Getting
started in fiber? Interested In New Fiber Applications?
Fiber
U Has The Online Courses You Need -
And Most Offer Certificates of Completion
Fiber U
is the FOA's online training site that offers 12 free online
self-study programs from an introduction to fiber optics
through comprehensive technical courses on subjects like Fiber
Optic Network Design, Testing and OTDRs. Included are 5
applications specific courses (FTTH, OLAN, FTTA, DAS and Data
Centers). Most of the courses follow FOA certification
curriculum. All are intended to educate anyone interested in
the subject (e.g. managers, contractors, supervisors, even
sales personnel) and may be used as preparation for FOA
certification exams for those working toward their FOA
credentials.
A new Fiber
U feature is the option to take an online exam and get a Fiber U
Certificate of Completion for the courses. This shows you
finished the course and learned the material and is recognized
by the FOA as preparation for the appropriate FOA
certifications.
For more about these courses or to take them for free, go to Fiber
U.
More
On Construction - Project Management
FOA
members also contribute to the FOA knowledge base. Alfred
Sankara, a CFOS/D recently shared this article on project
management.
Application
of Standard Project Management Processes in Fiber Optic Cable
Plant Project Management
By
Alfred
Sankara, PMP, CFOS/D – Telecommunications Project Manager
Organizations in the communication industry are proving that
adopting proven project management practices reduces risks, cuts
costs, and improves success rates of projects. The present
article demonstrates how standard project management processes
apply to fiber optic cable plant project management.
The article compares the Project Management Institute (PMI)’s
standards and guidelines to the FOA’s best practices in terms of
fiber optic cable plant project management. PMI is the
world's leading not-for-profit professional association for the
project, program, and portfolio management profession. PMI
strives to mature the profession of project management through
standards, certifications, resources, tools, academic research,
publications, professional development courses, and networking
opportunities.
The PMI’s Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge
(PMBOK ® Guide) defines the project lifecycle as a combination
of the following three (3) main phases: Project Initiation,
Project Execution, and Project Closing. This article shows that
the FOA’s fiber optic cable plant project management lifecycle
phases, which include the Design, Installation, and Testing, fit
with PMI’s recommended project lifecycle.
Alfred
Sankara is a
telecommunications specialist who has been active in the
planning, deployment, and operations of telecommunications
infrastructure since 1999.In the United States and Africa,
Alfred has been involved in the execution of various
telecommunications projects, including plans and
specifications development, fiber optic network deployment
(FTTH, SONET, DWDM, Carrier Ethernet, and OTN) and wireless
network implementation (WiMAX, Wi-Fi, UMTS, and LTE).Alfred
co-founded DigiBridge TelCo to contribute to reduce the
digital divide in emerging countries by assisting
governmental entities to deploy state-of-the-art
telecommunications infrastructure.
Download
a copy of Alfred's article on project management for fiber
optic construction.
What
Happens To The Cable Plant In 25 Years?
A FOA
member trained by Bob Ballard at BDI Datalynk shared some photos
of a cable plant at his facility that had been installed about
25 years ago. Two of the photos he shared are shown below. The
cable plant was installed in a large industrial facility with
metallic conduit going between buildings. The conduit, as you
can see below is not fare so well. The soil was highly caustic
and corroded the conduit until nothing was left.
Water
entered the conduit and eventually penetrated the cable. The
cable, at both ends, had a hard white foamy deposit emerging
from the jacket. The white material tested as being mostly
calcium. It is probably residue from water that was in the cable
reaching the ends and evaporating, leaving a deposit. Anybody
know what kind of gel might have been used in a cable 25 years
ago?
One wonders if a plastic conduit and modern innerduct would
survive 25 years better than these?
But you have to give the fiber optic cable manufacturer credit -
the systems on this cable are still working after 25 years and
the fiber losses are not unreasonable.
Justifying
The Cost Of Testing?
This question was asked of FOA
this month: I’m curious how one calculates the
financial costs of fiber cabling that is suffering from issues
with Return Loss or Input Loss, or should I say the financial
cost associated with loss of the data due to faulty fiber
cable.
