Wondering what makes PLC and FBT splitters unique? Here are some key differences you should know about.

What is the Difference Between PLC Splitter and FBT Splitter?

Fiber optic tools serve as incredibly helpful devices that operate by splitting or dividing a specific light beam into multiple light beams when used in the form of a splitter. If you’re going through different fiber optic splitters for your data center or cloud computing networks, there’s a high chance you’ll find these splitters in two primary types, including the FBT splitter and the PLC splitter.

Most manufacturing technologies allow users to classify fiber optic splitters into FBT and PLC splitters. However, it can be challenging to choose between the two because they both come with various unique features and continue to be adopted by thousands of FTTX networks today.

In fact, you can now find a wide range of fiber optics tools for sale, including both of these fiber splitters, at Fibermart. Feel free to visit our store to check out these products. If you’re wondering how to choose between them, here are some key differences between FBT splitters and PLC splitters that you should know about.

The Light-Splitting Ratio

One of the first things to consider when choosing between FBT splitters and PLC splitters is the splitting ratio offered by both. They have different outputs and inputs that result in a unique splitting ratio for each device. If you choose to work with a PLC (planar lightwave circuit) splitter, your fiber optic device will be able to split one light beam into 64 different light beams because of its ideal ratio of 1:64.

However, this isn’t the same thing to expect when you’re choosing FBT (fused biconical taper). It’s because the perfect ratio for these splitters is 1:4. While it can always go up to 8 light beams, there’s a significantly high risk of failure involved in it. As a result, it’s safe to say that FBT splitters are often a more restrictive choice than PLC splitters.

Wavelength Range

Another factor to keep in mind during the process of finding FBT or PLC splitters is the wavelength range. It’s the wavelength at which fiber optic devices split incident light beams. Since the splitting ratio of PLC splitters is high, they also use a wider wavelength of somewhere between 1200 to 1600 nm.

It’s one of the key reasons why PLC splitters are adopted by most manufacturing technologies compared to FBT splitters that come with the restriction of up to 850 nm of the wavelength range.

Temperature-Dependent Loss

Lastly, it’s crucial to determine the TDL (temperature-dependent loss) of a splitter when trying to find the most suitable one. This factor is usually identified once the manufacturing processes of a device are classified. It also affects the overall performance of a splitter once its overall temperature is out of range.

With FBT splitters, you can work with up to 75 Celsius degrees of temperature loss, while PLC splitters allow you to go up to 85 degrees.

If you’re looking for fiber optic tools for sale, you can now head over to our website atFibermart (Fiber-MART.COM) to buy fiber optic connectors for sale, fiber optic adapters, fiber optic attenuators, and more. We’re committed to helping you achieve high performance with our fiber connectivity network solutions. Contact us to learn more today!