March 18, 2014 - Molex announces Expanded-Beam Ruggedized Optical Cable Assemblies, delivering highly reliable interconnects for use in harsh environments including petrochemical plant, mining and offshore systems. These highly-ruggedized, easy-to-use connectors require minimal cleaning and deliver repeatable, error-free optical transmissions. They can also withstand thousands of mating cycles and feature a field-installable and repairable design to minimize maintenance downtime.
The connectors work by utilizing lenses that expand and collimate the light emitting from optical fibers across a sealed connector interface. The expanded and collimated light beam has an active area much larger than the original optical fiber core, making it less sensitive to data transmission interruption due to dirt and debris particles, while also being more efficient to align across the two connector halves. The assemblies are available in 2- and 4-fiber counts for a multi-channel optical interface. The non-contacting lens interface reduces connector failure by preventing debris from becoming imbedded or damaging the optical surface during the mating or handling process.
The stainless steel housing option is ideal for highly corrosive environments and all the assemblies meet MIL-DTL-83526/20 and/21 standards to ensure high-performance, ruggedized communication links that are compatible with other like products in the market.
