EN IEC 61300-2-33:2026

• Abstract:

  IEC 61300-2-33:2026 evaluates the behaviour of a fibre optic mechanical splice, a fibre management system, a protective housing or a hardened connector after being subjected to a specified number of assembly and disassembly operations. The test procedures described in this document simulate conditions that the component can encounter during its service lifetime to check the following performance characteristics: - capability of an optical mechanical splice to be reinstalled after being disassembled; - capability to reintroduce fibre management systems and protective housings, accessing fibres and optical components and making reconfigurations without disturbing transmission in adjacent fibre circuits; - sealing performance of the protective housing after frequent opening and closing operations; - sealing performance of the hardened connector after frequent mating and demating operations. This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition published in 2012. This edition constitutes a technical revision. This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition: a) update of the terms and definitions according to IEC 61753-1:2018 and IEC 61756‑1:2019; b) update of the test severities according to the new edition of IEC 61753-1:2018; c) addition of procedure D to verify the sealing performance after frequent mating and demating of a hardened connector.

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 28-May-2026
• ICS: 33.180.20 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices
• Technical Committee: CLC/TC 86BXA - Fibre optic interconnect, passive and connectorised components
• Drafting Committee: IEC/SC 86B - IEC_SC_86B
• Current Stage: 6060 - Document made available - Publishing
• Start Date: 29-May-2026
• Due Date: 31-Dec-2024
• Completion Date: 29-May-2026
• Ref Project: SIST EN IEC 61300-2-33:2026 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Basic test and measurement procedures - Part 2-33: Tests - Assembly and disassembly of fibre optic mechanical splices, fibre management systems and protective housings (IEC 61300-2-33:2026)

• Replaces: EN 61300-2-33:2012 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Basic test and measurement procedures - Part 2-33: Tests - Assembly and disassembly of fibre optic mechanical splices, fibre management systems and closures
• Effective Date: 28-Sep-2021
• Refers: EN IEC 61753-1:2018 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Performance standard - Part 1: General and guidance
• Effective Date: 05-May-2026
• Refers: EN IEC 61300-2-22:2024 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Basic test and measurement procedures - Part 2-22: Tests - Change of temperature
• Effective Date: 05-May-2026
• Refers: EN IEC 61753-131-03:2021 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Performance standard - Part 131-03: Single-mode mechanical fibre splice for category OP - Outdoor protected environment
• Effective Date: 05-May-2026
• Refers: EN 62005-7:2004 - Reliability of fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive optical components - Part 7: Life stress modeling
• Effective Date: 05-May-2026
• Refers: EN 62005-3:2001 - Reliability of fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Part 3: Relevant tests for evaluating failure modes and failure mechanisms for passive components
• Effective Date: 05-May-2026
• Refers: EN 62005-2:2001 - Reliability of fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Part 2: Quantitative assessment of reliability based on accelerated ageing tests - Temperature and humidity; steady state
• Effective Date: 05-May-2026
• Refers: EN IEC 61300-1:2022 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Basic test and measurement procedures - Part 1: General and guidance
• Effective Date: 05-May-2026
• Refers: EN 62005-4:1999 - Reliability of fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive optical components - Part 4: Product screening
• Effective Date: 05-May-2026
• Refers: EN IEC 61753-1:2018/A1:2020 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Performance standard - Part 1: General and guidance
• Effective Date: 05-May-2026
• Refers: EN 62005-1:2001 - Reliability of fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Part 1: Introductory guide and definitions
• Effective Date: 05-May-2026
• Refers: EN 61300-3-28:2012 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Basic test and measurement procedures - Part 3-28: Examinations and measurements - Transient loss
• Effective Date: 05-May-2026
• Referred By: EN IEC 61757-1-1:2020 - Fibre optic sensors - Part 1-1: Strain measurement - Strain sensors based on fibre Bragg gratings
• Effective Date: 02-Jun-2026
• Referred By: EN 50411-3-5:2015 - Fibre organisers and closures to be used in optical fibre communication systems - Product specifications - Part 3-5: Wall outlet
• Effective Date: 02-Jun-2026
• Referred By: EN 50411-3-8:2016 - Fibre organizers and closures to be used in optical fibre communication systems - Product specifications - Part 3-8: Fibre management system, terminal equipment box type 1 for category C
• Effective Date: 02-Jun-2026

Overview

EN IEC 61300-2-33:2026 specifies test and measurement procedures for evaluating the performance of fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components-specifically focusing on assembly and disassembly processes. Developed by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and adopted as a European Standard through CENELEC (CLC), this key document covers mechanical splices, fibre management systems, protective housings, and hardened fibre optic connectors.

