HFBR 

F05 

SMI i-Link 

PN 

F07 

SC-RJ 

BFOC 

FSMA


AVAGO “Versatile Link” (Proprietary) 

• Characteristics 

� Proprietary connectors 

� Friction / latching styles 

� SI-POF 980/1000 

� Low cost 

� Field Termination 

Puck/Polish, FiberFin 

HFBR-4501


SMA 905 Fiber Connector Family 

Light-Seal SMA 905 


� SMA type connectors 

� Nut locking style 



Puck /Polish


ST (BFOC) Fiber Connector Family 

Light-Seal ST 


� ST ® type connectors 

� Bayonet locking style 



Puck /Polish


P/N F07 


� Duplex construction 

� Latching locking style 



Puck /Polish


TOSLink / F05 

Light-Seal FO5 


� Simplex construction 

� Friction locking style 



Puck /Polish, FiberFin


SC Simplex and SC Duplex 


� SC type connectors 

(Acc. IEC61754-4) 

� Push-Pull type 



Puck / Polish


Connector - SC-RJ 


� Smallest SC-Duplex Connector 

Push-Pull type 


� Half the size of an SC-Duplex 

Connector (SFF) 

� Compatible with R&M Copper 

Patch Panel and Outlets 

� SC Simplex compatible 

� Field termination 

Puck / Polish


Connector - SC-RJ 

Security System – Level 1 

“Click” 

R&M Coding Standard Colors: 

� 62,5µm OM1 black 

� 50µm OM2 orange 

� 50µm OM3 turquoise 

� SI-POF yellow 

Modular Clip on System on both sides


Harsh Environment 


Harsh Environment


Harsh Environment 

Sealed POF Connectors 

These POF connectors must be able to withstand 

industrial environments that usually include: 

• IP54 or IP 65 and or IP 67 rating, 

preferably with a 1200 PSI wash down. 

• Can be over molded or Sealed back shell.


Harsh Environment SC-RJ w / IP67 

� Characteristics 

� Push-Pull-System 

� 2,5 mm precision ferrules 

� Low insertion loss 

� Locked against rotation 

� Field assembled 

� Color coding (white, 

orange, yellow, blue) 

� IP67 dust cap and pulling 

eye


Harsh Environment Micro-FX 

•Micro FX 

•Hirschmann Automation and Control, Inc., 

•Harting 

•SOURIAU


Harsh Environment M-12 microFX 

Copyrights: Hirschmann Automation and Control, Inc 


� Small form factor-duplex 

connector, 

� Nut style locking 

� IP-65 Rated 


� Hybrid, Two electrical 

connections 


Puck / Polish


Harsh Environment, Custom, MIL-E-QUAL ® 

Copyright: Conxall Corp. 


� 3 to 37 Ferrules 

� Nut locking style 

� Hybrid capable 

� Box mount or cable 

pin/socket styles 

� Field assembled 

� Color coding (white, 

orange, yellow, blue) 

� IP65


Ethernet/IP on the factory floor 

With the acceptance of Ethernet/IP on the factory floor, 

POF will continue to be used on the lower rungs of the factory 

floor network (at the device level). 

Two wire twisted shielded media is the most popular for 

interfacing with distributed/remote I/O devices, and is 

expected to remain so. 

Use of fiber optic cables (glass and plastic) is expected to grow 

rapidly within the near future.

CE POF Connectors 

Consumer Electronics 

POF Connectors

Consumer Electronics POF Connectors 

SMI i-Link 

Connector Less 

TOSLink 

F05 

PN 

F07 

Mini Jack


Mini-Jack (digital Audio) 

(Mini-Jack) 

“Concentric Plugs And Jacks” 



� SI-POF 980/1000


TOSLink /F05 (digital Audio) 

Light-Seal FO5 


� F05 type connectors 




Puck /Polish, FiberFin


SMI (Small Media Interface) 


� Small form factor, duplex 

connector, 

� Push-Pull locking style 



Puck / Polish, FiberFin


Ethernet / - RCC45 2 


� Cat.5e unshielded 

(Acc. ISO11801, 

TIA/EIA568B) 

� Up to 100MHz 

� 2 Additional holes for POF 

� „Tool less“ (IDC and screw 

ferrule) 


Puck /Polish


Ethernet / - RCC45 2 

RCC45 Adapter F-07 

� Adapter to connect 

POF connector 

� Sstandard F-07(PN type)

CE POF Connectors ? 

Connector less (OptoLock®) 

(OptoLock®) 

“Connector less Solution” 


� Push in locking style 



No Polish, Razor cut, 

FiberFin ®

Automotive POF Connectors 

Automotive POF Connectors


The MOST Connector 

Media Oriented Systems Transport is a multimedia fiber-optic 

network for automotive applications. It is a network developed by 

the automotive industry for the automotive industry. It’s design 

allows for low-overhead and cost interface for the simplest of 

devices, such as microphones and speakers. 

Source: Most Cooperation Group



MOST Specification of Physical Layer rev. 1.1 09/2003 

Most Cooperation Group 

Specifies 5 hybrid POF/copper connector styles: 

1 design with 2 optical pins and and no copper contacts 

3 design with 2 optical pins and and up to 18 copper contacts 

1 design with 4 optical pins and 2 rows of 12 copper contacts 

MOST-CON-2-xx Connector



MOST POF 

Ferrules / Connectors 

2 types of ferrules, male and female 

• Plastic for automation 

• Brass repair 

• Easy to terminate 

• Lowest cost



MOST POF Ferrule

POF Field Connector Termination 

POF Field Connector Termination 

2 Styles of Finishing POF 

1. Grinding / Polishing Hand Technique 

2. “All-in-One” Hand Tool Technique

Field Connector Termination 

Puck/ Polish Technique 


Puck/ Polish Technique



Pros 

Lowest supply costs 

Lowest cost of tooling 

Cons 

Inconsistent results 

Time consuming 

Versatile Puck / Polish kit



POF cable stripper 

Puck / Polish connector kit


Hand Tool Termination 


“No Polishing!”

Connector Termination 

Hand Tool Termination, FiberFin 

Pros 

Lowest labor costs 

Consistent results 

Professional representation 

Cons 

Higher initial cost 

for tool kits



•POF Connectors are usually field installable 

•POF Installer kits are available to perform these installs 

within a minimum amount of space or light. 

•FiberFin installer kits can be used with a minimum of 

training and effort 

• FiberFin Installer kits come with all needed 

supply’s to do field terminations. 

• FiberFin AVAGO Versatile link kit shown 

here.

Insertion Loss of POF End faces 

with 980/1000 SI-POF 

measured without other misalignments

POF Connector Installation 

Quality Statement 

• Consistent results reflect on you and your Company 

• Don’t think that you can “Just get by” when dealing with 

POF 

• The best components will give you the quality and 

consistent results 

• Buy the best quality fiber,connectors and equipment and 

they will pay back in not having any problems and rework.

Thanks to the following companies: 

FiberFin, Inc. 

Hirschmann 

Automation and 

Control, Inc 

FiberFin, Inc. Phone 001-630-553-6924 

201 Beaver Street Fax 001-630-553-9025 

Yorkville IL. 60560 USA Email Paul@FiberFin.com

Thank You! 

for your kind attention….. 

Questions?

Industrial POF Connectors - POF Application Center

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