We answered: Cabling
problems that are big enough to cause faults in data
transmission can have an enormous effect on data throughput
speeds. Ethernet has ways of checking for data errors. When it
finds an error in a packet, it sends a message asking that
packet to be retransmitted. That ties up the network in both
directions and the retransmission uses bandwidth. Enough errors
can significantly affect network speeds and unless you have
network monitoring, you may never know it. Thus you do not get
the speed from your network you paid for when you installed it.
Cabling issues need to be resolved before they cause network
problems. This means that the design of the cable plant should
include a "loss budget” that shows the cable plant will support
the “power budget” of the network intended to be used on it. (Link
Loss Budgets And Power Budgets ) As the cable plant is
installed, it needs testing to ensure the installation meets the
criteria set by the loss budget. That requires an optical loss
test set (OLTS
Fiber Optic Test Instruments, ~$1K) that can test the loss
of the cable plant (Installed
Cable Plant Testing (FOA-1, OFSTP-7 & 14) Some
networks, like short singlemode links, may also need inspection
for reflectance (return loss) which requires a high resolution
OTDR (OTDR
testing) which is an expensive instrument (>$4-5K)
From the user standpoint (User's Guide To Fiber Optic Networks),
one wants to ensure the installation is proper before paying the
contractor. One user found us after discovering a contractor had
poorly installed 4000 connectors in his facility that needed
replacement. He learned to at least use a microscope to inspect
connectors before accepting the work. Being able to confirm test
results with an OLTS is even better.
Construction
Webinar From Clearfield: Fiber Delivery: Construction Options
That Make Everyone Happy
April
30th at 12:30 Central Time
Join Clearfield for an webinar about the varied options
now available to service providers as alternatives to above
ground cabinets and pedestals. Clearfield's Scot Bohaychyk and
Dura-Line's Matt Milani will present on the topic of "Fiber
Delivery: Construction Options That Make Everyone Happy". Learn
how these new options positively impact the aesthetics of the
environment and streamline the roll out of new services - all
while cutting costs.
The
webinar will take place on April 30th at 12:30 CT -- register
today with this link.
Ever
Wonder "About Air-Blown Fiber"
Air-blown
fiber is an interesting proposition. Instead of a cable, you
install plastic tubes then blow fibers into them. Need different
fibers? Blow the old fibers out and blow new ones in. The US
leader in air-blown fiber is Sumitomo with their FutureFLEX
fiber system. Their website has a "FutureFLEX Information
Center" with technical information and white papers on actual
applications.
Sumitomo's
"FutureFLEX Information Center"
What
You Can Learn From An OTDR
The
colorful traces below were sent to the FOA along with some
questions - summarized as "what's going on here?"
Here is the
background information. The traces were taken of a 10km
submarine cable used for a towed RPV - remote piloted vehicle -
and in this case without a launch cable. The traces are all of
the same fiber over several weeks time as it is stored on a
winch used for payout behind a ship.
The losses here increased from ~3 to ~6dB over 10 km, or ~0.3 to
0.6 dB/km.
The cable was removed from the winch and spooled on a storage
reel. Then the OTDR test was repeated. This was the result.
On the
storage reel, the cable showed reasonable loss - 2.2dB over 10m
= 0.22dB/km @ 1550nm. The conclusion was the winch was putting a
twist in the cable, stressing the fibers and causing higher
loss, especially at 1550nm. When the stress was removed, the
excess loss went away.
Conclusion: Investigate why the winch is putting the twist
on the cable under stress.
New
FOA YouTube Videos - Focus On MPO Connectors - Prefab Cabling
With MPOs, Testing MPOs and MPO Polarity
The Panduit
PanMPO Connector
We've
recently added three more videos - all focused on the MPO array
connector - to the FOA
YouTube channel.
FOA
Lecture 41 Prefabricated (Preterminated) Fiber Optic Cabling
Systems
Prefabricated or preterminated fiber optic cabling systems are
made in a factory and installed with no need for termination or
splicing. This video looks at how they are used, what components
typically are used in manufacturing them and then how to design,
install and use a prefab cabling system.
FOA
Lecture 42 MPO (Multifiber, Array) Connectors and How To
Test Them
MPO fiber optic connectors are multifiber array connectors that
have from 12 to 72 fibers in a single connector. These
connectors are typically used in prefab (preterminated) fiber
optic cabling systems or parallel optics links. They have some
unique characteristics in their design and use that users need
to understand to implement them successfully. This video will
look at their unique features and discuss how to use and test
them in actual cable systems.
