Methods of reducing and/or avoiding fiber ordering in a connectorized multi-fiber, fiber optic cable system, and related fiber optic cables and assemblies

Abstract

Methods of reducing and/or avoiding fiber ordering during preparations of a multi-fiber, fiber optic cable to provide a connectorized multi-fiber, fiber optic cable system, and related fiber optic cables and assemblies are also disclosed. The embodiments disclosed herein allow for a section of a multi-fiber, fiber optic cable to be prepared to form two or more connectorized fiber optic cables as part of a multi-fiber cable system without requiring specific fiber ordering in the fiber optic connectors. The natural ordering of the optical fibers in the fiber optic cable is fixed in place in at least one section of the fiber optic cable before the optical fibers are cut to form adjacent fiber optic connectors in the cable system. Thus, the fiber ordering between adjacent fiber optic connectors in the cable system will be the same even though the fiber ordering of the optical fibers was random during cable preparations.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A multi-fiber cable system, comprising:
 a first multi-fiber, fiber optic cable, comprising:
 a first plurality of optic fibers; 
 a first end having a first multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly disposed thereon having a first fiber ordering of the first plurality of optical fibers; and 
 a second end having a second multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly disposed thereon having a second fiber ordering of the first plurality of optical fibers different from the first fiber ordering; and 
   a second multi-fiber, fiber optic cable, comprising:
 a second plurality of optic fibers; 
 a third end having a third multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly disposed thereon having the second fiber ordering for the second plurality of optical fibers; and 
 a fourth end having a fourth multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly disposed thereon having a third fiber ordering of the second plurality of optical fibers different from the second fiber ordering. 
   
     
     
         2 . The multi-fiber cable system of  claim 1 , further comprising a third multi-fiber, fiber optic cable, comprising:
 a third plurality of optic fibers;   a fifth end having a fifth multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly disposed thereon having the third fiber ordering for the third plurality of optical fibers; and   a sixth end having a sixth multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly disposed thereon having a fourth fiber ordering of the third plurality of optical fibers different from the third fiber ordering.   
     
     
         3 . The multi-fiber cable system of  claim 1 , wherein the first multi-fiber, fiber optic cable is comprised of a first plurality of ribbons each containing a plurality of optical fibers, and the second multi-fiber, fiber optic cable is comprised of a second plurality of ribbons each containing a plurality of optical fibers. 
     
     
         4 . The multi-fiber cable system of  claim 1 , wherein the first multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a first multi-fiber termination push-on (MTP) connector assembly, the second multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a second MTP connector assembly, the third multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a third MTP connector assembly, and the fourth multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a fourth MTP connector assembly. 
     
     
         5 . The multi-fiber cable system of  claim 1 , wherein the first multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a first LC-style connector assembly, the second multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a second LC-style connector assembly, the third multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a third LC connector assembly, and the fourth multi-fiber, fiber optic connector assembly is comprised of a fourth LC-style connector assembly. 
     
     
         6 . The multi-fiber cable system of  claim 1 , wherein the first plurality of optical fibers and the second plurality of optical fibers are each comprised of optical fibers having an outer diameter between 70-100 micrometers (μm). 
     
     
         7 . The multi-fiber cable system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of optical fibers and the second plurality of optical fibers is comprised of two hundred (200) or more optical fibers. 
     
     
         8 . The multi-fiber cable system of  claim 1 , wherein the first multi-fiber, fiber optic cable has an outer diameter less than 5.1 millimeters (mm), and the second multi-fiber, fiber optic cable has an outer diameter less than 5.1 millimeters (mm). 
     
     
         9 . The multi-fiber cable system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the first plurality of optical fibers and the second plurality of optical fibers are comprised of two hundred (200) or more optical fibers; each of the first plurality of optical fibers and the second plurality of optical fibers has an outer diameter between 70-100 micrometers (μm); the first multi-fiber, fiber optic cable has an outer diameter less than 5.1 millimeters (mm); and the second multi-fiber, fiber optic cable has an outer diameter less than 5.1 millimeters (min).