Facilitating installation of fiber optic networks

Abstract

An optical system architecture includes indexed optical lines that are indexed between first and second multi-fiber connectors; a first of the optical line having a first end terminated at the first multi-fiber connector; and a second optical line having a first end terminated at the second multi-fiber. An input of an optical splitter is optically coupled to second ends of the first and second optical lines. The optical splitter splits optical signals carried over the first and second optical lines onto output lines so that each output line carries signals split from the first optical line and signals split from the second optical line.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A fiber optic network comprising:
 a first optical connector having a first set of sequential fiber positions and a second set of sequential fiber positions, the fiber positions of the second set being different from the fiber positions of the first set;   a second optical connector disposed at an indexing location, the second optical connector having a respective first set of sequential fiber positions and a respective second set of sequential fiber positions, the fiber positions of the second set of the second optical connector being different from the fiber positions of the first set of the second optical connector, the sequential fiber positions of the first set of the second optical connector having a common number the sequential fiber positions of the first set of the first optical connector;   a plurality of first fiber lines disposed at the first set of sequential fiber positions of the first optical connector, at least some of the first fiber lines being indexed between the respective sequential fiber positions of the first set of the first optical connector and at least some of the sequential fiber positions of the first set of the second optical connector, the at least some of the first fiber lines being indexed in a first indexing direction;   a first of the first fiber lines being optically coupled to a beginning one of the sequential fiber positions of the first set of the first optical connector, the first of the first fiber lines dropping off at the indexing location;   a plurality of second fiber lines disposed at the second set of sequential fiber positions of the first optical connector, at least some of the second fiber lines being indexed between the respective sequential fiber positions of the second set of the first optical connector and at least some the sequential fiber positions of the second set of the second optical connector; and   a first of the second fiber lines being optically coupled to a beginning one of the sequential fiber positions of the second set of the first optical connector, the first of the second fiber lines dropping off at the indexing location.   
     
     
         2 . The fiber optic network of  claim 1 , wherein the first of the first fiber lines is one of multiple fiber lines of the first fiber lines that drop off at the indexing location. 
     
     
         3 . The fiber optic network of  claim 1 , wherein the first of the second fiber lines is one of multiple fiber lines of the second fiber lines that drop off at the indexing location. 
     
     
         4 . The fiber optic network of  claim 1 , wherein the second fiber lines are indexed in the first indexing direction. 
     
     
         5 . The fiber optic network of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of sequential fiber positions of the first optical connector correspond with a first row of sequential fiber positions at the first optical connector and the second set of sequential fiber positions of the first optical connector correspond with a second row of sequential fiber positions at the first optical connector. 
     
     
         6 . The fiber optic network of  claim 1 , wherein the first set of sequential fiber positions of the second optical connector correspond with a first row of sequential fiber positions at the second optical connector and the second set of sequential fiber positions of the second optical connector correspond with a second row of sequential fiber positions at the second optical connector. 
     
     
         7 . The fiber optic network of  claim 1 , wherein the fiber optic network has a bidirectional indexing architecture. 
     
     
         8 . The fiber optic network of  claim 7 , wherein an optical fiber line extends from an ending one of the sequential fiber positions of the first set of the second optical connector and drops off at the indexing location. 
     
     
         9 . The fiber optic network of  claim 7 , wherein an optical fiber line extends from an ending one of the sequential fiber positions of the second set of the second optical connector and drops off at the indexing location. 
     
     
         10 . The fiber optic network of  claim 7 , wherein a plurality of reverse fiber lines are disposed at the first set of sequential fiber positions of the second optical connector, at least some of the reverse fiber lines being indexed between the respective sequential fiber positions of the first set of the second optical connector and at least some of the sequential fiber positions of the first set of the first optical connector, the at least some of the reverse fiber lines being indexed in a second indexing direction that is opposite the first indexing direction. 
     
     
         11 . The fiber optic network of  claim 10 , wherein one the reverse fiber lines is optically coupled to an ending one of the sequential fiber positions of the first set of the second optical connector, the one of the reverse fiber lines dropping off at the indexing location. 
     
     
         12 . The fiber optic network of  claim 1 , wherein the first of the first fiber lines and the first of the second fiber lines both extend to a multi-fiber connector. 
     
     
         13 . The fiber optic network of  claim 1 , wherein a combination of the first fiber lines and the second fiber lines includes between twelve and twenty-four optical fibers. 
     
     
         14 . The fiber optic network of  claim 1 , wherein the first fiber lines and the second fiber lines form a cable arrangement. 
     
     
         15 . The fiber optic network of  claim 14 , wherein the cable arrangement includes one or more multi-fiber cables. 
     
     
         16 . The fiber optic network of  claim 1 , wherein the indexing location includes an indexing terminal. 
     
     
         17 . The fiber optic network of  claim 16 , wherein the indexing terminal includes a closure defining a first cable port at a first location. 
     
     
         18 . The fiber optic network of  claim 17 , wherein the first and second fiber lines extend through the first cable port to the first optical connector; and wherein the second optical connector is disposed at a second location at the terminal, the second location being different from the first location. 
     
     
         19 . The fiber optic network of  claim 18 , wherein the first of the first fiber line is terminated at a connector disposed at a third location of the indexing terminal, the third location being different from the first and second locations. 
     
     
         20 . The fiber optic network of  claim 16 , further comprising a splitter terminal disposed external to the indexing terminal, the splitter terminal including an enclosure that houses an optical splitter configured to split any optical signal received at a splitter input of the optical splitter into a plurality of optical signals that are each output onto a separate optical fiber.