FOA
Lecture 43 Managing Polarity of MPO Connectors (using the
PanMPO Connector)
MPO connectors are complicated to manage because they have
gender (male/female or as it is generally called "pin/no pin"
versions) and keying (generally called "key up/key down"). This
creates problems having the right patchcords to test or connect
them in systems. In this video, we show the variations and how
to accommodate them all with one connector - the Panduit PanMPO.
(Thanks to Robert Reid and Panduit for samples to use in the
video.)
Safety
On The Job
Safety is
the most important part of any job. Installers need to
understand the safety issues to be safe. An excellent guide to
analyzing job hazards is from OSHA, the US Occupational Safety
and Health Administration. Here
is a link to their guide for job hazard analysis.
FOA also has lots of information on safety: FOA
Guide, YouTube
video and a Safety
Poster
Quote
of the Month:
"A
survey I carried out last year focused on what big
DCs (data centers) wanted. During lengthy
discussions with Microsoft, they explained they were
implementing parallel single mode as far as
possible, with short copper links. High capex, low
opex and maximum lifespan. That, I would like to
suggest, is the smart way ahead."
From Key Trends in Data
Centre Architecture & Technology, Dr. Alan Flatman,
Principal Consultant, LAN Technologies, takes a closer look at
Data Centre development, the different types that exist, and how
engineers need to balance cost and size against speed and
density. This report has some very interesting graphs.
Download
a copy of the report from Nexans.
"Worth
Reading" Is Now On
Join
FOA on Pinterest.
We have been posting links to pages "Worth
Reading" on a special FOA Pinterest page. You can join and
keep up to date with the news on our industry which we put
there.
Cincinnati
Bell bets on fiber, on the FOA
Pinterest Worth Reading Page
Recent
posts cover utilities using new generation telecom, India's
plan for 100 smart cities, Cincinnati Bell bets on fiber,
various opinions on the US battle over net neutrality, etc.
DAS
(Distributed Antenna Systems) Certification Released, Includes
YouTube Video, Web Pages, Fiber U Self-study Course
FOA
has developed a new training curriculum on DAS that shows how
systems are designed and installed. In our training program, we
pay particular attention to the overlay of DAS on premises
cabling systems as they use similar cabling architectures and
components. To complement the DAS curriculum, we have added a
YouTube video, FOA
Lecture 40, DAS - Distributed Antenna Systems. and a page
on DAS on the FOA Online Guide.
The FOA DAS YouTube video looks at the need for a DAS, how they
are designed, focusing on how they fit into the standard
premises cabling system. Several standards groups are working on
DAS standards, but given their typical speed, one should
probably not expect to see standards for 4-5 years and when
available will probably be obsolete like the TIA standard for
data centers.
In the meantime, you can get information and training from the
FOA. The FOA CFOS/DAS curriculum will be available through FOA
approved schools and will become a online self-study course on Fiber
U soon.
FOA
Lecture 40, DAS - Distributed Antenna Systems
Clean
Every Connector - A Lesson We Learned From Creating Lessons
In creating
the fiber
characterization
curriculum, we got inputs from many experienced techs about the
testing requirements. Everyone we talked to made a big point
about cleaning and inspecting connectors before testing. Dirty
connectors are a major problem with errors in testing. We've
also seen that many installers think that if a connector,
especially new connectors, has a "dust cap" on the connector, it
does not need cleaning. WRONG!
The common name for the plastic caps on connector ferrules is
"dust cap" and a friend says they
are called "dust caps" because they are full of dust.
Those plastic caps are made by the millions, popped out of
plastic molding machines into barrels and stored until put into
plastic bags. Whenever you remove one of them, clean the
connector before testing or connecting it.
More on connector cleaning is here and here.
Good
Practice Tools For OTDRs, All Free
FOA
OTDR Simulator
You
may already know that the FOA has a free OTDR Simulator you can
download from our website (go
here for directions) that allows you to practice using an
OTDR on your PC, seeing the effects of changing setup parameters
and analyzing dozens of real world traces. But here are two more
tools that can be good for practice.
OTDR
FAQs
Including
more hints from FOA Master Instructor Terry O'Malley like tests
on what the end of a fiber trace looks like with broken and
cleaved fibers.
