What Is a Fiber Optic Joint Closure and Its Purpose?
Fiber Optic Joint Closure
A fiber optic joint closure is a protective enclosure that houses and protects optical cable splice points in outdoor, underground or aerial environments. These enclosures are often used in CATV, telecommunications and other fiber-optic network applications. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes to accommodate different placement options. They typically feature splice trays, organizers and holders to manage and organize the splice points and provide support for the cables. Some features that are important to look for in a fiber optic closure include an easy-to-open and re-enter design, the ability to support various cable management methods, and a strong and durable construction.
Choosing the right Fiber optic joint closure can be difficult because of the many choices available in the market. However, it is possible to make the process easier by identifying the specific needs of a network. This can save time and money by ensuring that the closure has all of the necessary features for the job. It can also help ensure that the closure is compatible with the specific cabling being installed, preventing any issues during installation.
The first factor to consider is the environment where the fiber optic joint closure will be placed. If it will be located outside, then the closure must be able to resist environmental hazards such as airborne moisture and wind. It must also be able to withstand the effects of temperature change and freezing. In addition, the closure should have the flexibility to withstand any changes in the behavior of the cable components. This can include expansion and contraction due to changes in temperature or abrasion from handling.
What Is a Fiber Optic Joint Closure and Its Purpose?
Another important consideration is how often the fiber optic closure will need to be re-accessed. Closures that will be accessed regularly, such as at the distribution stage of the network, may require more flexible access capabilities than those used in the backbone or MAN areas. In these cases, a closure that can be easily opened and closed without the need for any special tools or C-cement is essential.
Other factors to consider when selecting a fiber optic closure are its entrance capacity and the size of the splice trays. The entrance capacity refers to the number of ports that the closure has, while the size of the splice trays determines the overall capacity of the enclosure. The larger the splice tray, the more space it will have to store multiple splice points. This is useful when multiple splices are needed at different locations in the network. For example, it might be necessary to splice two or more drop lines to one main line at some point in the network. This will require an enclosure with a higher entrance capacity than if the splices are being done in a more isolated area of the network.
A fiber optic joint closure is a passive component used to offer space for outdoor optical cables to be spliced and stored. It also offers protection for the spliced optical fibre as well as the joints of other cable sections. The closure may be buried underground (manholes), or hanged on to a pole in case of aerial, duct or direct buried cable.
It is important to choose the right type of closure for a network, depending on where it will be installed. Closures at the beginning of a distribution system typically do not require repeated access, so a long-lasting durable design that does not need to be checked regularly is ideal. However, closer to the customer, frequent re-entry access is often required, so a flexible design that allows for this kind of activity should be considered.