Mechanical
splices hold two cleaved fiber ends together.
A viscous substance called "index matching
gel", pre-installed in the splice body,
helps to reduce fresnel reflections and optical
attenuation.
Mechanical
splices are low cost, quick to install, and
can provide a quality fiber connection. Because
they are highly reflective, mechanical splices
are usually used on multimode fiber.
Fusion
splices are the highest quality splices available
to the fiber optic installer. Fusion splicers
are complex machines that weld two fiber ends
together. When properly performed, a fusion
splice will have less than .1dB of loss, and
will have no reflection, as the light rays do
not pass through a boundary to create the fresnel
effect-the two fiber ends have been melted into
one.
Fusion
splicers require careful setup and complete
cleanliness for proper performance. Environmental
conditions such as humidity, room temperature,
and barometric pressure can cause poor splices.
The splicer will have field adjustments that
can adjust for adverse conditions. It may take
a few experimental splices with various settings
to compensate for difficult conditions.
