Ferrule detection system

Abstract

A system detects presence of a fiber optic ferrule, the ferrule has a conductive pathway from a first point to a second point of the ferrule. The system includes a fiber optic engine with a ferrule interface against which the ferrule is held in an installed state of the ferrule; a first contact that is configured to contact the first point of the ferrule in the installed state; a second contact that is configured to contact the second point of the ferrule in the installed state; and a detection circuit connected to the first and second contacts, the detection circuit configured to determine that the ferrule is in the installed state by the presence of the conductive pathway between the first and second contacts and to determine that the ferrule is in an uninstalled state by an absence of the conductive pathway between the first and second contacts.

Description

Attorney Docket: 014169-032990FERRULE DETECTION SYSTEMRELATED APPLICATION DATA

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Application No. 63 / 730,606, filed December 11, 2024, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The technology of the present disclosure relates generally to fiber optic devices and, more particularly, to a ferrule detection system that determines if a ferrule that terminates a fiber optic cable is installed in a corresponding receptacle.BACKGROUND

[0003] Many industries use fiber optic cables for telecommunications and communicating other forms of data, such as data collected by sensors and control signals exchanged between a controller and a controlled device. Most fiber optic cables are terminated with a ferrule that is, in turn, housed in a connector. The connector is installed into a receptacle of a passive optical device (e.g., a coupler) or an active optical device (e.g., a transceiver). When installed, the ferrule and terminal end of the optical fiber or fibers make mechanical contact with a corresponding component in the receptacle to establish optical coupling with the fiber(s). In some cases, the connector may become dislodged from the receptacle or the ferrule may not be properly inserted so as to not make secure contact with the corresponding component in the receptacle. This can lead to loss of the optical coupling that the fiber optic system relies upon.

[0004] An exemplary standardized interconnect form factor for a fiber optic ferrule is a mechanical transfer (MT) ferrule, which is usually housed within a multi-fiber push on (MPO) type connector. MT ferrules typically terminate 12 or more fibers in a horizontal array. The MT ferrule and MPO body may be installed into an optical transceiver so as to optically couple one or more fiber cables that are terminated by the MT ferrule to laser transmitters and receivers of an optoelectronic assembly, often referred to as a transceiver. The transceiver is electrically pluggable into a host device, such as an Ethernet switch or a router. Once plugged in, the electrical interfaceAttorney Docket: 014169-032990 of the host device detects the presence of the transceiver and provides power, data inputs, and data outputs by way of corresponding electrical connectors of the transceiver and the host device.

[0005] The MT ferrule and the MPO do not have any electrical connectivity points. Rather, the MT ferrule is made from high-precision glass-filled polymer resin, which allows the ferrule to terminate multiple fibers with high-density. The MPO is typically made from plastic components and sometimes includes metal clips. The optical engine of transceivers are also made with a resinbased housing and do not include external electrical connectivity contact points at the interface with the ferrule.

[0006] MT interfaces include two guide pins that are often made of metal or resin material, and are used for alignment of the ferrule relative to the transceiver. The MPO connector utilizes a push- pull mechanism to install and remove the connector, even in the presence of the guide pins. The push-pull mechanism of an MPO connector does not reliably secure the ferrule in place. For example, the plastic components of the MPO connector can deform over time due to exposure to high temperatures, temperature fluctuations, or rugged environments that involve shock and vibration. But the MT ferrule is more stable and does not deform as much as the MPO. As such, the MT ferrule may become disconnected or become misaligned with respect to the transceiver.SUMMARY

[0007] Disclosed are a ferrule and transceiver that are configured to determine if the ferrule is installed. This information may be accessed by a network administrator or other technician. Thus, the status of the fiber cable relative to the transceiver may be ascertained. This approach may save substantial amounts of time when debugging a link that is not working by ruling out a fault at the transceiver / cable interface or determining that there is a fault at the transceiver / cable interface.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0008] FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a fiber optic connector and fiber optic transceiver;

[0009] FIG. 2 is another perspective view of the fiber optic transceiver;

[0010] FIG. 3 is a front view of the fiber optic transceiver;

[0011] FIG. 4 is an exploded view of the fiber optic transceiver;Attorney Docket: 014169-032990

[0012] FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the fiber optic connector;

[0013] FIG. 6 is a schematic partial view of a transceiver;

[0014] FIG. 7 is a cross-section of a portion of the transceiver of FIG. 6;

