Fiber Optic Connectors - Termination and Testing

In this tutorial we will review the methods used to bond, hold and align optical fibers for factory and field terminations. Scribing tools and techniques will also be covered. Next, proper polishing of the optical endface will be reviewed as well as the importance of cleaning optical surfaces to minimize damage, lower attenuation, and improve reflection values. This is followed by an examination of how to test singlemode and multimode cable assemblies for attenuation and reflections in factory and field environments. Finally, the tutorial will summarize the role of those terminating fiber optic devices. Yield is the actual loaded cost of a termination and includes the component cost, consumables, and the associated labor.