Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1327492
January/February/March 2021 I 23 OPPORTUNITIES TO OPTIMIZE PERFORMANCE WITH OPTICAL TESTING Most of the challenges inherent in POL deployment can be avoided by adopting efficient and thorough test procedures for the installed fiber optic cables and active devices before final turn-up. Benefiting from the long experience acquired in deploying FTTH and FTTx net- works, the main aspects to validate during deployment are damaged or dirty connectors, macrobends in the fiber, fiber signal loss, and fiber cuts. As previously noted, testing ensures first-time-right service turn-up and enables meeting deployment objectives. Fortunately, given that POL is an evolution of FTTH, the testing methods are almost identical. In fact, to ensure that all the described benefits of POL are attained, thorough and accurate testing is needed at every stage of deployment. To help technicians achieve positive outcomes and efficiency, new testing methodologies have been devised. These include: Optical Connector Cleanliness Being one of the most vulnerable components in the network, every fiber connector represents a potential point of failure in any optical system. Inevitably, connectors are part of the end-to-end optical loss budget and, therefore, must be free from any particles, dust, and scratches to ensure maximum network performance. Dirty or damaged optical connectors can adversely affect the network signal quality, reliability, and stability. To prevent this from happening, every single connector, including two in a mated connector pair, should be cleaned with proper cleaning tools and inspected using a visual fiber inspection device or microscope to get a clear assessment of its condition. Using a fully automated connector inspection solution with capa- bilities, such as auto-centering, auto-focusing, and auto-capturing, to quickly and objectively evaluate a connector's viability is highly recommended. Ensure that the solution is suited for operation in dense and recessed panels and is compatible with all connector types found in the network, which are typically LC/APC or SC/APC. Most automated inspection solutions include an automated connector health pass/fail assessment, which evaluates the condition of the connectors according to the most recognized industry standards (e.g., IEC, IPC). If a connector fails because of contam- ination, it is important to clean this connector to avoid reflectance issues. Multiple cleaning tools and techniques are available, including one-click pens and cleaning cassettes. A dry-cleaning method is preferable, but when it is necessary to use a wet method the connector should be completely dry before mating. Therefore, inspecting a connector after cleaning is highly recommended. Figure 2 shows screen shots from an automated fiber inspection solution that demonstrate the difference between a connector that fails measured against the IEC standard to the same connector after cleaning. FIGURE 2: Most automated inspection solutions include an automated connector health pass/fail assessment, which evaluates the condition of the connectors according to the most recognized industry standards. INSPECTION RESULTS MEASUREMENT NAME Fiber72 FiberID Direction Platform S/N FIP Model FIP-435B FIP S/N 808565 Inspection Date 2015-05-08 10:11:56 Analysis Date 2015-05-08 10:12:06 Analysis Software Version 1.6.0.0P FIP Firmware Version 6.0.0.1 A->B Fiber72 TEST CONFIGURATION IDENTIFICATION IEC SM SF UPC ORL ≥ 45 dB (61300-3-35, 1.0) Fail INSPECTION RESULTS MEASUREMENT NAME Fiber71 FiberID Direction Platform S/N FIP Model FIP-435B FIP S/N 808565 Inspection Date 2015-05-08 10:11:18 Analysis Date 2015-05-08 10:11:26 Analysis Software Version 1.6.0.0P FIP Firmware Version 6.0.0.1 A->B Fiber71 TEST CONFIGURATION IDENTIFICATION IEC SM SF UPC ORL ≥ 45 dB (61300-3-35, 1.0) Pass INSPECTION RESULTS MEASUREMENT NAME Fiber72 FiberID Direction Platform S/N FIP Model FIP-435B FIP S/N 808565 Inspection Date 2015-05-08 10:11:56 Analysis Date 2015-05-08 10:12:06 Analysis Software Version 1.6.0.0P FIP Firmware Version 6.0.0.1 A->B Fiber72 TEST CONFIGURATION IDENTIFICATION IEC SM SF UPC ORL ≥ 45 dB (61300-3-35, 1.0) Fail INSPECTION RESULTS MEASUREMENT NAME Fiber71 FiberID Direction Platform S/N FIP Model FIP-435B FIP S/N 808565 Inspection Date 2015-05-08 10:11:18 Analysis Date 2015-05-08 10:11:26 Analysis Software Version 1.6.0.0P FIP Firmware Version 6.0.0.1 A->B Fiber71 TEST CONFIGURATION IDENTIFICATION IEC SM SF UPC ORL ≥ 45 dB (61300-3-35, 1.0) Pass