Bobtail Quick Termination Fiber Optic Connector Instructions

Here is a great video tutorial showing you how to terminate the Bobtail Quick Termination no polish fiber optic connector.

Northeast Fiber Optic Conference (NFOC)

Mark Your Calendar for September 8 and 9, 2008 Northeast Fiber Optic Conference, Turning Stone Resort and Casino, Verona, New York.

Just east of Syracuse, exit 33 off the NY Thruway

As a regional fiber optics conference, the Northeast Fiber Optics Conference (NFOC) fulfills an important need for area residents. Traveling to this regional event is less expensive than going cross-country to a national conference and there's less time away from the job. Also, this regional event provides a great opportunity to network with other fiber optic professionals who live and work in your area.

Regardless of where you live, the NFOC has a solid conference agenda that makes this event well worth the trip. You'll have the opportunity to examine the latest fiber optic products, attend educational sessions, and interact with fiber optic professionals during two days of exhibits, seminars, and trainings.

Exhibits

Fiber optic manufacturers, including Corning(c), EXFO, Molex and other leading companies will showcase their newest products and technologies.

Learning Sessions

Presentations by industry professionals will provide insight into where fiber optic technology is headed and the opportunities that are being created in these new areas. Learning Sessions focus heavily on installation and testing of various networks including Fiber to the Home and Fiber to the Desktop. Also discussed is the impact of HDTV in each of these areas.

One Learning Session addresses the growing demand for network IP cameras, how these versatile cameras can be used, and how to install them.

Many of the newest fiber optic applications can benefit from the use of the new "improved bend" fiber, which is also covered in detail. Go here for more information about NFOC Education Opportunities presentations.

Keep Your Eyes on the Prize

In addition to a stimulating conference agenda, there will be a number prize drawings, competitions and other fun activities interspersed throughout the Conference to keep the level of excitement high. FIS' very own Carmen Electron will be on hand to conduct prize drawings and to pose for photos with conference attendees.

After hours, you can enjoy the Casio and the other entertainment venues that the Turning Stone Resort and Casino has to offer!

Register Now! FREE Admission

Who should attend the NFOC? Contractors, technicians, installers, network administrators, educators and anyone who would like to learn more about fiber optics and new opportunities in this gowning field.

Admission to the NFOC is FREE, provided that you register. Register online at www.northeast-fiber-optic-conference.com.

FIS Blue Helps Broadcasters Meet HDTV Deadline

FIS Blue was founded to supply fiber optic cable assemblies to the broadcasting industry, and their specialized products are in high demand. This is especially true now that broadcasters are scrambling to meet two impending deadlines mandated by the FCC.

On February 17 of next year, major broadcasters must convert from Standard Definition TV (SDTV) to two new standards, Digital TV (DTV), and High-Definition TV (HDTV).

Fiber, Fiber, Everywhere
Fiber optics is the key technology that is enabling broadcasters to meet the new requirements, both inside the production studio, and out.

In fact, fiber is the only medium capable of providing the bandwidth necessary to support the new HDTV standards in terms of signal transport. A standard NTSC video generally requires a serial bit rate of 143.2 Mb/s. Contrast this to the new HDTV standards, which require bit rates of 1,485 Mb/s. To put this in perspective, coax cable can carry TV signals at these higher speeds for only 30-60 meters before signal re-amplification is required. This limitation makes copper impractical for HDTV, especially for long haul transport to the home.

Fiber in the Production Studio
In studio facilities, fiber optic cable is replacing much of the copper cabling used to carry video signals. That's because copper cables running between video cameras, control rooms, and editing equipment are subject to electrical interference. Equipment fans, electrical switches, and electrical light fixtures within the studio environment all generate Electromagnetic Interference (EMI), which is picked up by copper cabling and degrades the video signal. On the other hand, fiber optic cabling is 100% immune to EMI.

In the past, minor imperfections in the TV image were not such a big deal, since viewers watched TV on fuzzy, low-res analog TVs. Now, super-sharp, high-resolution HDTVs make any image ghosting, artifacts or other imperfections in the TV image glaringly obvious to the viewer.

FIS Blue provides broadcasters with the specialized fiber optic cable assembles they require for broadcast applications, including expanded beam cable assemblies. In addition to being immune to EMI, expanded beam connectors resist contamination, wear, and the frequent coupling and decoupling required of broadcast equipment.

Fiber to the Home (Finally!)
To ensure that there are no "weak links" in HDTV production and delivery, major broadcasters have been striving to remove copper cabling wherever possible. Just about the only "weak link" that remains is that short segment of copper coax that picks up the TV signal from a local hub and brings it into the home. Largely as a result of HDTV, local telcos are rapidly replacing this copper cabling and bringing fiber all the way into the home

About FIS Blue
FIS Blue, an affiliate of FIS, was founded to meet the needs of the Broadcast Industry for specialized fiber optic patchcords and cable assemblies. FIS Blue also supplies specialized cable assemblies to the U.S. military. These include TFOCA-style connectors and termini-style fiber optic cable assemblies.

