This Applications Engineering Note explains how different optical fiber termination methods impact the optical performance of telecommunications systems. Optical fiber cabling systems support various communications technologies that use digital as well as analog. When you build or upgrade a fiber network, the same four words pop up everywhere— fiber optic (bare fiber), pigtail, patch cord, optical cable. They're related, but they are not interchangeable. Mixing them up drives costs higher, increases loss, and slows your rollout. A fiber optic pigtail is a short, usually unjacketed, optical fiber cable that has a factory-installed connector on one end and a length of exposed fiber at the. A fiber pigtail is a single, short, usually tight-buffered fiber optic cable with a factory-installed connector on one end, and un-terminated fiber on the other end. In such contemporary fiber optic communication systems, low-loss, and connectivities, which have reliability, are crucial for not only maintaining high-speed but also high-quality data transmission.