Why Are Expanded Beam Connectors Preferred In Harsh Conditions?

When cable connections fail in a remote area, where there could be power failure and storm, connectors are a better alternative to be used in such harsh environments. And, even better are expanded beam connectors, which are specifically designed to operate in harsh environments of dirt, dust, water, oil, and the like.

Unlike in the case of butt-joint fiber optical connectors, there is no physical contact between fiber connectors in expanded beam connectors. These connectors thus employ a non-contact technique where the fiber is completely sealed behind a precision lens that increases the diameter of the beam by many orders of magnitude. This lens effectively enlarges the active area of the finer, thus providing a connector with significantly reduced dirt sensitivity and greater reliability, when used in adverse conditions. The lens expands and collimates the light emitting from an optical fiber, which is then transmitted through an air gap to a mating connector where the light is collected and focused by a second lens into a second optical fiber to complete the connection. This entire process reduces the connector’s sensitivity to dirt, dust, and all other types of contaminants that can otherwise disrupt the transmission between butt-joint connectors.

With the no-contact technology, the expanded beam connectors enable error-free performance over thousands of mating cycles, unlike in the case of traditional optical interconnects, which need to be cleaned and maintained from time to time by trained technicians to ensure optimal performance. Moreover, expanded beam connectors are hermaphroditic, meaning that they have both male and female qualities blended into one; rather than the traditional individual male and female connectors. This considerably simplifies daisy chaining, especially in demanding environments where simplicity is essential.

With all these benefits, expanded beam connectors are popularly used in various applications that are used in challenging environments. These include tactical communications, mining systems, offshore systems, outside broadcasting systems, and petrochemical industries. However, before being used, these connectors must be tested for a minimum of 3000 matings for error-free performance while withstanding extreme temperatures, vibrations, corrosion, crushing, and other rough treatments. Thus, expanded beam connectors provide high reliability, simplicity, ease-of-use, and high performance – all in one – even in the most challenging environments. Both single and multi mode configurations of these connectors are available, and they are offered with a wide variety of connector and reel options.

So, when the applications you want to use connectors in are harsh and unruly, expanded beam connectors are the perfect choice. And, for every other situation, you have cable harnesses. A variety of cable harnesses are available for usage in different applications. Get the one that suits your needs from Miracle Aerospace, the leading automotive, military, and aerospace cable harness manufacturer in India. All the cable harnesses offered here are of high quality and performance, available with various kinds of manufacturing capabilities including laser cable printing, automated processes, and terminal crimping. All the products are lean manufactured by certified engineers, using UL approved and Mil Grade materials, which are 100% quality tested before being delivered.