Abstract: A tether assembly includes a tether cable containing optical fibers and adapted to be attached to a fiber optic distribution cable at a mid-span access location. A furcation at the end of the tether cable separates and transitions the optical fibers into furcation legs terminating in individual connector ports. Each connector port may be a receptacle for receiving a connector mounted upon one of the optical fibers and a mating connector of a drop cable, a plug mounted upon one of the optical fibers that is received within a plug alignment member operable to align the plug with a mating plug of a drop cable, or a connector that is routed to a receptacle disposed within an external wall of a network connection terminal from within the enclosure. The tether assembly provides a distribution cable assembly and method for mitigating a span length measurement difference in a pre-engineered communications network.

Abstract: A precision mold insert and method for manufacturing angled or angled and bumpered multi-fiber ferrules. The precision mold insert includes an angled end face forming portion, one or more optional bumper forming portions, one or more fiber bores for receiving one or more fiber bore forming pins, and one or more guide pin holes for receiving one or more guide pin hole forming pins. A method for manufacturing a precision mold insert for molding angled or angled and bumpered multi-fiber ferrules utilizing electrical discharge machining (EDM) process and/or a poly crystalline diamond (PCD) grinding tool is provided. The mold insert is used to produce a multi-fiber ferrule having a pre-molded angled end face that is not machined, polished or otherwise altered subsequent to the molding process. The ferrule may also include bumpers for polishing end portions of optical fibers positioned within the fiber bores without altering the angled end face.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fiber optic drop cable including at least one optical waveguide, at least one roving, and a cable jacket. In one embodiment, the at least one roving includes a resin matrix having a water-based acrylic composition that includes an ethylene-acrylic acid and a water-swellable component. The resin matrix has a percent by weight of about 10 percent or less of the flexible roving so that the at least of one roving is at least partially bonded with the cable jacket, thereby inhibiting buckling of the cable jacket. In another embodiment, a plurality of rovings are arranged in clusters in the cable for influencing the bonding between the rovings and cable jacket. Also, disclosed is a protective casing for protecting and routing optical fibers along with preconnectorized cable assemblies.

Abstract: A multi-fiber ferrule is configured to accept coated optical fibers and an optical fiber ribbon. The multi-fiber ferrule includes an optical fiber receiving portion, a lead-in portion, and an alignment portion. The alignment portion includes a buffered fiber alignment portion to orient and separate buffered optical fibers. The alignment portion may also include a ribbon alignment portion to orient and align the optical fibers of an optical fiber ribbon. As a result, the stripped optical fibers of both the coated optical fibers and the optical fiber ribbon are guided and aligned with the optical fiber bores provided in the optical fiber receiving portion of the multi-fiber ferrule.