[0015] FIG. 8 is a schematic depiction of a ferrule in partial transparency with conductive components;

[0016] FIG. 9 is schematic depiction of the ferrule of FIG. 8 installed against the transceiver of FIG. 6

[0017] FIG. 10 is an electrical diagram of a detection circuitry;

[0018] FIGs. 11-12 are perspective views of a fiber optic transceiver with a clamp in an open position;

[0019] FIG. 13 is the fiber optic transceiver of FIGs. 11-12 with the clamp in a closed position; and

[0020] FIG. 14 is a block diagram of a ferrule monitoring system.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Embodiments will now be described with reference to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to refer to like elements throughout. It will be understood that the figures are not necessarily to scale. Features that are described and / or illustrated with respect to one embodiment may be used in the same way or in a similar way in one or more other embodiments and / or in combination with or instead of the features of the other embodiments.

[0022] Referring initially to FIGs. 1-5, components of a ferrule detection system 10 are illustrated. The ferrule detection system 10 may include a ferrule 12, a ferrule interface 14, corresponding conductive components, and corresponding detection circuitry 16. In the illustrated embodiment, the ferrule interface 14 is part of an optical engine 18 of a fiber optic transceiver 20. In other embodiments, the ferrule interface 14 and detection circuitry 16 are part of another assembly, such as an optically passive assembly. In the illustrated embodiment, the detection circuitry 16 is located on a printed circuit board 22 of the fiber optic transceiver 20. The opticalAttorney Docket: 014169-032990 engine 18 also is mounted to the printed circuit board 22. In other embodiments, the detection circuitry 16 is part of the optical engine 18 or is part of another assembly.

[0023] The ferrule 12 terminates the forward ends of fiber optic fibers 24 from a fiber optic cable 27. In the embodiment that is described and shown, the ferrule 12 is an MT ferrule and the ferrule interface 14 is a corresponding MT form factor interface. It will be understood that the ferrule detection system 10 may be embodied in other types of ferrule form factors. The ferrule 12 includes a pair of conductive pins 26, a first of which is referred to as first pin 26a and a second of which is referred to as second pin 26b. In one embodiment, the pins 26 are molded as part of the ferrule 12 and the ferrule 12 further includes a conductor (e.g., molded into the ferrule or running on a surface of the ferrule) that connects the pins 26 so that a conductive pathway is formed from a distal tip 28a of the first pin 26a to a distal tip 28b of the second pin 26b.

[0024] In the illustrated embodiment, the ferrule 12 is housed by a connector assembly 30. The connector assembly 30 in the illustrated embodiment is a pluggable connector that is retained by a receptacle 48 of the transceiver 20 with a resilient tab. Other connectors are possible, such as an MPO connector. Various components of the connector assembly 30 are illustrated, but are not described in detail. Briefly, housing members of the connector assembly 30 retain the ferrule 12 and end of the terminated cable 27.

[0025] In this embodiment, the pins 26a, 26b are respectively inserted through longitudinally aligned pin channels 32a, 32b of the ferrule 12. The pins 26 extend longitudinally beyond a forward face 34 of the ferrule 12. Proximal ends 36a, 36b of the pins 26 are retained by a pin holder 38 (also referred to as a pin clamp). In one embodiment, the pins 26 are press fit into slots of the pin holder 38. In one embodiment, the pin holder 38 is made from conductive material, such as copper or aluminum. The pins 26 are also made from conductive material, such as copper or aluminum. In this manner, a contiguous conductive path is established between the distal tip 28a of the first pin 26a to the distal tip 28b of the second pin 26b. In another embodiment, the pin holder 38 is made from plastic or resin and includes a conductor or conductors that contact the proximal ends 36 of the pins 26 and complete the conductive path between the pins 26. The pin holder 38 is retained by the housing members of the connector assembly 30. In one embodiment, the pins 26 are pogo pins (e.g., spring loaded pin connectors) to provide resilient forward force to the distal tips 28.Attorney Docket: 014169-032990

