DIAMOND E2000 APC vs. UPC: Which Connector for Your Application?
DIAMOND E-2000® APC vs PC: Which Connector for Which Application
DIAMOND E-2000® comes in two optically distinct polish variants: APC (Angled Physical Contact, 8° polish, green) and PC (Physical Contact, flat polish, blue). The choice determines return loss and thus suitability for different transmission applications.
The Key Difference: Return Loss
The 8° polish of the APC variant deflects back-reflected light away from the fibre core — return loss is significantly higher than PC. In practice this means: less interference from reflections, particularly relevant for coherent transmission standards and PON architectures.
When APC, When PC
| Application | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| FTTH backbones, PON networks | APC (green) — highest return loss |
| Coherent transmission 100G+ | APC — reflection-sensitive |
| Legacy singlemode infrastructure | PC (blue) — when PC is already in use |
| Multimode patching | PC — multimode applications don’t need APC |
Important: APC and PC are not compatible. Mixing leads to end-face damage and massive signal loss. The DIAMOND colour coding (green vs blue) is the most important safeguard against mating errors.
Active Core Alignment for Both Variants
Both polish variants benefit from DIAMOND’s Active Core Alignment technology — typical insertion loss ≤ 0.1 dB. The difference to standard connectors is measurable and accumulates with multiple mating connections in the link.
Available Through Fiber Products
Complete DIAMOND E-2000® range direct through us — both polish variants, all connector geometries (singlemode/multimode), assembly service on request.
