You will need:
strain relief boot
crimp sleeve
jacket strip tool
aramid yarn scissors
buffer stripping tool
cable to terminate
Contents
Step 1 - Getting Ready
Step 2 - Examine Connector Construction
Step 4 - Preparing the Epoxy
Step 5 - Applying the Connector to the Fiber
Step 6 - Scribe and Polish
Step 7 - Visual Inspection - Microscope
Step 8 - Test the Connector
Step 9 - The Quiz
You will need to perform two separate operations to prepare the cable for termination. The jacket strip tool will expose the buffered fiber and strength members, then you must carefully remove the buffer with the fiber stripper in a series of small strips as explained below.
If the cable you are using is unterminated at both ends, then the cable jacket is unstable - it will slide. Before you begin to strip it, tie a firm knot in the other end. This will keep the jacket, aramid yarns, and buffer all in the same relative position.
Allow at least 3 inches (75mm) from the cut end of the fiber for termination. If the fiber has been cut for some time, the fiber may be brittle at the end, so cutting off 6 inches (150 mm) may make working with the fiber easier.
The instructions for the connector you are using should include a drawing of the required dimensions of the prepared end of the cable ready for termination. If it only gives dimensions, makiing an exact-size drawing will be very helpful.
Preparing The Cable
Put these on first!
Slide the strain relief boot (pictured in black above) onto the cable first - narrow end first.
Then slide the crimp sleeve (pictured in silver above) onto the cable - narrow end first.
Slide them back along the cable, out of the way, as you prepare to strip the cable.
Use the jacket strip tool (don't confuse it with the buffer stripper) to cut through the protective jacket.
Set the jacket cutting tool on the desired mark (#4 for 3 mm fiber as shown below), bite down on the fiber at the desired location, and hold the tool closed. Do NOT try to strip the jacket off as you might with copper!
Release the tool, and grab the jacket with your fingers. Twist it and pull. It will slide off easily.
Now you should shake the Aramid yarns loose (blowing on them often helps loosen them), gather them together, make a loop, and cut the yarns with the special scissors designed to cut this material so that 1/4 - 3/8 inch of yarn is left, as required by the connector you are using. The strength members (usually aramid fibers, often called Kevlar, the DuPont trade name) will be crimped to the connector to give additional strength to the connection.
Removal of the buffer from the glass:
It is very important that care be taken here so that the glass fiber does not break. Attempt to strip no more than 1/8 in of buffer at a time until you get a "feel" for the fiber, then you may be able to strip longer lengths without breaking the fiber!
There are a number of different types of stripping tools, but the "Miller Stripper" shown here is one of the most popular, since it is very reliable. Another type is the "No-Nik" which works well if kept clean.
Hold the Miller Stripper at a 45 degree angle to the fiber so that it does not bend the fiber when you clamp down on the fiber.
Squeeze the stripper firmly on the fiber to cut the buffer fully. Pull slowly and steadily, keeping the fiber straight as you strip the buffer off. It will NOT slide off easily like the jacket. Continue to take 1/8 to 1/4 inch bites of buffer (3-6 mm). You must leave enough exposed buffer for the connector body to adhere to, so there must be at least 5/8 to 1 inch of fiber exposed (15-25 mm) or whatever length is required by the connector you are terminating.
It helps to have a drawing of the stripping dimensions in the exact size you must strip to to compare directly to the fiber itself. This is much easier than measuring!
