The perennial challenge in delivering fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) is to do so in a way that’s not only secure and practical, but also cost-effective and aesthetically unobtrusive.
When it comes to deploying fiber to multi-dwelling units (MDUs), whether residential or commercial, there is no “cookie cutter” answer.
MDUs come in a huge range of designs and sizes. Each has its own constraints, whether political or practical. Subscription uptake can often be staggered or slow to start. Sourcing from multiple vendors can also be problematic in terms of lead times and product reliability.
What’s required is a modular FTTx solution that gives network planners, installers, building owners and residents the highest level of reliability, security and choice.
With the needs of building owners firmly in mind, PPC has worked closely with fiber deployment teams and network designers to create its PPC QuikPass™ Solution - an FTTx product set that combines both functionality and form.
The PPC QuikPass™ family of products provide a one-stop solution where every aspect of the build is considered. It’s safety-tested to the highest standards, robust and simple to install, and provides the flexibility to use multiple approaches within the same building.
Compared to rival offerings, a stand-out benefit of PPC QuikPass™, when compared to rival solutions, is the simple ruggedness of the product range.
From 2mm to 8mm, all Miniflex® cables options offer superior mechanical performance and unmatched crush and impact resistance to minimize network disruption.
Providing a robust, yet small, cable ensures that the building aesthetics are maintained, while delivering continuity of service.
The rugged nature of the product also means that the risk of accidental damage (due to DIY home improvements or simple housekeeping activities) is also vastly reduced.
Safety is paramount.
PPC QuikPass™ not only secures the protection of the network, it also offers protection to customers and installers - such as shuttered adaptors in the customer’s dwelling, guarded blades on the technician's cutting tool, tamper-proof entry boxes and the option to connect subscribers without the need to splice in the apartment.
Material selection has also been carried out with occupant safety in mind - utilizing UL (Americas) and CPR (Europe) rated cables within high-footfall areas.
The products have also been tested to the highest standards, both in terms of fire protection and ease of use, and compliance with all international legislative requirements.
Excellent mechanical performance cannot be understated in FTTx applications.
At the core of the PPC QuikPass™ Solution is a set of tried and tested PPC product features:
The grooved cable technology of Miniflex® Distribution Cables, QuikPush® Cables and Fiber Cables offer unmatched crush and impact resistance to provide robust but lightweight protective covering for fiber optics. Miniflex® is easy to install, it can be used with and without ducts, and it is suited to FTTP and in-building installations. The product can be fixed to walls with clips, or even hot-melt glue. It can also be buried in wall screeds, tucked under flooring or routed through ducts and conduits.
QuikPush® was initially developed to enable connectorized cable to be pushed through significantly smaller microducts. It lends itself to a wide range of MDU spaces by significantly reducing the size of the hole that needs to be drilled through a resident’s wall. While the industry standard SC/APC connector needs a minimum of 12mm clearance, the QuikPush® SC connector will pass through a 5mm hole, requiring a drilling area that is 80% smaller.
PPC’s low friction lining adds value to the retractable fiber approach by vastly increasing the length of fiber that can be pulled through the cable. When connecting MDUs, the fiber can be pushed through to the customer’s termination point without the need to splice fibers in the hallway.
PPC’s proprietary field fit connectors offer installers multiple options, from fusion splicing to mechanical splicing or the use of ready-connected cables.
Manufactured from a proprietary blend of PPC polymers to offer exceptional toughness, crush resistance, flexibility and tensile strength
PPC QuikPass™ offers a range of installation options to cater for all skill levels. A fully connectorized option reduces the need for expensive fiber equipment and highly-skilled fiber technicians. For installers with the right tools and training, there is the option to field splice and cut cable from bulk reels. Whether your preference is to fusion splice, use ready-connected cables or mechanically splice the fiber, all options are on the table.
Mechanical Splice Connectors offer a straightforward way to connectorize the optical fiber without the need to invest in expensive tools or equipment. The connectors are suitable for fitting primary (250μm) and secondary (900μm) fiber and are available in a range of connector formats, including SC/APC and LC/APC.
In temperature-stable environments, such as MDUs, the mechanical splice connectors may be all that is required to fully connectorize the PPC QuikPass™ end-to-end solution.
Fusion Splice Connectors are a more robust alternative to mechanical splice connectors. As long as the fusion splice equipment is available and installers are suitably trained, the time to connect the fiber is no different. Fusion Splice Connectors provide a reliable and high-performance field splice solution which is also available in SC/APC and LC/APC formats.
PPC’s Distribution boxes are compact, modular access points that connect the 12-fiber Miniflex® Distribution Cable to the fiber entry point in the MDU.
