Injection-molded polish-free 2-ch connectors

We have developed a 2-ch Mini-MT connector of low cost and easy assembly. This connector is made of plastic resin formed by a precisely controlled injection molding technique and a polish-free end surface smoothing method using electric discharge. The positional offset of fiber holes against the designed position in the injection-molded ferrules was 0.38 /spl mu/m in average. In the case of single mode fibers, where Mini-MPO housings and adapters were employed, the insertion loss was 0.18 dB in average and return loss was not less than 50 dB. Furthermore, a good compatibility with a conventional Mini-MT connector made of thermosetting epoxy resin has been confirmed.