Facilitating installation of fiber optic networks

Abstract

An optical system architecture includes indexed optical lines that are indexed between first and second multi-fiber connectors; a first of the optical line having a first end terminated at the first multi-fiber connector; and a second optical line having a first end terminated at the second multi-fiber. An input of an optical splitter is optically coupled to second ends of the first and second optical lines. The optical splitter splits optical signals carried over the first and second optical lines onto output lines so that each output line carries signals split from the first optical line and signals split from the second optical line.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . An optical indexing terminal comprising:
 a body defining an interior;   a first multi-fiber connector;   a second multi-fiber connector;   a plurality of indexed optical fibers extending through the interior of the body between the first and second multi-fiber connectors, the indexed optical fibers being indexed between the first and second multi-fiber connectors;   a first drop line extending from the first multi-fiber connector, through the interior of the body, to a third multi-fiber connector accessible from an exterior of the body; and   a second drop line extending from the second multi-fiber connector, through the interior of the body, to the third multi-fiber connector.   
     
     
         3 . The optical indexing terminal of  claim 2 , wherein the first multi-fiber connector is a ruggedized optical connector. 
     
     
         4 . The optical indexing terminal of  claim 2 , wherein the first multi-fiber connector is disposed external of the body so that sections of the indexed optical fibers extend through a sealed pass-through port defined by the body. 
     
     
         5 . The optical indexing terminal of  claim 4 , wherein the second multi-fiber connector is disposed internal of the body. 
     
     
         6 . The optical indexing terminal of  claim 2 , wherein the second multi-fiber connector is disposed internal of the body. 
     
     
         7 . The optical indexing terminal of  claim 2 , wherein the first drop line is one of a plurality of first drop lines extending from the first multi-fiber connector to the third multi-fiber connector. 
     
     
         8 . The optical indexing terminal of  claim 7 , wherein the second drop line is one of a plurality of second drop lines extending from the second multi-fiber connector to the third multi-fiber connector. 
     
     
         9 . The optical indexing terminal of  claim 2 , wherein the second drop line is one of a plurality of second drop lines extending from the second multi-fiber connector to the third multi-fiber connector. 
     
     
         10 . The optical indexing terminal of  claim 2 , further comprising an output cable along which the first and second drop lines extend away from the body of the indexing terminal. 
     
     
         11 . The optical indexing terminal of  claim 10 , wherein the output cable has a first end disposed at the body; and wherein the output cable includes a plurality of fibers, a first of the fibers of the output cable partially defining the first drop line and a second of the fibers of the output cable partially defining the second drop line, the optical fibers of the output cable being separately terminated by ruggedized optical connectors at an opposite second end of the output cable. 
     
     
         12 . An optical splitter terminal comprising:
 an enclosure that houses an optical splitter, the optical splitter being configured to split any optical signal received at an input of the optical splitter input into multiple optical signals that are each output onto a separate output fiber;   a multi-fiber output port disposed at the enclosure, the multi-fiber output port receiving a first set of the output fibers; and   a single-fiber output port disposed at the enclosure, the single-fiber output port receiving one of the output fibers that is not in the first set.   
     
     
         13 . The optical splitter terminal of  claim 12 , wherein the optical splitter is configured to power split the optical signal. 
     
     
         14 . The optical splitter terminal of  claim 12 , wherein the multi-fiber output port is one of a plurality of multi-fiber output ports disposed at the enclosure. 
     
     
         15 . The optical splitter terminal of  claim 14 , wherein the single-fiber output port is one of a plurality of single-fiber output ports disposed at the enclosure. 
     
     
         16 . The optical splitter terminal of  claim 12 , wherein the single-fiber output port is one of a plurality of single-fiber output ports disposed at the enclosure. 
     
     
         17 . The optical splitter terminal of  claim 12 , wherein the enclosure defines an input port optically coupled to the optical splitter. 
     
     
         18 . The optical splitter terminal of  claim 17 , wherein the input port includes a sealed cable pass-through. 
     
     
         19 . The optical splitter terminal of  claim 17 , wherein the input port includes a ruggedized optical adapter having a ruggedized port external of the enclosure. 
     
     
         20 . The optical splitter terminal of  claim 12 , further comprising an output cable extending between first and second ends, the second end of the output cable being optically disposed at the enclosure and optically coupled to the optical splitter, the first end of the output cable being disposed at an indexing terminal. 
     
     
         21 . The optical splitter terminal of  claim 20 , wherein the output cable includes a first optical drop line and a second optical drop line extending from the indexing terminal, the first optical drop line carrying signals from a first indexing direction of the indexing terminal and the second optical drop line carrying signals from a second indexing direction of the indexing terminal.