Optical devices having externally field-configurable splitting ratios and methods of using the same

A system for an optical communications network, the system comprising:

• a cable assembly comprising a pass-through optical fiber, an input optical fiber, and a multi-fiber connector terminating the pass-through optical fiber and the input optical fiber;
• an optical device comprising:
• a housing defining an enclosure;
• a splitter disposed within the enclosure and comprising one or more splitter inputs and a plurality of splitter outputs;
• a plurality of couplers within the enclosure, each coupler comprising an input, a first output, and a second output, wherein:
• each coupler has a power split ratio between the first output and the second output that is different from other couplers of the plurality of couplers;
• and
• the second output of at least one coupler of the plurality of couplers is in optical communication with at least one splitter input of the one or more splitter inputs;
• a plurality of sets of split-ratio selection ports located at an exterior surface of the housing, wherein:
• each set of split-ratio selection ports comprises a coupler input port and a coupler pass-through port;
• and
• the coupler input port is in optical communication with the input of an individual coupler, and the coupler pass-through port is in optical communication with the first output of the individual coupler;
• and
• a plurality of output ports located at the housing, wherein the plurality of output ports are in optical communication with the plurality of splitter outputs of the splitter,
• wherein the plurality of sets of split-ratio selection ports and the plurality of couplers are configured such that the power split ratio of the field-configurable optical device is established by connecting the multi-fiber connector of the cable assembly to the coupler input port and the coupler pass-through port of a selected set of split-ratio selection ports.

A method of configuring a field-configurable optical device, the method comprising:

• connecting an input connector of a cable assembly to a coupler input port of an individual set of splitting ratio selection ports among a plurality of sets of splitting ratio selection ports at an exterior surface of a housing of the field-configurable optical device;
• and
• connecting a pass-through connector of the cable assembly to a coupler pass-through port of the individual set of splitting ratio selection ports,
• wherein:
• the plurality of sets of splitting ratio selection ports is in optical communication with a plurality of couplers,
• each coupler of the of the plurality of couplers has a power splitting ratio that is different from other couplers of the plurality of couplers such that selection of the individual set of splitting ratio selection port establishes a power splitting ratio of the optical device, and
• moving the input connector and the pass-through connector from a first set of splitting ratio selection ports to a second set of splitting ratio selection ports changes the power splitting ratio of the field-configurable optical device.