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 . <EOS>