The typical process involves stripping the fiber coating, inserting and securing the fiber in a ferrule with adhesive, and then polishing the end using a series of films with progressively finer grits. Finally, the endface quality is checked, for example with a fiber . Thorlabs offers a family of products to assist customers who would like to terminate their bare fiber, including fiber polishing film for use with ceramic or stainless steel ferrules, polishing pucks, polishing plates, and termination kits. It discusses the cases where polishing is superior to cleaving of fibers, for example, for achieving precise end angles. Fiber optic connector manufacturers have been working for over 30 years to make terminating optical fiber easier, faster and cheaper, and they have done a really good job. But perhaps they have been overselling the simplicity of fiber optic termination. Over the history of fiber optics, there have been over 100 different types of fiber optic connectors designed using at least a dozen ways of attaching the connector to. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to connect fiber optic cables using fiber optic connectors and fusion splicing, which are the two main methods: Fiber optic connectors are used to quickly connect and disconnect fiber cables. Common types include SC, LC, ST, and MTP/MPO connectors.