FIS Blue manufactures its own patchcords, and can custom-manufacture cable assemblies any length, terminated with any type of fiber optic connector. FIS Blue is also a distributor for major companies including Amphenol Fiber Systems International, Stratos, Tyco, Lemo and Fischer. To learn more about FIS Blue, visit their website, www.fisblue.com.

Fiber Optic Dust Caps DON'T Protect Fiber Optic Connector Endfaces From Dust

What is the primary purpose of a fiber optic connector dust cap? To protect the connector endface from dust? No! In fact, a dust cap can actually introduce dust and other contaminants to the polished endface of a fiber optic connector.

Dust is everywhere. Smaller dust particles that have a diameter of 1um or less can remain suspended in air for very long periods of time, if not indefinitely. Dust can easily find its way into a dust cap, and stow away until it has the opportunity to jump aboard your fiber optic connector endface.

Even worse, dust caps often contain grease, gels or other compounds left over from when the dust cap was manufactured. For example, the plastic dust caps used on many fiber optic connectors may contain mold release residue. Even blasting air into the cap will not remove these tenacious compounds.

Unfortunately, many people believe that just because a fiber optic connector has a "dust cap" installed, it has been protected from contaminates and therefore does not need to be cleaned. As you now realize, nothing can be further from the truth. It is important to always clean a fiber optic connector endface immediately before mating it, regardless of whether or not it has been "protected" with a dust cap.

Your fiber optic system may contain the very best Corning fiber optics laser optimized for maximum performance. However, if you have dirty fiber optic connectors, you will experience sub-par performance. Proper connector cleaning is essential for the optimal maintenance of fiberoptic systems.

Why Use Fiber Optic Dust Caps?

Dust caps do a great job at protecting fiber optic connector endfaces from contact with objects that can scratch, chip, crack or otherwise physically damage the polished core of the fiber. Dust caps also provide ferrule protection and are ideal for protecting connectors from physical damage while in storage or in transit. If you accidentally drop a connector that's wearing a dust cap, chances are it will survive the fall. It advisable to install dust caps on any fiber optic connector that is not actively in use.

Dust caps can be purchased alone, and some fiber optic connectors come with protective caps already installed. Typically, the cap is a sleeve or boot that is closed at one end and which fits tightly over the ferrule of the fiber optic connector.

Which raises another issue. Before mating a fiber optic connector, don't just clean the endface. First, clean the body of the connector ferrule to remove any residual manufacturing compounds. Otherwise, the residue may cause the ferrule to bond permanently with the mating sleeve. This can make it impossible to avoid breaking the ferrule if there is any need to unmate the fiber optic connector.

In conclusion, the name "dust cap" is obviously a misnomer. A better term might be "protective cap." Old habits die hard, so it may be a long time before a new, more accurate phrase is adopted for popular use. In the meantime, just remain aware of what "dust caps" can and can't do in terms of protecting a fiber optic connector!

"Cheap Fiber Optic Patch Cords" - Beware of Knockoffs!

In recent years, there has been an influx of counterfeit fiber optic cables, connectors, pigtails and patchcords coming into the U.S. from China and other Asian nations. These bogus fiber optic cables may have a phony UL number, or they may purport to contain a name-brand fiber.

On the other hand, there are also authorized manufacturers and distributors in these very same nations that produce legitimate products. How do you tell if a particular fiber optic cable or patchcord is authentic?

Evaluating Fiber Optic Cable Distributors

When evaluating fiber optic cable and patchcords, there are several things you can do. For example, you may notice something odd about the Underwriters Laboratory (UL) number that's printed on the cable jacket (e.g. too many numbers, odd numbering sequence, etc.). If so, you can go to the UL website, www.ul.com. There you can click on "Online Certifications Directory," which will take you to a page where you can type in the cable's UL number. If the number is not recognized by UL, you can assume that your fiber optic product is counterfeit.

Even if the UL website shows that the number is registered to a legitimate company, this is no guarantee that the suspect company didn't copy it. To be certain, you can contact the registered firm to determine if the vendor who provided you with the fiber optic cable is one of their authorized distributors.

Another ploy of unscrupulous manufacturers is to print on the cable jacket the name of a leading optical fiber manufacturer. Again, if you suspect misrepresentation, you can contact that manufacturer to determine if the vendor is an authorized distributor. The manufacturer may request that you send a sample of the fiber optic cable so that they can examine it first-hand.

Also, be aware that counterfeit fiber optic cable may also have misrepresentations on the cable jacket as they apply to RoHS compliance, fire ratings, and so forth.

Fake Fiber Optic Connectors

As an example of how fast and loose some vendors are in terms of the products they sell, consider the recent experience of a leading fiber optics distributor. Upon receiving a product sample and price quote for fiber optic LC connectors from a vendor, the price seemed too good to be true. Suspicious, the distributor asked the vendor if the LC connectors were licensed, as is required by law. The vendor then replied, "Oh, you want the licensed version." He then produced a different sample, which he said was available at a higher price.

