Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1219491
April/May/June 2020 I 15 START INSPECT ENDFACE INSPECT ENDFACE INSPECT ENDFACE ENDFACE CLEAN? ENDFACE CLEAN? WET/DRY CLEAN ENDFACE CLEAN? PLUG IN TO CLEAN MATING CONNECTOR PLUG IN TO CLEAN MATING CONNECTOR PLUG IN TO CLEAN MATING CONNECTOR DRY CLEAN PASS PASS PASS FAIL FAIL High-resolution Digital Scope Using appropriate tips for connector type the endface can easily migrate to the core during con- nectorization. What is worse is that the debris now con- taminates both endfaces. It is similar to spreading a cold. Moreover, the problem actually grows exponentially more difficult when dealing with MPOs (Figure 11). MPO connectors already have an inherent mating challenge for consistent low-loss interconnection. It is for this reason that some large hyperscale and data center providers have tried to move away from them as much as possible. Typically, this is difficult due to the tradeoff in density. For any connector type, it comes down to using the right tools and techniques to guarantee perfor- mance. Using the appropriate cleaning tools for the con- nector in question is highly important. As data rates continue to increase and loss budgets continue to decrease, it is important to inspect each connector to evaluate and confirm, either manually or through automatic pass/fail algorithms offered in many digital scopes, that there is no damage or debris. A recommended approach is to follow the flow as illustrated in Figure 12. The inspect before you clean (IBYC) approach pro- vides the greatest level of efficiency and time savings. As shown in Figure 12, it may be necessary to perform both wet and dry cleaning to remove all the debris. Tech- nicians and installers should want a full toolkit of differ- ent cleaning products offered by various ICT companies. If after completing the flow process the endface cannot be suitably cleaned per IEC standards, then either a new cable or a splice-on field connector needs to be used. FIGURE 11: Image of MPO endface with dirt and debris. FIGURE 12: Inspect Before You Clean (IBYC) flow diagram. The IEC defines a clean connector as having no scratches and no defects (e.g., dirt, pollen) in the core. INSPECT BEFORE YOU CLEAN (IBYC)