What to do if the pigtail fiber is cut

Fiber optic pigtails can be cut by carefully cleaving the bare fiber end, or by splitting a certified patch cord in half to create two pigtails, ensuring minimal signal loss and proper splice preparation.Cutting a Pigtail from a Patch Cord

If you only have a patch cord available, you can create two pigtails by cutting it in half. This method is preferred by some installers because the connector end has already been factory-polished and tested, ensuring low insertion loss and high return loss. After cutting, you only need to verify the splice performance of the bare fiber ends before installation .

Preparing the Bare Fiber End

1. Strip the Coatings: Remove the outer jacket and secondary coating to expose the primary coating, then strip the primary coating to reveal the bare glass fiber .
2. Clean the Fiber: Wipe the bare fiber with alcohol to remove any dust or debris, which is critical for a low-loss splice .
3. Cleaving: Use a precision fiber cleaver to cut the fiber at a clean, perpendicular angle. A proper cleave ensures optimal alignment during fusion splicing and reduces back reflection .

Fusion Splicing

Once the fiber is cleaved, it can be fusion spliced to the trunk fiber or another pigtail. The factory-polished connector on the other end of the pigtail ensures high-quality performance without the need for field polishing .

Best Practices

• Always use high-quality, clean tools to prevent contamination or damage to the fiber .
• Confirm the fiber type (single-mode or multimode) matches the existing network to avoid insertion loss .
• Test the pigtail or patch cord before cutting to ensure optimal performance of the resulting pigtails . By following these steps, you can safely cut and prepare fiber optic pigtails for splicing, maintaining network integrity and minimizing signal loss.