The main objective of the standard is to assess the component's capability to withstand multiple assembly and disassembly cycles, as typically encountered over its service lifetime. By simulating real-world conditions, it ensures the reliability, optical stability, and protective functions needed for robust fibre optic networks.

Key Topics

• Mechanical Splices: Procedures test the reinstallation performance of optical mechanical splices after disassembly, focusing on their ability to maintain optical transmission quality after repeated use.
• Fibre Management Systems and Protective Housings: Evaluate the possibility of accessing fibres or reconfiguring circuits without disturbing adjacent fibre lines. Transient loss measurements are used to monitor optical stability during reconfiguration.
• Sealing Performance: Frequent opening and closing of protective housings, as well as repeated mating and demating of hardened connectors, are assessed to ensure continued environmental sealing and protection against dust and moisture.
• Ageing Process: The standard introduces ageing cycles between assembly/disassembly actions, simulating long-term material behaviour and identifying possible points of failure due to environmental stress.
• Reporting Requirements: Detailed documentation and reporting of test conditions, sample details, cycle numbers, and any deviations from procedures are emphasized to ensure traceability and repeatability.

Applications

EN IEC 61300-2-33:2026 is vital for manufacturers, system integrators, and network operators in the fibre optic sector. Key practical applications include:

• Product Qualification: Ensuring mechanical splices, fibre management units, protective housings, and hardened connectors meet durability and performance benchmarks for both indoor and outdoor environments.
• Quality Assurance: Provides a structured methodology for ongoing product assessment through repeated assembly/disassembly cycles, critical for high-reliability telecommunications and data transmission infrastructures.
• Installation & Maintenance: Supports network installers and technicians in validating that equipment can be accessed, reconfigured, or repaired with minimal impact on adjacent circuits and without compromising environmental protection.
• Compliance Testing: Used by test labs and manufacturers to demonstrate conformity with international and European fibre optic standards, simplifying acceptance by network operators and supporting global market access.

Related Standards

• IEC 61300-1: General guidance for basic test and measurement procedures for fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components.
• IEC 61300-2-22: Sets procedures for testing changes due to temperature, relevant for understanding aging effects in optical components.
• IEC 61300-3-28: Provides methods for measuring transient optical loss during handling or reconfiguration.
• IEC 61753-1: General performance qualification for fibre optic devices and components.
• IEC 61753-131: Performance standards for single-mode mechanical fibre splices.

Conclusion

EN IEC 61300-2-33:2026 is a foundational standard advancing the reliability and longevity of fibre optic components and systems. Its systematic procedures for evaluating assembly and disassembly cycles give stakeholders confidence in continued optical performance and environmental protection, supporting the rigorous demands of modern fibre optic communication networks.

Keywords: EN IEC 61300-2-33:2026, fibre optic testing, mechanical splice durability, fibre management systems, protective housings, hardened connectors, optical performance, assembly and disassembly, standardization, compliance testing, fibre optic components, CLC.

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-julij-2026
Nadomešča:
SIST EN 61300-2-33:2012
Optični spojni elementi in pasivne komponente - Osnovni preskusni in merilni
postopki - 2-33. del: Preskušanje - Sestavljanje in razstavljanje optomehanskih
spojnic, konzol za upravljanje optičnih sistemov in zaščitnih ohišij (IEC 61300-2-
33:2026)
Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Basic test and
measurement procedures - Part 2-33: Tests - Assembly and disassembly of fibre optic
mechanical splices, fibre management systems and protective housings (IEC 61300-2-
33:2026)
Lichtwellenleiter - Verbindungselemente und passive Bauteile - Grundlegende Prüf- und
Messverfahren - Teil 2-33: Prüfungen - Montage und Demontage von mechanischen
LWL-Spleißen, Fasermanagementsystemen, Schutzgehäuse und robuste
Steckverbinder (IEC 61300-2-33:2026)
Dispositifs d'interconnexion et composants passifs à fibres optiques - Méthodes
fondamentales d'essais et de mesures - Partie 2-33: Essais - Montage et démontage des
épissures mécaniques de fibres optiques, des systèmes de gestion des fibres et des
boîtiers (IEC 61300-2-33:2026)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN IEC 61300-2-33:2026
ICS:
33.180.20 Povezovalne naprave za Fibre optic interconnecting
optična vlakna devices
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN IEC 61300-2-33

NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM May 2026
ICS 33.180.20 Supersedes EN 61300-2-33:2012
English Version
Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components -
Basic test and measurement procedures - Part 2-33: Tests -
Assembly and disassembly of fibre optic mechanical splices,
fibre management systems, protective housings and hardened
connectors
(IEC 61300-2-33:2026)
Dispositifs d'interconnexion et composants passifs Lichtwellenleiter - Verbindungselemente und passive
fibroniques - Procédures fondamentales d'essais et de Bauteile - Grundlegende Prüf- und Messverfahren - Teil 2-
mesures - Partie 2-33: Essais - Montage et démontage des 33: Prüfungen - Montage und Demontage von
épissures mécaniques fibroniques, des systèmes de mechanischen LWL-Spleißen, Fasermanagementsystemen,
gestion des fibres, des boîtiers de protection et des Schutzgehäuse und robuste Steckverbinder
connecteurs renforcés (IEC 61300-2-33:2026)
(IEC 61300-2-33:2026)
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2026-05-13. CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC
Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the
same status as the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2026 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
Ref. No. EN IEC 61300-2-33:2026 E

European foreword
The text of document 86B/5175/FDIS, future edition 4 of IEC 61300-2-33, prepared by SC 86B "Fibre
optic interconnecting devices and passive components" of IEC/TC 86 "Fibre optics" was submitted to
the IEC-CENELEC parallel vote and approved by CENELEC as EN IEC 61300-2-33:2026.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national (dop) 2027-05-31
level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the (dow) 2027-05-31
document have to be withdrawn
This document supersedes EN 61300-2-33:2012 and all of its amendments and corrigenda (if any).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national committee. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CENELEC website.
Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard IEC 61300-2-33:2026 was approved by CENELEC as a
European Standard without any modification.
Annex ZA
(normative)
Normative references to international publications
with their corresponding European publications
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments)
applies.
NOTE 1  Where an International Publication has been modified by common modifications, indicated by (mod),
the relevant EN/HD applies.
NOTE 2  Up-to-date information on the latest versions of the European Standards listed in this annex is available
here: www.cencenelec.eu.
Publication Year Title EN/HD Year
IEC 61300-1 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and EN IEC 61300-1 -
passive components - Basic test and
measurement procedures - Part 1: General
and guidance
IEC 61300-2-22 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and EN IEC 61300-2-22 -
passive components - Basic test and
measurement procedures - Part 2-22:
Tests - Change of temperature
IEC 61300-3-28 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and EN 61300-3-28 -
passive components - Basic test and
measurement procedures - Part 3-28:
Examinations and measurements -
Transient loss
IEC 61753 series Fibre optic interconnecting devices and EN IEC 61753 series
passive components - Performance
standard
IEC 61753-1 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and EN IEC 61753-1 -
passive components - Performance
standard - Part 1: General and guidance
IEC 61753-131 series Fibre optic interconnecting devices and EN IEC 61753-131 series
passive components - Performance
standard: Single-mode mechanical fibre
splice
IEC 62005 series Reliability of fibre optic interconnecting EN 62005 series
devices and passive components

IEC 61300-2-33 ®
Edition 4.0 2026-04
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components - Basic test and
measurement procedures -
Part 2-33: Tests - Assembly and disassembly of fibre optic mechanical splices,
fibre management systems, protective housings and hardened connectors
ICS 33.180.20  ISBN 978-2-8327-1171-2

IEC 61300-2-33:2026-04(en)
IEC 61300-2-33:2026 © IEC 2026
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 2
1 Scope . 4
2 Normative references . 4
3 Terms and definitions . 4
4 General description . 5
5 Procedure . 5
5.1 Preparation of the DUT . 5
5.2 Procedure A: Re-installation of an optical mechanical splice after
disassembly . 5
5.3 Procedure B: Optical stability during reconfiguration of fibre management
systems and protective housings . 6
5.4 Procedure C: Sealing performance after frequent opening and closing of the

protective housing . 6
5.5 Procedure D: Verification of the sealing performance after frequent mating
and demating of a hardened connector . 6
5.6 Ageing procedure . 7
6 Severity . 8
7 Details to be specified and reported. 9
Annex A (informative) Installation and intervention procedure for protective housing –
Optical stability . 10

