Secondary optical splitters should be installed in optical transfer boxes or community crossover boxes, connected to primary splitters, and tested to ensure minimal signal loss.

Placement of Secondary Optical Splitters

Secondary optical splitters are typically positioned on the backbone layer or user distribution fiber optic cable layer. Common installation points include primary or secondary optical junction boxes and optical fiber distribution boxes. This setup is ideal for networks with scattered users or when deploying new user optical cable networks. In residential or community networks, secondary splitters are often located in optical transfer boxes or community crossover boxes, while the primary splitter is placed in central office rooms or along main roads .

Connection Procedure

1. Connect to Primary Splitter: Use a fiber patch cable to link one output of the primary splitter to the input of the secondary splitter. Ensure that the split ratios and connector types (e.g., SC, LC) are compatible .
2. Connect Secondary Outputs: Attach the remaining outputs of the secondary splitter to end devices or distribution points using fiber optic patch cables .
3. Cascading Considerations: Avoid excessive cascading, as each splitter introduces signal loss. Typically, networks should not exceed 2–3 levels of splitters to maintain usable signal strength .

Installation Steps

1. Identify Ports: Determine the input and output ports on the secondary splitter. The input port receives the signal from the primary splitter, while output ports distribute it to users .
2. Prepare Fibers: Strip, clean, and splice fibers carefully. For bare splitters, use a fiber optic splicing machine and follow proper winding procedures to prevent fiber breakage .
3. Mount Splitter: Place the splitter in a fiber splice closure, distribution box, or terminal box. Use protective slots or clamps for PLC splitters to secure the main stainless steel tube .
4. Coil Excess Fiber: Properly coil any excess fiber to avoid bending beyond the minimum radius and to maintain signal integrity .
5. Clean Connectors: Use a fiber optic cleaning kit to remove dust from adapter and connector holes before docking .

Testing and Optimization

• Optical Power Test: Measure input and output power to ensure it is within the nominal splitter loss (e.g., 1:8 PLC splitter ≈ 10.7 dB loss), .
• Uniformity Test: Check power variation between output ports (e.g., 1×16 PLC splitter uniformity <1 dB), .
• OTDR Testing: Detect reflection peaks and attenuation slopes to identify potential faults in the fiber link .
• Adjustments: Re-align fibers, check bend radius, or re-secure latches if signal loss exceeds acceptable limits .

Maintenance Recommendations

• Randomly check 10% of ports quarterly using an optical power meter.
• Perform full-link OTDR testing annually to ensure long-term reliability . By following these placement, connection, and testing procedures, secondary optical splitters can be installed effectively, ensuring optimal signal distribution, minimal loss, and reliable network performance.