Generic Requirements for Hardened
Fiber Optic Connectors (HFOCs)

GR-3120-CORE testing qualifies hardened fiber optic connectors (HFOC) used in an Outside Plant (OSP) environment. The product may be installed in various environments such as pedestal closures, aerial and buried closures, or on equipment located on a customer premises such as a Fiber Distribution Hub (FDH) or optical network termination unit.

Hardened fiber optic connectors testing is designed to withstand various weather and potential physical hazards while installed in either a closure (GR-771-CORE, Issue 2) or FDH (GR-3152-CORE, Issue 1). With this installation setup, the HFOC can ensure proper optical signal connection to a building structure. The tests within GR-3120 simulate the typical usage of the setup by exposing it to different mechanical, environmental, and material tests (e.g. Fungus in accordance with ASTM G 21 that exposes the samples to a fungus environment), while operating in the field.