Fiber optic connection system

A fiber optic connection system includes a connector body that has a socket at one end and a wire spring that has parallel retention legs that are spread apart against the self biasing forces of the wire spring. A pair of fiber optic cables are terminated in dovetailed ferrules that have up ramps at a forward end and down ramps at a rearward end. The dovetailed ferrules are inserted into the socket and retained by the parallel retention legs of the wire spring engaging the down ramps. The parallel retention legs engage the up ramps during insertion of the dovetailed ferrules into the socket to spread the parallel retention legs apart against the self biasing forces of the wire spring. The fiber optic connection system includes a ferrule position assurance device that is carried by the connector body for movement between a pre-stage position and a final position. The ferrule position assurance device allows the parallel retention legs to spread apart in the pre-stage position and prevents the parallel retention legs from being spread apart in the final position. The fiber optic connector system includes a strain relief handle that is attached to the dovetailed ferrules to provide a handle and a strain relief. The fiber optic connector system has a chamber at an opposite end that receives a retainer and a pair of electro-optic devices. A modified fiber optic connector system has a second socket at an opposite end that receives a second pair of fiber optic cables that are terminated by dovetailed ferrules that are plugged into the second socket.