Splice trays and connector adaptors facilitate either fusion splicing and/or connectorized fibers. They are also available in two sizes, with a capacity for up to 12 (mini) or 24 (small) SC/APC adaptors and twice as many splices, which allows for double connector capacity if small form factor (LC/APC) is selected.
The boxes can be connected at midpoints along the cable route using a straight through, loop-in-and-out method, which allows for multiples of 12 subscribers to be connected point-to-point from a single distribution cable. In PON architectures, the distribution boxes are also available with connectorized splitter modules of 1:4 to 1:32 ratios.
The Customer Terminals act as the connection point to the subscriber’s optical network terminal (ONT). They are available in three sizes that incrementally increase the slack storage capacity.
The small terminal will store up to 2 meters of 3mm Miniflex®, the medium up to 8 meters and the large up to15 meters. When used with QuikPush®, the slack storage feature also allows installers to minimize their cable inventory, with the potential to have a single length drop cable to accommodate all customer dwelling layouts.
The Fiber Entry Box is the cornerstone of PPC QuikPass™, offering four broad connection options to maximize flexibility. It is typically installed on the corridor wall directly outside the dwelling and acts as the demarcation point between the distribution cable and the drop cable.
The box offers a host of application features and benefits including: versatile connection options ranging from simple direct splicing to mechanical and fusion splice connectors; pre-connectorized cables; or a splice-free retract-and-push approach.
The Fiber Entry Box has storage capacity for both 900μm (<3 meters) and/or Miniflex® cable (0.5 meters) and is supplied with the necessary SC/APC adapter and fusion splice protectors.
Exterior features include cable ribs, which provide tensile retention for the Miniflex® Distribution Cable, reducing the need for additional cable clips. The lid design includes anti-tamper latches to prevent easy entry without a suitable flat-bladed screwdriver.
The compact, sleek profile of the Fiber Entry Box is specifically designed for ultra-bend Intensive G657.A2 fiber, which reduces the risk during the installation process.
If subscription uptake is staggered, or slow to start, the PPC QuikPass™ Fiber Entry Box provides the solution. At the initial roll-out, customers can be connected by skilled fiber installers using splice-on tails or fusion splice connectors.
Further down the line, as subsequent customers are connected, building owners (or even the customers themselves) can be offered self-install kits containing pre-terminated QuikPush® drop cables.
Miniflex® Wall Clips work by gripping the grooves to provide excellent cable tensile retention.
The Miniflex® Tube Cutter clips are flame retardant, visually unobtrusive and allow the cable to be removed and reinstated without damage.
The Miniflex® Tube Cutter provides a neat and straight cut to all Miniflex® Cable and Tube products Rotary Cutters
The Miniflex® Rotary Cutters offer quick and easy cable cutting to enable efficient access to the optical fibers.
The Window Cutting Tool is a simple-to-use tool that allows a perfect window to be cut in the 8mm Distribution Ca
ble for fiber extraction. Where traditional tools can struggle to cut through the Miniflex® cable’s tough outer jacket, the PPC Window Cutter use
s a lever action to penetrate the polymer with ease. The tool grips and holds the cable in an arc profile to ensure the cut is always consistent and there is no risk of damage to the optical fiber.
1. Route distribution cable from the point of presence down the MDU corridors. Passing each subscriber's residence, the cable passes each point of entry, with Miniflex® Cable Clips holding the cable securely in place.
2. Make window cuts in the cable and install fiber entry boxes over the openings. The easy-to-use Window Cutting Tool provides consistent and safe access to the secondary buffered optical fibers. Ultra-compact boxes are screwed to wall surfaces to protect the access point.
3. Cut optical fibers and retracted from the cable. The low-friction lining allows for smooth and easy fiber retraction.
4. Splice, connectorize and push fibers through to the customer dwelling or terminal, with a choice of installation options to cater for all skill and service levels. The Fiber Entry Box connection is then complete and customer wall outlets/terminals can then be connected to the Fiber Entry Boxes via Miniflex® cable.
This is an economical solution in which the fiber is retracted from the distribution cable and pushed into a 3mm Miniflex® tube. The tube is routed from the Fiber Entry Box right up to the final termination point within the dwelling. There’s no need for splicing or connectorizing as the subscriber is connected with a single field splice at the terminal/ONT.
The splice option is a popular choice for installers who have the appropriate fusion splice training and equipment. In this scenario, cable is cut from a larger bulk reel of 2mm or 3mm Miniflex® and is spliced directly to the distribution fiber. Splicing reduces cable waste and removes the need to store slack, while also simplifying the termination process and minimizing the number of components required.
