Optical fiber distribution box is a common product in fiber-to-the-home and fiber-to-the-building. Protect the connection point where the optical cable is connected to the user end, so that the optical cable access point is stable, dust-proof and waterproof. Minimize the interference of optical cable access signals to the external environment. According to the different requirements of the actual application environment, there are many kinds of fiber optic cable distribution boxes on the market, how to choose? Here are ten points to help you understand everything you need to know about fiber optic split boxes.
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1. The position of the optical fiber distribution box in the optical cable communication.
2. Application scenarios of optical fiber distribution boxes.
3. The internal structure of the fiber optic cable distribution box.
4. Classification of fiber optic cable distribution boxes.
5. The material of the fiber optic cable distribution box.
6. The manufacturing process and technology of the optical fiber distribution box.
7. How to choose between full distribution box and empty fiber box?
8. Quality inspection.
9. Markets and Prices.
10. The development trend of fiber optic cable distribution boxes.
1. The position of the optical fiber distribution box in the optical cable communication
The transmission of optical signals in an optical cable is like the flow of tap water in a water pipe. During transmission, when the user needs it, it needs to be shunted to the user, but the shunting node needs to be protected to prevent light leakage and formation. The node protection device that splits the optical signal is called a fiber optic cable splitter box. This is its position in the field of optical communications.
2. Application scenarios of optical fiber distribution boxes
The optical network signal of the end user is usually divided into three cases: fiber to the home, fiber to the building and fiber to the roadside, which is the last mile of optical cable communication. The installation positions of the optical fiber distribution boxes are also different in the three cases. Fiber to the home is on the floor, in the hallway, fiber to the floor is located on the wall of the building, and fiber to the curb is usually installed on the utility pole.
3. Internal structure of optical fiber distribution box
The function of the fiber optic cable distribution box is mainly to protect and split the fiber optic cable. Then its structure is divided into four parts,
Optical cable entry: This interface is mainly used for external optical cable access. The inserted optical cable plays a fixed role at the entrance and is not easy to loosen. And the optical cable inlet is generally below the optical fiber distribution box, which has a good waterproof effect.
Splice tray: The external optical cable should be welded with the headless end of the splitter or pigtail in the optical fiber distribution box. The splice tray must be used, which is convenient for welding and improves the success rate of welding. The picture shows the splicing of optical cables after alignment.
Fiber distribution box fusion splicing tray
Cable Splitter Tray: Some models offer some cable splitter trays, some don't, as this is only used as a fixture for more convenience and compactness when installing splitters and pigtails. You can see various shapes of optical cable distribution frames and splice trays in different types of optical cable distribution boxes, but the functions are the same, which is only the result of continuous improvement, making optical cable fusion and wiring more convenient in practical applications.
Sockets: The number of sockets can determine the basic model of a fiber distribution box, such as 8 sockets, then it is basically an 8-core fiber distribution box, and the socket is much smaller than the entrance, because the optical cable is received from the user. Pigtail based, these jumpers are much smaller in diameter.
4. Classification of fiber optic cable distribution boxes
According to the different capacity, the fiber optic cable distribution box can be divided into: 4 cores, 6 cores, 8 cores, 12 cores, 16 cores, 24 cores, 36 cores, 48 cores, etc. The most commonly used are 8-core and 16-core.
According to the installation method: it can be divided into wall-mounted and pole-mounted.
According to the application scenario: it can be divided into indoor type and outdoor type.
According to the function: it can be divided into ordinary fiber distribution box and fiber distribution box with splicing function.
5. The material of the fiber optic cable distribution box
At present, the materials used in the mainstream fiber distribution boxes are: SMC, ABS+PC, ABS, PP. The quality of the four materials is arranged in order from good to bad, and the cost from high to low is the material density, gloss, resistance of these materials. Heat resistance, impact resistance, compression resistance, abrasion resistance and flame resistance are selected. The most cost-effective of the four materials is ABS+PC, which can meet most material requirements for a moderate cost fiber optic cable splitter box.
Although the SMC fiber optic cable distribution box is of high quality, it is mainly used in extremely harsh environments, and the cost is high, and the product market is not large. Due to the fierce market competition, the product price is getting lower and lower, and the cost is getting lower and lower. Pure ABS The material fiber distribution box occupies most of the market, so the overall performance of the product decreases slightly. PP material has the lowest performance and more brittle texture, and is usually used to make seam boxes. If it is used as a fiber distribution box, the fiber distribution box is definitely not will pass the impact test.
Personally recommend four kinds of fiber distribution boxes: if the customer prefers quality, it is recommended to use PC+ABS, if the customer prefers price, it is recommended to use pure ABS material. Taking the mainstream 16-core optical fiber distribution box as an example, each fiber distribution box uses 1KG of materials, and the cost difference between the two materials is about 4 yuan. But it is difficult for people to tell the difference between these two materials, and requires professional testing, or good communication and cooperation between manufacturers.
6. Manufacturing process and technology of optical fiber distribution box
Identify the customer's application needs; if the existing product catalog can meet the requirements, we will produce according to the existing product process.
Drawings: If the customer needs unconventional products, we will draw drawings for the product structure design according to the customer's needs.
Mold opening: Simple molds can be successfully opened within half a month, and complex molds need at least one month.
