Patent ID: 7184635

Claim:
A data communication system, comprising: first and second transceivers; first and second fan-out units, each of which includes a plurality of optical fibers, wherein the first fan-out unit is optically connected with the first transceiver via a first pair of optical fibers, and the second fan-out unit is optically connected with the second transceiver via a second pair of optical fibers, each of the first and second fan-out units further including a termination body and a ferrule with a polished contact surface exposing the ends of the plurality of optical fibers, the contact surface being at an oblique angle relative to a plane normal to axes of the optical fibers, each of the termination bodies of the first and second fan-out units including a key projecting upwardly from an upper surface thereof; first and second adapters connected with, respectively, the ferrules of the first and second fan-out units; and a ribbon trunk cable comprising: a plurality of substantially parallel optical fibers formed into a ribbon, the ribbon extending in a longitudinal direction and having first and second ends; a termination assembly attached at each of the first and second ends of the ribbon, each of the termination assemblies including a body and a ferrule, the body having a key on an upper surface thereof, the ferrule having a polished contact surface that exposes ends of the optical fibers, wherein the contact surface forms an oblique angle relative to a plane normal to axes defined by the fibers; wherein the termination assembly of the first end of the trunk cable is connected to the first adapter, and the termination assembly of the second end of the truck cable is connected to the second adapter; and wherein either (a) each ferrule contact surface of the ribbon trunk cable faces slightly upwardly, or (b) each contact surface of the ribbon trunk cable faces slightly downwardly.