endoffiber

Endoffiber is a term used in fiber optics to describe the terminal portion of an optical fiber where termination, connection, or sensing components are attached. The phrase lacks universal standardization and may refer to the fiber end face, the ferrule assembly, or the connector housing that protects and aligns the fiber.

Terminations or connections are produced by preparing the end face through cleaving and, when required, polishing; many systems use connectorized ends within ferrules. Common connector styles include SC, LC, ST, and FC.

Endface quality and geometry affect performance. Endfaces may be physical contact (PC), angled physical contact (APC, typically 8 degrees), or other profiles, and cleanliness is essential to minimize insertion loss and back reflection.

In telecommunications, endoffiber terminations must minimize back reflections and withstand mating cycles and environmental exposure. In sensing applications, the end of the fiber serves as the transducer interface with a measurement element.

See also fiber optic connector, ferrule, splice, endface.