[0026] The ferrule interface 14 may be part of the optical engine 18. The ferrule interface includes a landing area 38 against which the forward face 34 of the ferrule 12 contacts for the forward ends of fibers 24 to contact counterpart optical contacts 40 of the optical engine 18. Also, the ferrule interface 14 includes channels 42a, 42b into which the distal tips 28a, 28b of the pins 26a, 26b are received. This facilitates alignment of the ferrule 12 with the optical engine 18. Also, each channel 42a, 42b, houses an electrical contact 44, indicated respectively with reference numerals 44a and 44b. Distal tips of the contacts 44a, 44b are recessed into the optical engine 18 to allow for entry of the pins 26a, 26b into the channels 42a, 42b. When the ferrule 12 is properly installed, the distal tip 28a of pin 26a contacts the contact 44a and makes electrical contact therewith and the distal tip 28a of pin 26b contacts the contact 44b and makes electrical contact therewith. In this manner, upon installation of the ferrule 12, there is electrical continuity from the contact 44a to the contact 44b by way of the pins 26a, 26b and the conductor(s) that connect the pins 26a, 26b (e g., the pin holder 38 or conductor in or on the ferrule 12). The contacts 44 may be made of conductive material, such as copper or aluminum.

[0027] In the illustrated embodiment, the optical engine 18 and the printed circuit board 22 to which the optical engine 18 is mounted are housed by a transceiver body assembly 46. The transceiver body assembly 46 forms a receptacle 48 for receiving and holding the connector assembly 30. Various components of the transceiver body assembly 46 are illustrated, but are not described in detail. Briefly, housing members of the transceiver body assembly 46 retain the printed circuit board 22 and optical engine 18. The printed circuit board 22 may include a connector 50 that electrically connects the transceiver 20 to a host device. In one embodiment, the connector 50 is an edge of the printed circuit board 22 that extends from the transceiver body assembly 46 and that has a row or rows of contact pads 52. Other connectors are possible. The transceiver body assembly 46 may be retained in the host device by the clipping into an opening of the host device's housing, by way of the connector 50, and / or by fasteners that are connected to a support member in the host device.

[0028] With additional reference to FIG. 6-9, an embodiment in which the optical engine includes male contacts 44 is shown. The male contacts 44 extend longitudinally from the ferrule interface 14 and serve to align the ferrule 12 by insertion of the contacts 44 into the pin channels 32 when the ferrule 12 is installed. Thus, in this embodiment, the contacts 44 may also beAttorney Docket: 014169-032990 considered guide pins or alignment pins for the ferrule 12. The contacts 44 may be made of conductive material, such as copper or aluminum.

[0029] In an embodiment, the contacts 44 may have a right angle inside the optical engine 18 and have a portion that extends into or connects to the printed circuit board 22. The portion that extends toward the printed circuit board 22 may be considered leads between the detection circuitry 16 and the portion of the contacts 44 that extend toward the ferrule 12. Other electrical connection between the contacts 44 and the printed circuit board or the detection circuitry 22 than the illustrated leads may be employed.

[0030] In this embodiment, the distal tips 28 of the pins 26 are recessed in the pin channels 32 of the ferrule 12, but the distal tips 28 are configured to contact the respective contacts 44 following installation of the ferrule 12. In the embodiment where the pins 26 are pogo pins, the pins 26 may be compressed in the installed state. The embodiment of FIG. 8-9 show an additional spring mounted behind the pin holder 38 to provide forward force to the ferrule 12. The spring is not illustrated in FIG. 5, but also may be present in that embodiment.

[0031] With additional reference to FIG. 10, the detection circuitry 16 is configured to detect presence of the ferrule 12. This may be accomplished by detection that the tips 28a, 28b have made electrical contact with the contacts 44a, 44b. For this purpose, the detection circuitry 16 is electrically connected to the contacts 44. The detection circuitry 16 may be configured to detect a change in electrical characteristic caused by contact of the tips 28 with the pins 44 due to installation of the ferrule 12. For instance, the detection circuitry 16 may be configured to detect establishment of continuity between the contacts 44 due to installation of the ferrule 12. Other detection approaches may include detecting a change in resistance, detecting a change in voltage, detecting a change in current, detecting a change in capacitance, or detecting a change in inductance. To support alternative detection circuits or approaches, the ferrule 12, pins 26, or pin holder 38 may include a discrete electrical component (e.g., a resistor, a capacitor, or an inductor), or the pins 26 or pin holder 38 may be configured to have an electrical property, such as a resistance of a predetermined value.