Table 1 – Ageing procedure between two cycles of assembly and disassembly of fibre

optic mechanical splices, protective housings and hardened connectors . 7
Table 2 – Number of assembly-disassembly cycles for different operating
environments . 8

IEC 61300-2-33:2026 © IEC 2026
INTERNATIONAL ELECTROTECHNICAL COMMISSION
____________
Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components -
Basic test and measurement procedures -
Part 2-33: Tests - Assembly and disassembly of fibre optic
mechanical splices, fibre management systems,
protective housings and hardened connectors

FOREWORD
1) The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) is a worldwide organization for standardization comprising
all national electrotechnical committees (IEC National Committees). The object of IEC is to promote international
co-operation on all questions concerning standardization in the electrical and electronic fields. To this end and
in addition to other activities, IEC publishes International Standards, Technical Specifications, Technical Reports,
Publicly Available Specifications (PAS) and Guides (hereafter referred to as "IEC Publication(s)"). Their
preparation is entrusted to technical committees; any IEC National Committee interested in the subject dealt with
may participate in this preparatory work. International, governmental and non-governmental organizations liaising
with the IEC also participate in this preparation. IEC collaborates closely with the International Organization for
Standardization (ISO) in accordance with conditions determined by agreement between the two organizations.
2) The formal decisions or agreements of IEC on technical matters express, as nearly as possible, an international
consensus of opinion on the relevant subjects since each technical committee has representation from all
interested IEC National Committees.
3) IEC Publications have the form of recommendations for international use and are accepted by IEC National
Committees in that sense. While all reasonable efforts are made to ensure that the technical content of IEC
Publications is accurate, IEC cannot be held responsible for the way in which they are used or for any
misinterpretation by any end user.
4) In order to promote international uniformity, IEC National Committees undertake to apply IEC Publications
transparently to the maximum extent possible in their national and regional publications. Any divergence between
any IEC Publication and the corresponding national or regional publication shall be clearly indicated in the latter.
5) IEC itself does not provide any attestation of conformity. Independent certification bodies provide conformity
assessment services and, in some areas, access to IEC marks of conformity. IEC is not responsible for any
services carried out by independent certification bodies.
6) All users should ensure that they have the latest edition of this publication.
7) No liability shall attach to IEC or its directors, employees, servants or agents including individual experts and
members of its technical committees and IEC National Committees for any personal injury, property damage or
other damage of any nature whatsoever, whether direct or indirect, or for costs (including legal fees) and
expenses arising out of the publication, use of, or reliance upon, this IEC Publication or any other IEC
Publications.
8) Attention is drawn to the Normative references cited in this publication. Use of the referenced publications is
indispensable for the correct application of this publication.
9) IEC draws attention to the possibility that the implementation of this document may involve the use of (a)
patent(s). IEC takes no position concerning the evidence, validity or applicability of any claimed patent rights in
respect thereof. As of the date of publication of this document, IEC had not received notice of (a) patent(s), which
may be required to implement this document. However, implementers are cautioned that this may not represent
the latest information, which may be obtained from the patent database available at https://patents.iec.ch. IEC
shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
IEC 61300-2-33 has been prepared by subcommittee 86B: Fibre optic interconnecting devices
and passive components, of IEC technical committee 86: Fibre optics. It is an International
Standard.
This fourth edition cancels and replaces the third edition published in 2012. This edition
constitutes a technical revision.
This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous
edition:
a) update of the terms and definitions according to IEC 61753-1:2018 and IEC 61756-1:2019;
b) update of the test severities according to the new edition of IEC 61753-1:2018;
IEC 61300-2-33:2026 © IEC 2026
c) addition of procedure D to verify the sealing performance after frequent mating and
demating of a hardened connector.
The text of this International Standard is based on the following documents:
Draft Report on voting
86B/5175/FDIS 86B/5201/RVD
Full information on the voting for its approval can be found in the report on voting indicated in
the above table.
The language used for the development of this International Standard is English.
The list of all parts of IEC 61300 series, published under the general title, Fibre optic
interconnecting devices and passive components - Basic test and measurement procedures,
can be found on the IEC website.
This document was drafted in accordance with ISO/IEC Directives, Pa
...