Fiber Optic Buyers Beware

As a fiber optic installer, the last thing you want to do is to purchase counterfeit fiber optic cable or pigtails from an unknown manufacturer. Joining optical fibers whose glass chemistry is even slightly different can:

• Make it difficult or impossible to get a clean fusion between the two optical fibers
• Create high back reflection and loss, due to an imperfect fiber optic splice
• Cause the fiber optic splice to fracture and fail after the installation is complete

Finally, inferior counterfeit products can erode confidence in the fiber optics industry as a whole. If you are offered questionable fiber optic products, you can report your suspicions to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center (IPR). This is a joint operation between U.S. Customs and the F.B.I. that is set up to combat the distribution of counterfeit goods. To contact the IPR, dial (202) 927-0810.

Why Network Designers Specify Particular Brands of Optical Fiber for Their Systems

People sometimes wonder why network designers specify particular brands of optical fiber for their systems, such as Corning SMF-28e. Usually, the designer wants to guarantee the highest optical performance in the network for his customer and insure fiber compatibility. Incidentally, all of the cables provided by FIS/TLC contain genuine Corning fiber.

On a large network installation, there may be several installation contractors working on the project. Using compatible fiber is essential for ensuring that the part of the network you install will work correctly with the rest of the system. Before you bid a job, make sure that your cable vendor can provide the correct fiber.

Singlemode Compatibility Issues

There are several domestic fiber manufacturers that produce "standard" SMF-28e singlemode fiber. These companies spec their fiber as being fully compatible with or equivalent to "standard" singlemode fiber. However, if you are adding "off-shore fiber" to an existing network, you may run into some compatibility issues. These include:

• Operating Wavelengths: Corning has enhanced their product to carry wavelengths from 1280-1700nm. However, some "off-shore" fiber still has an attenuation peak in the 1400-1500nm window. These fibers won't be compatible with many of the new Fiber-to-the-Home networks that need to operate at around 1490nm.
  
  
• Index of Refraction (IR): The IR of some "off-shore" fibers is slightly different from the IR of Corning fiber. This difference can cause additional optical loss in a system where the two different fibers meet. This can also cause confusing OTDR results. Under certain conditions, a slight difference of IR between two spliced fibers can produce a "gainer" on an OTDR trace. A "gainer" is an OTDR splice event that appears to gain optical power through the splice instead of showing a slight loss.
  
  
• Splicing: Fusion splicing an "off-shore" fiber to a Corning fiber may require you to set custom splicing parameters in order for your fusion splice machine to fuse properly.

Multimode Considerations

Compatibility problems are not confined to singlemode fiber. There is an issue with multimode fiber regarding "On-Center Laser Launch."

Newer Corning InfiniCor multimode fibers are designed to work in laserbased protocols, such as Gigabit Ethernet, without requiring mode-conditioning patchcords. These new fibers allow you to launch a laser directly into the center of the fiber core without inducing modal dispersion at fast transmission speeds. However, older multimode fibers, and some "off-shore" fibers, won't work in a gigabit network without some sort of off-center launch mode conditioning. If a non-compatible multimode fiber is placed directly into a gigabit network, the network's transmission rate will drop significantly.

Optimizing Fiber Optic Connectors and Splices with an OTDR

An OTDR is most commonly used to test large fiber optic links. However, an OTDR can also be used to maximize i.e. "optimize" the light throughput of a quick-termination connector. Similarly, an OTDR can be used to optimize a mechanical splice that is used to join a pigtail to the field fiber. "Mini" OTDR's are especially useful for this purpose since they are compact and easy to use.

Optimizing connectors and splices involves taking advantage of your OTDR's real-time trace capability. As is always the case with when using an OTDR, you will need a launch cable that is longer than the OTDR’s “dead-zone.” In most cases, a 30-meter patchcord or a 30-meter pulse suppressor will provide the length that you need.

The following explains the general steps involved, although these steps can vary according to the features of your particular OTDR.

1. After attaching the launch cable to the OTDR, switch the OTDR to Short Pulse mode.

2. Next, attach the other end of the launch cable to the connector (or pigtail) by using the appropriate mating sleeve.

3. Press the Scan button on your OTDR to begin a trace. Initially, you will see only a short trace that depicts your launch cable.

4. After stripping and cleaving your field fiber, carefully feed the fiber into the connector.

You will see the scan of the field fiber rise up the OTDR screen. This shows that the optical connection is improving as the field fiber approaches the launch fiber.

If your OTDR has a 2-point loss feature, you can use this feature to provide a good estimate of the light throughput of your connector or splice. This involves placing the OTDR's A and B screen cursors immediately before and after the spike. This spike was caused by the mating of the connector and the fiber.

This optimization technique can help you to reduce labor time and scraped connectors or splices. It will also serve to verify that you have achieved the proper connectivity before the fiber is permanently secured.

Also, when using a Bobtail Quick Term Connector you can use a simple visual fault locator to optimize the connection. The Bobtail has a translucent section that allows the visible light of the VFL to shine through the connector body as you insert the field fiber. Once the field fiber reaches the internal stub fiber, the light should no longer be visible. This indicates that a proper mating of the two fibers has been achieved.