[0032] In the approach of figure 10, the detection circuitry 16 includes a microcontroller 54 or other logic-based circuit. The microcontroller 54 senses a voltage at an input pin 56 of the microcontroller 54. The input pin 56 is connected between two resistors R1 and R2 that areAttorney Docket: 014169-032990 arranged as a voltage divider between a supply voltage VCC and ground GND. In the illustrated embodiment, a first of the resistors R1 is connected to the supply voltage VCC and a second of the resistors R2 is connected to ground GND. Between the connection point of the input pin 56 and the first resistor R1 is the conductive pathway through the contacts 44. Thus, the conductive components associated with the ferrule 12 serve as a switch. When the ferrule 12 is not installed, the pins 26 do not contact the contacts 44, and there is an open circuit between the contacts 44. In this case, the microcontroller 54 will sense a first voltage (e.g., the ground voltage) at the input pin 56 and interpret this voltage as a ferrule being not installed. When the ferrule 12 is installed and the pins 26 contact the contacts 44, there will be a closed circuit between the contacts 44. In this case, the microcontroller 54 will sense a second voltage at the input pin 56 that is proportional to the supply voltage as divided by the voltage divider of resistors R1 and R2. The second voltage is interpreted by the microcontroller 54 as a ferrule being installed.

[0033] The microcontroller 54 may output a signal indicative of the installed state or not installed state of the ferrule. This signal may be communicated to other equipment, such as the device hosting the transceiver by way of the connector 50, wirelessly to another device, to a remote server via the internet or other network, optically over the fiber optic cable 27 using the transceiver 20, etc. In one embodiment, the transceiver 20 may be compliant with an industry datacomm standard for optical transceivers that includes fields reserved for vendor or manufacturer specific values. Examples of this are SFF-8436 and SFF 8636, which define fields A30-A33 as being available for vendor or manufacturer specific information. Depending on the sensed voltage, the microcontroller 54 may output an appropriate one of a first value (e.g., a first hexadecimal value) indicating an uninstalled state of the ferrule or a second value (e.g., a second hexadecimal value) indicating an installed state of the ferrule to one of these fields. This data may be read and acted upon by other devices, such as the host device, a patch panel controller, a data center controller, a remote server, or a diagnostic instrument.

[0034] With additional reference to FIGs. 11-13, the ferrule 12 may be retained by a transceiver 20 that includes a clamp 58. The claim 58 may interact with the ferrule 12 to hold the ferrule 12 in place and / or to provide forward force to the ferrule 12 to enhance the connection with the ferrule interface 14. In the illustrated embodiment, the ferrule 12 is not held by a connector 30. In other embodiments, a connector 30 may hold the ferrule 12 and the clamp 58 may be modified to act onAttorney Docket: 014169-032990 the connector 30, but with the same electrical functions as described below. The clamp 58 of the illustrated embodiment has an open position that allows the ferrule to be installed (e.g., as shown in FIGs. 11 and 12) or removed. Following installation, the clamp 58 may be rotated into a closed position to retain the ferrule 12 (e.g., as shown in FIG. 13) with the transceiver 20.

[0035] The clamp 58 may include conductive elements 60a and 60b, such as pins (e.g., pogo pins), contacts, conductive brushes, or similar elements, that contact a conductive surface 62 of the ferrule 12. In another embodiment, the conductive elements 60a, 60b contact respective contacts on the ferrule 12 that are electrically connected to one another inside the ferrule 12. In another embodiment, the conductive elements 60a, 60b are arranged to contact the conductive pin holder 38 (not shown in figures 11-13). In any of these embodiments, when the clamp 58 is in the closed position with the ferrule 12 installed, then continuity between the conductive elements 60a and 60b will be established.

[0036] The detection circuitry 16 may be further configured to detect the position of the clamp 58 when there is presence of the ferrule 12. This may be accomplished by detection that the conductive elements 60a, 60b have made electrical contact with the electrically conductive elements associated with the ferrule 12 to establish a closed circuit between the conductive elements 60a, 60b. For this purpose, the detection circuitry 16 is electrically connected to the conductive elements 60a, 60b. The detection circuitry 16 may be configured to detect a change in electrical characteristic caused by contact of the conductive elements 60a, 60b with the electrically conductive elements associated with the ferrule 12. For instance, the detection circuitry 16 may be configured to detect establishment of continuity between the conductive elements 60a, 60b due to closing of the clamp 58. Other detection approaches may include detecting a change in resistance, detecting a change in voltage, detecting a change in current, detecting a change in capacitance, or detecting a change in inductance. To support alternative detection circuits or approaches, the conductive path of the ferrule 12 between the conductive elements 60a, 60b may include a discrete electrical component (e.g., a resistor, a capacitor, or an inductor) or may be configured to have an electrical property, such as a resistance of a predetermined value.

