Patent ID: 8708573

Claim:
A connector system comprising: a set of optical plug housings, each plug housing having a front and back orientation and having a front face defining an opening configured to accommodate the disposition of a ferrule therein, said each plug housing defining a first keying element a least partially on said front face, said first keying element of said each plug housing in said set of optical plugs housings being different; a set of optical receptacle housings, each receptacle housing having a front and back orientation and having a first opening to receive a plug housing of said set of optical plug housings, a second opening rearward of said first opening, and a ferrule-alignment portion to pre-align said ferrule with said second opening, said ferrule-alignment portion defining—a second keying element, said second keying element of said each receptacle housing of said set of optical receptacle housings being different and being adapted to cooperate with said first keying element of one and only one plug housing of said set of optical plug housings, wherein said each plug housing and said each receptacle housing having said first and second keying elements that cooperate are a mating pair; wherein said each plug housing and said each receptacle of said mating pair are marked with a matching visual identification different from plug housings and receptacle housings having different said first and second keying elements.