Optical fibers are thin, transparent fibers that are made of glass or plastic. They are commonly used as a medium for telecommunications and networking, mostly because of their flexibility. Other advantages of using optical fibers are their lower cost, lack of electromagnetic interference, large data carrying capacity and low loss of signal. Optical test equipment is software or hardware that is used to test the fiber optic cables for end-to-end loss and continuity. If any problems are found, it is then time to troubleshoot. There are three basic tests for fiber optic testing: visual inspection, loss testing and network testing. Optical testing equipment includes optical microscopes, optical power meters, and attentuators. When performing a visual inspection, it is important to ensure continuity by checking for broken wires and by using a fiber optic tracer to shine a light from one end to the other. If the light ends before the cable does, there is most likely a break in the connection. A fiber optic scope is another piece of optical test equipment that can be used during the visual inspection to check terminations and diagnose problems. Fiber optics can be reconnected with a fusion splicer, which melts the ends of the fibers back together. Using optical test equipment to establish that the fiber optic system has enough--but not too much--power is important for the system to operate smoothly. If there is too little power, the system won't have enough power to distinguish the signal from noise, and if there is too much power, the system will become overloaded. To check the power, a simple power meter is all that is necessary. By attaching the meter to the output of the cable you want to measure, you can determine the actual power in the fiber optic system and adjust it accordingly. |