[0037] In the approach of figure 10, the detection circuitry 16 further includes a third resistor R3 in the voltage divider. The third resistor R3 is connected to the supply voltage VCC. Between the connection point of the input pin 56 to the voltage divider and the third resistor R1 is theAttorney Docket: 014169-032990 conductive pathway through the conductive elements 60a, 60b and the electrically conductive elements associated with the ferrule 12. Thus, the conductive components of the clamp 58 and the electrically conductive elements associated with the ferrule 12 serve as a switch. When the ferrule is not installed or when the clamp is open, the conductive elements 60a, 60b do not contact the electrically conductive elements associated with the ferrule 12, and there is an open circuit between the conductive elements 60a, 60b. If the ferrule 12 is not installed, the microcontroller 54 will sense the first voltage (e.g., the ground voltage) at the input pin 56 and interpret this voltage as a ferrule being not installed. When the ferrule is installed and the clamp is open, there will be a closed circuit between the contacts 44 and an open circuit between conductive elements 60. In this case, the microcontroller 54 will sense the second voltage at the input pin 56 that is proportional to the supply voltage as divided by the voltage divider of resistors R1 and R2. The second voltage is interpreted by the microcontroller 54 as the ferrule being installed. When the ferrule is installed and the clamp 58 is closed, there will be a closed circuit between the contacts 44 and a closed circuit between conductive elements 60. In this case, the microcontroller 54 will sense a third voltage at the input pin 56 that is proportional to the supply voltage as divided by the voltage divider of resistor R2 and the combination of resistors R1 and R3 being connected in parallel. The third voltage is interpreted by the microcontroller 54 as the ferrule 12 being installed and the clamp 58 being closed.

[0038] In one embodiment, the clamp 58 rotates downward and slides toward the light engine 18 to retain the ferrule 12 in the installed state. In this embodiment, the closed position of the clamp 58 refers to both the rotated and forward position of the clamp 58 and the open position refers to the clamp 58 being rotated downward but not slid forward or not being rotated downward (e.g., the elevated position shown in FIGs. 11-12). To detect the position of the clamp 58 in this embodiment, the conductive elements 60 may be positioned differently than as shown. For instance, the conductive elements may protrude from a surface of the clamp 58 that faces the light engine 18 so as to make contact with conductive members that are on a rearward-facing shoulder of the ferrule 12.

[0039] The microcontroller 54 may output a signal indicative of the ferrule installation state (i.e., installed or not installed) and, in the event the ferrule is installed, the state of the clamp (i.e., closed or open). This signal may be communicated in the manner described above.Attorney Docket: 014169-032990

[0040] With additional reference to FIG. 14, illustrated is a block diagram of a ferrule monitoring system 64. The ferrule monitoring system 64 is configured to monitor the insertion sate of a ferrule 12 (configured as described above) with a transceiver 20 (configured as described above). The transceiver 20 is operatively connected to a host device 66. Exemplary host devices 66 include, by are not limited to, as a remote sensor, a control unit for a controlled apparatus, a data or communication center switch, or any number of devices that rely on a fiber optic interface. The signal output by the detection circuitry 16 of the transceiver may be communicated to a monitoring device 68. In some cases, the signal may be communicated by way of the host device 66 and a network 70, but this need not be the case. The monitoring device 68 may be a remove server, infrastructure in a data center, a control system that oversees a system in which the host device 66 is present, or any other appropriate device. The status of the ferrule 12 may be checked, such as by using a graphical user interface GUI, in the event of a communication failure or other inoperability of the system in which the host device is present. In one embodiment, if a ferrule's state changes from installed to uninstalled an alarm may be triggered and appropriate personal may be alerted by way of a computing terminal or a mobile device.

[0041] It will be recognized that some systems may have more than one transceiver and ferrule combination. In the case of a data center, there may be thousands. The monitoring device 68 may monitor the status of each ferrule 12 in the system by respective signals sent by respective transceivers 20.

[0042] In systems where transceivers 20 include the clamp 58, the ferrule monitoring system 64 also may monitor the position of the clamp 58 in similar way to the above-described monitoring of the ferrule installation state. This may be appropriate for harsh or rugged environments where the clamp 58 is used to secure the ferrule 12.

