Cheetah Splice-On Fiber Connector Installation/Assembly Instructions

The new Cheetah Splice-On Connector (SOC) is the quickest pre-polished factory terminated pigtail to prepare, splice and install. The Cheetah’s 25mm splice protection sleeve is encapsulated and protected by the strain relief boot, eliminating the need for splice trays, chips, and extra cabinets.

The universal holder allows for the flexibility of use with the industry’s best fiber optic fusion splicers such as Alcoh Fujikura (AFL), Sumitomo Electric and Fitel. This feature allows the user to ensure low loss splices.

The fiber pigtail is less than 2 inches in length and is pre-cleaved for direct insertion into a fusion splicer, and is available in single mode, multimode and 10 Gig multimode fiber types.

Simply remove the cleave protector, insert the SOC into the fusion splicer and splice. There are 19 styles of Cheetah Splice-On connectors available and they conveniently fit onto 900um tight buffered cables.

Here are the detailed assembly instructions for Cheetah Splice-On Connectors (SOC).

Cheetah Splice-On Connector Compatibility Chart with Fusion Splicing Machines (Fusin Splicers) from AFL, Fitel, and Sumitomo

Step 1:

Open and remove the contents of the vial. Each kit consists of one each of the following.

A. Universal dust cap with extension handle (to aid in transfer from holder to oven)

B. Outer housing (SC style shown, all versions may not contain a separate outer housing)

C. Splice-On Connector (SOC) pigtail with cleave protector

D. 25mm mini splice sleeve

E. Universal strain relief boot

Step 2:

Remove the standard dust cap and replace it with the extended dust cap.

(Note: Depending on the fusion splicer model used, it may not be possible to use the extended dust cap. This will be evident after the connector is placed into the holder and in the splicer. If during the alignment phase the fiber position is too high or too low, the operator may need to omit the extended dust cap during the splicing operation when using this splicer.)

Step 3:

While holding the connector firmly, pull down on the cleave protector to remove it from the connector.

Do not to touch the cleaved fiber stub with the protector or your fingers as this may damage the pre-cleaved end.

Step 4:

Insert the connector into the Universal Splice-On Connector Holder (P/N F1-SOCHOLDER) so that the back end of the connector is flush with the end of the holder (Figure below). Once aligned properly, the connector should fit freely into the holder with no force required.

Step 5:

Insert the holder into the right hand side of the splicer(Figure 6), being sure that the fiber stub lays properly into the v-groove block of the splicer (Figure 7).

Step 6:

Slide the 900um strain relief boot and the 25mm mini splice sleeve onto the 900um field fiber. Strip, clean, and cleave the field fiber to a 10mm cleave length and insert into the left hand side of the fusion splicer.

Step 7:

Perform the fusion splice as described in the splicer manufacturer’s instructions.

Step 8:

Once the fusion splicing cycle is completed, remove the connector from the splicer and slide up the splice protection sleeve to cover the splice. An equal amount of the sleeve should cover the buffer on either side of the splice. If the extended cap was not used in the splicing process, it can be put in place now to aid in the transfer to the oven.

Step 9:

Transfer the splice to the heat oven (Figure 9).

(Note: Depending on the model of splicer used and the style of connector, the operator may notice that the entire connector and splice do not fit into the splicers protection sleeve oven. In order to ensure a proper sleeve shrink, the connector must be placed on top of the oven and the oven heat settings should be changed to a recommended setting of 230 degrees C for a time of 70 seconds. In addition, the Universal Holder can also be used as a heat shield to ensure a complete shrink of the sleeve (Figure 10).)

Step 10:

After the heat cycle in completed, remove the assembly from the oven.  Make sure that the splice sleeve has fully cooled before sliding the strain relief boot into place. For SC connectors, install the outer housing onto the connector, being sure to align the angled corners of the inner housing with those of the outer housing (Figure 11).