Fiber pigtails and fiber patch cords are both fiber optic connectors used to connect fiber optic devices, but they have slightly different structures and uses.
A fiber pigtail is usually a longer fiber optic cable with one port connected to a fiber optic device and the other port unconnected for future connections. It is used to make long distance communication connections between fiber optic devices. Fiber optic pigtails are usually pre-fabricated and come in standard lengths of 1m, 2m, 3m, etc., or can be customized as needed.
A fiber optic patch cord is usually a shorter fiber optic cable with fiber optic devices attached at both ends. It is used to make short distance communication connections between fiber optic devices, for example, between a server and a switch. The length of a fiber optic patch cord is usually less than 1 meter, but can also be customized as needed.
Structurally, both fiber optic pigtails and fiber optic patch cords consist of two parts: the fiber optic cable and the fiber optic connector. The fiber optic connector is the interface of the fiber optic cable, usually using SC, FC, ST and other types of connectors, with good removability and repeatability, easy to maintain and replace.