Claims

Attorney Docket: 014169-032990CLAIMSWhat is claimed is:

1. A system for detecting presence of a ferrule for a fiber optic cable, the ferrule having a conductive pathway from a first point of the ferrule to a second point of the ferrule, the system comprising: a fiber optic engine with a ferrule interface against which the ferrule is held in an installed state of the ferrule; a first contact that is configured to contact the first point of the ferrule in the installed state of the ferrule; a second contact that is configured to contact the second point of the ferrule in the installed state of the ferrule; and a detection circuit connected to the first and second contacts, the detection circuit configured to determine that the ferrule is in the installed state by the presence of the conductive pathway between the first and second contacts and to determine that the ferrule is in an uninstalled state by an absence of the conductive pathway between the first and second contacts.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second contacts are alignment pins for the ferrule that extend from the ferrule interface.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the conductive pathway or one of the alignment pins has an electrical property that results in a measurable difference depending on the installed and uninstalled states of the ferrule.

4. The system of any of claims 1-3, wherein the first point of the ferrule is a tip of a first pin held by the ferrule in a first alignment channel of the ferrule and the second point is a tip of a second pin held by the ferrule in a second alignment channel of the ferrule.

5. The system of any of claims 1-4, wherein the detection circuit is further configured to output a signal indicative of the detected one of the installed state or the uninstalled state of the ferrule.Attorney Docket: 014169-0329906. The system of claim 5, wherein the signal is transmitted to a monitoring device that monitors the installed and uninstalled states of the ferrule.

7. The system of any of claims 1-6, wherein the detection circuit is further configured to detect that a clamp that holds the ferrule in the installed state is in a closed positioned by presence of a second conductive pathway and to detect that the clamp is an open position by absence of the second conductive pathway.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the second conductive pathway is established by the ferrule.

9. The system of any of the claims 1-8, wherein the detection circuit is part of the fiber optic transceiver that is operatively connected to a host device by a connector.

10. An assembly for terminating a fiber optic cable, comprising: a ferrule having at least two alignment channels and a front face that is configured to interface with a ferrule interface of a coordinating optical assembly; a first conductive pin and a second conductive pin respectively retained by the ferrule in the alignment channels; and a conductor that, with the pins, forms a conductive pathway between of a tip of the first conductive pin and a tip of the second conductive pin, wherein the conductive pathway, in an installed state of the ferrule with the coordinating optical assembly, completes a ferrule detection circuit path of the coordinating optical assembly.

11. The assembly of claim 10, wherein a pin holder comprises the conductor and the pin holder further retains the pins.

12. The assembly of any of claims 10-11, wherein the ferrule is a mechanical transfer (MT) form factor ferrule.Attorney Docket: 014169-03299013. The assembly of any of the claims 10-12, wherein the pins are pogo pins that are configured to be compressed in the installed state of the ferrule.

14. The assembly of any of the claims 10-13, wherein, in the installed state of the ferrule, the tips of the pins contact respective contact of the optical assembly in the respective alignment channels.

15. A system for monitoring an installation state of a fiber optic ferrule that terminates a fiber optic cable, comprising: a fiber optic transceiver comprising a detection circuit that is configured to determine that the ferrule is in an installed state relative to the fiber optic transceiver by the presence of a conductive pathway between a first contact and a second contact of the fiber optic transceiver, the conductive pathway completed by the ferrule, and to determine that the ferrule is in an uninstalled state relative to the fiber optic transceiver by an absence of the conductive pathway between the first and second contacts, wherein the detection circuit is further configured to output a signal indicative of the detected one of the installed state or the uninstalled state of the ferrule; a host device in which the fiber optic transceiver is operatively installed; and a monitoring device that monitors the installed and uninstalled states of the ferrule in accordance with the signal output by the detection circuit.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the host device and monitoring device are in communication through a network.

17. The system of any of claims 15-16, wherein the monitoring device is configured to trigger an alarm if the ferrule changes from the installed state to the uninstalled state.

18. The system of any of claims 15-17, wherein the monitoring system comprises a graphical user interface that indicates the installed or uninstalled state of the ferrule.Attorney Docket: 014169-03299019. The system of any of claims 15-18, wherein the detection circuit is further configured to detect that a clamp that holds the ferrule in the installed state is in a closed positioned by presence of a second conductive pathway and to detect that the clamp is an open position by absence of the second conductive pathway, and the detection circuit is further configured to output a signal indicative of the detected one of the open state or the closed state of the ferrule.

20. The system of any of claims 15-19, wherein the fiber optic transceiver outputs the ferrule in one or more fields of an industry datacomm standard for optical transceivers that are reserved for vendor or manufacturer specific values.

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