Pigtailing is ideal for providers looking for higher network flexibility who want to utilize their splice equipment, while also preferring to stick with connectorized drops. For these installers, the pigtail option enables them to use bulk Miniflex® cable to connect the subscriber, with the ability to have a mated network access point outside the dwelling. Using single-ended Miniflex® drop cables, they can also ensure that sharps are kept out of the end-user's dwelling.
QuikPush® cables reduce the skill set and time required to connect, and provide all the benefits of laboratory quality terminations. QuikPush® cable can be passed through small holes, microducts and conduits while customers are connected with a single field splice or pigtail. The Miniflex® jacket ensures the fiber is fully bend-radius protected and excess cable is stored in dedicated slack cable customer terminals.
PPC QuikPass™ has an FTTx application in any building that requires multiple fiber terminations per floor - whether it’s an MDU, hotel, resort, school, office or commercial space.
In a typical low-rise small apartment block, the Miniflex® Distribution can easily extend across multiple floors to maximize fiber utilizsation, reduce the number of distribution boxes and keep costs to a minimum.
A building owner can choose to connectorize the distribution cable, then connect residents using self-install QuikPush® drop cables. These cables can be ordered in pre-defined, incremental lengths and paired with slack storage customer terminals.
In higher-density MDUs, including hotels, it can be more efficient to employ a trained fiber crew to fusion splice the distribution cable fibers directly to the subscriber drop cable. This reduces capital expenditure while still allowing fiber splicing (and fiber sharps) to be kept out of residential living spaces.
More than 12 dwellings per floor will usually require additional distribution cables, however innovative positioning of the distribution box and smart network architecture ensures efficient use of fiber and minimal visual disruption.
In scenarios with even higher numbers of break-out points per floor, or in flat building topologies, additional distribution boxes can mean the same fiber is utilized for infinite subscribers. The rugged nature of Miniflex® cable is perfect wherever foot-traffic is high. And for security-conscious users, the tamper-resistant Fiber Entry Box provides additional peace of mind.
Connecting multiple users is an easy task for PPC QuikPass™.
Intelligent distribution boxes allow the Minflex® distribution cable to be looped through and accessed mid-route. The distribution box can then service users/subscribers in both directions, without the need to run additional distribution cabling.
In basic form, this equates to 24 connections per cable as opposed to just 12. However connecting the distribution boxes to a central distribution hub using a smaller 12-fiber (3mm) or 24-fiber (4mm) Miniflex® cable maximizes aesthetics and means any number of subscribers can be connected to a single 12-fiber distribution cable.
Where PON architecture is employed, it’s easy to demonstrate how a 12-fiber distribution cable can connect 64 subscribers per floor while still maintaining a 1:16 split and without the need for additional distribution cables.
Item Code | Product Description | Pack Qty. |
---|---|---|
10-1344 | 8mm O.D Miniflex with 12 x 900µm G657A2 fibers - Dca | 1000 m |
10-1505 | 8mm O.D Miniflex with 12 x 900µm G657A2 fibers - B2ca | 1000 m |
10-1468 | 8mm O.D Miniflex with 24 x 900µm G657A2 fibers - Dca | 1000 m |
10-1538 | 8mm O.D Miniflex with 24 x 900µm G657A2 fibers - B2ca | 1000 m |
Item Code | Product Description | Pack Qty. |
---|---|---|
10-1388 | 3mm O.D Miniflex with 1 x 250µm G657A2 fiber | 2000 m |
10-1389 | 3mm O.D Miniflex with 1 x 250µm G657A2 fiber | 2000 m |
10-1338 | 3mm O.D Miniflex with 1 x 900µm G657A2 fiber | 2000 m |