Injection molding: The speed of injection molding depends on the number of injection molding machines and the number of parts to be molded at one time. A good manufacturer has injection molding machines that can inject 2000-3000 cases per day and mold them quickly with reliable lead times.
Assembly: This process is manual and is the most distinctive part of the factory. Skilled and qualified workers, optimized processes and specifications, and strict management are the hallmarks of a good manufacturer.
Testing and Packaging: Good production should backtest every part of the production (from the previous process to the next) and always test in-between. The previous process was tested for integrity. The cycle continues to the final test where all processes are completed.
Packaging focuses on product protection as well as beauty and cleanliness, the packaging of individual products must be measured, only the weight of individual items is the same, so as not to lose accessories. The overall packaging focuses on the stability of the shipping process and the convenience of receiving the goods upon arrival.
Optical fiber distribution box packaging
7. How to choose between full distribution box and empty fiber box?
In actual customer needs, there will be a difference between a full box and an empty box, and some customers need boxes with splitters, adapters or pigtails installed. In addition, some customers only need an empty box, and customers will install splitters and other passive components according to the actual application scenarios on site.
Generally speaking, the customer's construction requirements are clear and uniform, and it is recommended to use a fully equipped fiber distribution box. An empty box can be used if the customer's needs are more uncertain and require flexibility.
What are the advantages of a fully equipped fiber distribution box? If splitters, adapters, pigtails are purchased in a unified manner, it can save costs. In addition, the factory can assemble, test and save labor costs, and unified testing after factory assembly can eliminate quality problems caused during the assembly process.
The factory refers to this assembly process as a "patch splitter". Good manufacturers test the beamsplitter before fixing the light to eliminate quality issues with the beamsplitter throughout the cable splitter box.
After installing the splitter, test it again. In order to exclude the damage caused by welding. In addition, the "fixed distributor" of the factory assembly line platform is easier and more efficient than the "fixed distributor" of the outdoor construction. Empty split boxes are easy to inspect and lead to faster delivery times. However, later construction costs are higher.
Optical cable junction box
8. Quality inspection
Usually, the quality test of the optical fiber distribution box is mainly waterproof, dustproof, impact test, some require high and low temperature, humidity test, full load distribution with splitter, and the pigtail also needs to be tested for optical cable passing.
Since the outdoor environment is dusty, rainy and snowy, the requirements for dust and water resistance are high, so the IP rating must be at least IP65.
Since dust can affect the optical transmission data, dust must reach level 6, while waterproof level only needs to reach level 5, because the wall-mounted or pole type can basically avoid the situation of rain soaking. Its application environment is mainly in sewers or underground buildings, so its protection level must reach IP68.
IP degree
Impact testing mainly tests the physical compressive properties of a product. Some materials or fiber boxes with poor injection thickness will fail the impact test.
For a full distribution splitter box with splitters or pigtails, it is easy to break the fragile fiber optic cable during transportation and assembly, and it is difficult to find it with the naked eye, and the optical test can exclude the broken fiber optic cable installation.
9. Market and Price
The optical fiber distribution box belongs to the optical cable access scenario product and belongs to the user access terminal. In the face of countless users, its demand is higher than that of active optical equipment products. The market demand is rigid and the quantity is large. There are many levels of price allocation, mainly due to the different production standards and testing standards of the suppliers. It is recommended not to choose the lowest price in the market to find a supplier.
All suppliers are merchants and need profit margins to ensure the operation and profit margins of the factories. Products with below-average price levels are either inferior products or marketing tactics. Factories have a hundred ways to reduce costs. They can use different materials, different brands of materials, quantities of materials, simplify the production process, and more.
Therefore, please clarify your own needs criteria, determine the inspection criteria with the manufacturer, and then discuss the price based on this. It leaves a certain profit space for the other party, and future exchanges and cooperation will be smoother.
Generally speaking, if the demand is not large, if the number of fiber optic cable distribution boxes is less than the MOQ, there is no need to go to the factory directly. The better the factory orders and the smaller the quantity, they won't be prioritized and there is also a cost to change the production line.
10. Development trend of optical fiber distribution box
From the perspective of the current market and supply, the product development trend of fiber optic cable distribution boxes has developed in two directions.
The first direction is to make construction faster and simpler, and save the customer's construction costs.
Optical fiber distribution box
As shown in this cable splitter box, it will close the box after the fibers are spliced. Users do not need to open the box again, but directly connect to the network signal directly from the outside with a quick connection. After installation, just unscrew the connector and use the quick connector to connect it to the user end, which saves labor costs on the one hand, and can get a better dustproof rating without opening the box.
The second direction is more functional diversity, especially in rural areas with lower population densities and a lower number of fiber optic cables that are often not used. Fiber optic cables not only need to be split, but also connected, so the new "cable box" has a connection function to ensure that the unused fiber optic cable is forwarded again to other areas through the connection.
in conclusion
The general direction of network communication technology is faster transmission speed, wider transmission bandwidth and more accurate data transmission. All fiber optic communication products should be used in conjunction with it to achieve better results. The optical fiber distribution box is just a protection device, and its main function is to protect the safety and stability of the optical cable distribution node.
The trend is to keep costs down while maintaining protective performance, then speed up construction and save labor costs.
We have many years of experience in the manufacture of optical fiber distribution boxes, have a deep understanding of the products, ensure product quality, and accompany customers to develop the market. We provide our customers with a strong supply chain.
