Mar 21 2017
nanoPrecision Products has announced the commercial launch of the FootballFerrule, a single-mode or multimode, multi-fiber interconnect system based on the SC form factor. The novel system, which features football-shaped stainless steel ferrules and a mating split sleeve, is intended to provide an alternative to existing plastic MPO connectors. The FootballFerrule is now available in multimode SC connectorized fiber cable assembly format, with single-mode SC format coming soon.
Unlike existing connectors, the unique component has nano-scale features that hold fibers without epoxy, eliminating the single largest cause of connector failure while reducing size and cost. Available in 12-channel, with 4-channel and 8-channel versions coming in the future, nanoPrecision Products designed the FootballFerrule to meet increasingly rigorous performance needs of large scale data centers while also addressing performance challenges associated with harsh environments.
“The FootballFerrule represents our commitment to challenge and alter existing design rules in markets where we can provide a decisive performance improvement and total cost of ownership advantage to the end user,” said Michael K. Barnoski, Ph.D., founder and chief executive officer. “We believe that, as cloud computing and large scale data centers continue to push beyond the limits of conventional multi-fiber connectors, this new connector will be the go-to product of the future.”
The FootballFerrule’s design is based on nanoPrecision Products’ proprietary nanoBench™ platform, which revolutionizes methods to align and hold electrical, optical, mechanical, fluidic and other devices within individual product components. Made possible through the innovative use of material science, computational mechanics, precision engineering and manufacturing technologies, each nanoBench-based product is a multi-layered, material-formed component that aligns and holds these devices to nanometer accuracies and tolerances.
In the case of the FootballFerrule, two ferrule halves encapsulate the fibers using ultra-precise nanometer-scale grooves, replacing traditional epoxy bonding and curing with a very fast laser welding process. Like traditional multi-fiber interconnects, the fiber spacing is 250 microns, with exceptional 200-nanometer pitch accuracy. By design, the new connector dramatically improves performance, offers higher channel density, saves space with a smaller footprint, and saves time and cost with the elimination of epoxy.
Source: http://nanoprecision.com/