Item Code | Product Description | Pack Qty. |
---|---|---|
10-1364-5M | 3mm White PBIO QuikPush Cable with 1 x 250 um A1 Fiber, END A: Balistix/APC - 5 meters long | 1 (each) |
10-1364-10M | 3mm White PBIO QuikPush Cable with 1 x 250 um A1 Fiber, END A: Balistix/APC - 10 meters long | 1 (each) |
10-1364-15M | 3mm White PBIO QuikPush Cable with 1 x 250 um A1 Fiber, END A: Balistix/APC - 15 meters long | 1 (each) |
10-1364-20M | 3mm White PBIO QuikPush Cable with 1 x 250 um A1 Fiber, END A: Balistix/APC - 20 meters long | 1 (each) |
10-1364-25M | 3mm White PBIO QuikPush Cable with 1 x 250 um A1 Fiber, END A: Balistix/APC - 25 meters long | 1 (each) |
Item Code | Product Description | Pack Qty. |
---|---|---|
10-TBA-5M | 3mm White PBIO Miniflex Cable with 1 x 900 um A2 Fiber, END A: No Connector - END B: SC/APC - 5 meters long | 1 (each) |
10-TBA-10M | 3mm White PBIO Miniflex Cable with 1 x 900 um A2 Fiber, END A: No Connector - END B: SC/APC - 10 meters long | 1 (each) |
10-TBA-15M | 3mm White PBIO Miniflex Cable with 1 x 900 um A2 Fiber, END A: No Connector - END B: SC/APC - 15 meters long | 1 (each) |
10-TBA-20M | 3mm White PBIO Miniflex Cable with 1 x 900 um A2 Fiber, END A: No Connector - END B: SC/APC - 20 meters long | 1 (each) |
10-TBA-25M | 3mm White PBIO Miniflex Cable with 1 x 900 um A2 Fiber, END A: No Connector - END B: SC/APC - 25 meters long | 1 (each) |
Item Code | Product Description | Pack Qty. |
---|---|---|
10-0572 | 3mm White PBIO Indoor/outdoor Tubing - UL94 V0 - 100 meter reel | 100 m |
10-0922 | 3mm White PBIO Indoor/outdoor Tubing - UL94 V0 - 1000 meter reel | 1000 m |
10-0530 | 3mm White PA12 Indoor Tubing - UL94 V2 / LSZH - 100 meter reel | 100 m |
10-0533 | 3mm White PA12 Indoor Tubing - UL94 V2 / LSZH - 1000 meter reel | 1000 m |
10-0015 | 3mm Clear PP Indoor - UL94 HB - 100 meter reel | 100 m |
10-0147 | 3mm Clear PP Indoor - UL94 HB - 1000 meter reel | 1000 m |
Item Code | Product Description | Pack Qty. |
---|---|---|
10-1429-01 | Fiber Entry Box - Push Version | 1 |
10-1429-02 | Fiber Entry Box - Splice Version | 1 |
10-1429-03 | Fiber Entry Box - Pigtail Version | 1 |
10-1429-04 | Fiber Entry Box - QuikPush Version | 1 |
Item Code | Product Description | Pack Qty. |
---|---|---|
10-1327 | Small Customer Terminal with SC/APC Adapter | 10 pcs |
10-1328 | Medium Customer Terminal with SC/APC Adapter | 10 pcs |
10-1343 | Large Customer Terminal with SC/APC Adapter | 10 pcs |
Item Code | Product Description | Pack Qty. |
---|---|---|
10-TBA | Mini Dist. Box with 12 x SC/APC Adapters & Pigtails | 1 (each) |
10-TBA | Mini Dist. Box with 24 x LC/APC Adapters & Pigtails | 1 (each) |
10-TBA | Mini Dist. Box with 1x4 SC/APC PLC Splitter and Adapters | 1 (each) |
10-TBA | Mini Dist. Box with 1x8 SC/APC PLC Splitter and Adapters | 1 (each) |
10-TBA | Mini Dist. Box with 1x16 LC/APC PLC Splitter and Adapters | 1 (each) |
10-1336 | Small Dist. Box with 12 x SC/APC Adapters & Pigtails | 1 (each) |
10-TBA | Small Dist. Box with 24 x SC/APC Adapters & Pigtails | 1 (each) |
10-TBA | Small Dist. Box with 48 x LC/APC Adapters & Pigtails | 1 (each) |
10-1335 | Small Dist. Box with 1x8 SC/APC PLC Splitter and Adapters | 1 (each) |
10-TBA | Small Dist. Box with 1x16 SC/APC PLC Splitter and Adapters | 1 (each) |
10-TBA | Small Dist. Box with 1x32 LC/APC PLC Splitter and Adapters | 1 (each) |
Item Code | Product Description | Pack Qty. |
---|---|---|
10-1407 | 2mm Miniflex Wall Clips | 200 pcs |
10-1408 | 3mm Miniflex Wall Clips | 200 pcs |
10-1409 | 8mm Miniflex Wall Clips | 200 pcs |
10-1427 | Window Cutting Tool - 8mm Miniflex | 1 (each) |
10-0294 | Cable/Tube Cutter | 1 (each) |
10-0295 | Spare Blade for Cable/Tube Cutter | 10 (each) |
10-0293 | Cable/Tube Rotary Cutter - 8mm Miniflex | 1 (each) |
10-0291 | Cable/Tube Rotary Cutter - 2-3mm Miniflex | 1 (each) |
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