IEC 61300-3-27-1997 PDF

Full title and description

St IEC 61300-3-27-1997 — Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components — Basic test and measurement procedures — Part 3-27: Examinations and measurements — Measurement method for the hole location of a multiway connector plug. This part specifies methods to measure the relative locations of guide holes and fibre holes (or fibre cores) on rectangular/multiway connector plugs to ensure specified mechanical and optical performance.

Abstract

This standard defines a repeatable measurement method for the hole location of multiway connector plugs that incorporate multiple fibre holes for arraying fibres and two guide holes for alignment pins. Key measured quantities include the distance between guide-hole centres (L) and the position deviation of each fibre-hole (Pi). The standard provides requirements for measurement setup, equipment and reporting to support manufacturing quality control and connector interoperability.

General information

• Status: Published / current (base publication valid); revision work (second edition / EN IEC variant) has been developed and circulated as prEN/ED2 in 2024–2025.
• Publication date: 23 May 1997 (IEC base publication).
• Publisher: International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
• ICS / categories: 33.180.20 (Fibre optic interconnecting devices).
• Edition / version: Edition 1.0 (1997). Note: committee drafts and prEN/EN IEC ED2 documents were produced in 2024–2025 to update the content.
• Number of pages: 11 pages (original IEC publication).

Scope

IEC 61300-3-27:1997 applies to multiway connector plugs that have multiple fibre holes for arraying fibres together with two guide holes used to position alignment pins. The standard specifies how to measure on the endface of the plug: the distance between the two guide-hole centres (L) and the positional deviation of each fibre-hole centre (Pi), so as to verify that the connector meets the mechanical and optical placement requirements. The scope has been extended in later drafts to include guide-hole, fibre-hole and illuminated fibre-core locations for rectangular ferrules.

Key topics and requirements

• Definition of measured parameters: distance between guide-hole centres (L) and positional deviation Pi for each fibre hole or fibre core.
• Measurement principles and procedures for multiway rectangular connector plugs and ferrules, including datum definition from guide holes and ferrule end-face.
• Recommended test apparatus and setup (microscope/image sensor, image-processing unit, illumination, translation stage, calibrated fixtures).
• Measurement calculation methods, reporting formats and information required for reproducibility.
• Considerations for measurement uncertainty, calibration and environmental/test conditions (as addressed in later revisions and annexes).

Typical use and users

Primary users include connector and ferrule manufacturers, component and assembly quality-control laboratories, test houses, and product engineering teams responsible for connector design and interchangeability. The method is used during incoming inspection, production control and final acceptance testing where accurate hole/core positioning is critical for low-loss mating and alignment. Standards committees and conformity assessment bodies also reference this part for test-method consistency.

Related standards

IEC 61300-3-27 is part of the IEC 61300 series (basic test and measurement procedures for fibre optic interconnecting devices). Related parts commonly referenced include visual inspection and endface geometry procedures (for example IEC 61300-3-1 and IEC 61300-3-35) and other test methods in the 61300 family; national/adopted versions exist as BS EN, UNE-EN, DIN EN, etc. A revised second edition (EN/IEC ED2) with extended scope for rectangular ferrules was produced as a prEN/EN IEC document in 2024–2025.

Keywords

fibre optics; multiway connector plug; rectangular ferrule; hole location; guide holes; alignment pins; guide-hole centres (L); positional deviation (Pi); measurement method; test and measurement procedures.

FAQ

Q: What is this standard?

A: IEC 61300-3-27:1997 is an IEC test-method standard that specifies how to measure the hole location of a multiway connector plug — specifically the distance between guide-hole centres and the positional deviation of fibre holes — to verify connector mechanical/optical performance.

Q: What does it cover?

A: It covers the measurement parameters (L and Pi), recommended measurement procedures, and reporting requirements for multiway connector plugs and ferrules. More recent drafts/editions extend coverage to include fibre-core location measurement and additional measurement definitions, apparatus and uncertainty considerations.

Q: Who typically uses it?

A: Connector and ferrule manufacturers, QA/QC and metrology labs, test houses, and engineering teams responsible for connector design, production control and acceptance testing. Standards developers and conformity assessors also use the document for test-method harmonization.

Q: Is it current or superseded?

A: The 1997 edition is the original IEC base publication (IEC 61300-3-27:1997). Work to revise and replace the 1997 edition has been carried out (committee drafts and prEN/EN IEC ED2 circulated in 2024–2025); users should check national adoption (EN/IEC status) or the IEC Webstore for the latest official edition applicable in their country.

Q: Is it part of a series?

A: Yes — it is one part of the IEC 61300 series (Basic test and measurement procedures for fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components). Other parts in the series address visual inspection, attenuation, retention and additional examinations and measurements.

Q: What are the key keywords?

A: Multiway connector plug, guide holes, fibre holes, hole location, L (guide-hole distance), Pi (positional deviation), rectangular ferrule, measurement method, test and measurement procedures.