A clamping assembly having a top and bottom and front and back orientation, an optical axis, and a pre-actuated state in which a fiber is not secured to said clamping assembly and a post-actuated state in which a fiber is secured to said clamping assembly, said clamping assembly comprising: a housing; a first cam member disposed in said housing above and adjacent to a fiber-receiving channel, said first cam member being radially actuateable within said housing, said first cam member having a first cam surface; a second cam member disposed in said housing, said second cam member having a second cam surface adjacent said first cam surface and configured such that, upon forward motion of said second cam member relative to said first cam member, said first cam member is urged downward as a result of a camming action between said first and second cam surfaces; and an actuator, characterised by: a platform disposed in said housing and being fixed therein both radially and axially, said platform defining the fiber-receiving channel along said optical axis to receive a fiber, at least a portion of said fiber-receiving channel being accessible from the top of said platform, wherein second cam member is axially slidable in said housing, and wherein said actuator is disposed slidably within said housing, behind and adjacent to said second cam member and configured, such that, when moved forward, it forces said second cam member forward relative to said first cam member. a housing; a first cam member disposed in said housing above and adjacent to a fiber-receiving channel, said first cam member being radially actuateable within said housing, said first cam member having a first cam surface; a second cam member disposed in said housing, said second cam member having a second cam surface adjacent said first cam surface and configured such that, upon forward motion of said second cam member relative to said first cam member, said first cam member is urged downward as a result of a camming action between said first and second cam surfaces; and an actuator, characterised by: a platform disposed in said housing and being fixed therein both radially and axially, said platform defining the fiber-receiving channel along said optical axis to receive a fiber, at least a portion of said fiber-receiving channel being accessible from the top of said platform, wherein second cam member is axially slidable in said housing, and wherein said actuator is disposed slidably within said housing, behind and adjacent to said second cam member and configured, such that, when moved forward, it forces said second cam member forward relative to said first cam member. a platform disposed in said housing and being fixed therein both radially and axially, said platform defining the fiber-receiving channel along said optical axis to receive a fiber, at least a portion of said fiber-receiving channel being accessible from the top of said platform, wherein second cam member is axially slidable in said housing, and wherein said actuator is disposed slidably within said housing, behind and adjacent to said second cam member and configured, such that, when moved forward, it forces said second cam member forward relative to said first cam member.