Frequently
Asked Questions On OTDRS And Hints On Their Use
"Fiberizer"
APP Reads, Analyzes OTDR Traces
Fiberizer
is a iPhone/iPad APP that reads industry-standard ".sor" format
files and allows trace analysis on your iPhone or iPad. An
android version is in the works too. Read
more about Fiberizer. And
here are more directions on its use.
FOA Now
Offers Fiber Optic Textbook and Web Pages In Spanish And
French
If
you are teaching fiber optics, contact us as we are now
translating the FOA CFOT training curriculum also.
Events of
Interest
Light
Reading's Big Telecom Event (BTE) is the premier North
American event in the telecom space featuring more than 80
top-notch service provider speakers from the world's leading
telcos. BTE 2015 tackles the big issues facing the telecom
industry and how service providers can make money from them.
Special offer for Fiber Optic
Association members: REGISTER TODAY for complimentary
or discounted VIP admission. BTE provides complimentary
admission to employees of service providers, operators,
financial and educational institutions, utilities and government
agencies. All others will receive a 20% discount. Enter promo
code FOA20.
Please use this link for the registration page (its tracked): http://www.bigtelecomevent.com/d/yrqjk6/4W?RefID=FOA20
Or to go to main site this link: http://www.bigtelecomevent.com/d/6rqjk6?RefID=FOA20
And promo code: FOA20
Don't
Miss These Seminars and Webinars:
Passive
Optical LAN enlightening the enterprise LAN! Thursday
April 16th 2015 at 11:00 a.m. EDT / 3:00 p.m. GMT
The
Association for Passive Optical LAN invites you to
attend a webinar to learn how advancements in optical
technologies are helping to evolve the LAN to better
support modern IT services and applications of the third
millennium. CIOs, IT staff, architects, engineers, and
consultants will learn how deploying high performance,
fiber‐based,
LAN infrastructure can help lower money, energy and
space impacts across multiple markets. To date,
customers in verticals such as healthcare, government,
education, hospitality and enterprise have all enjoyed
these benefits.
Topics
will include:
-
Engineer
in Healthcare market viewpoint –
Darren Vican, RCDD, OSP Vice President from RTKL
Associates Inc. will speak to the proactive
preparation in the design and implementation of a
LAN infrastructure that promotes fiber cabling and
passive optical network in hospitals.
-
Integrator
in Federal Government market viewpoint –
Dustin Bateman, Senior Solutions Architect of VT
Group will offer insight in to special
considerations given to the installation,
integration and commissioning of optical line
terminals and optical network terminals within a
gigabit passive optical network in both civil and
military government facilities.
-
IT
Director in Education market viewpoint –
Ron Velez, Director of Management and Information
Systems (MIS), White Plains City School District
will provide us with lessons- learned from deploying
Passive Optical LAN technology within their school
district. He will discuss how passive Optical LAN
uniquely exceeds the needs for the modern
classrooms, teachers and the students.
-
Lively
debate of your questions -
APOLAN will moderate an interactive roundtable
discussion, based on the live questions fielded from
the webinar attendees. This will be your opportunity
to ask our Engineer, System Integrator and IT
Director questions relative to the subtle nuances of
their particular vertical market.
-
Attendee
Registration Link:
http://bit.ly/apolan416
Fiber
Testing - Presented By Jim Hayes, FOA
This event
will be held April 9, 2015
1:00 PM EDT / 12:00 PM CDT / 10:00 AM PDT / 5:00 PM GMT
This
webcast seminar, presented by Jim Hayes, examines several ways
in which fiber testing- both insertion loss and OTDR testing -
has evolved. The seminar will begin with a basic tutorial of
fiber-transmission principles and test fundamentals. It will
then discuss the uncertainties of each fiber-optic measurement
method. The seminar will then address some of the developments
that have served to improve the certainty of test results, as
well as how technicians can use their instruments more
effectively to reduce measurement errors.
Sign
Up Here
Fiber
Termination and Splicing Practices and Tools - Presented By
Jim Hayes, FOA
This event will be held March 11, 2015
1:00 PM EDT / 12:00 PM CDT / 10:00 AM PDT / 5:00 PM GMT
Sign
Up Here
The increasing use of fiber-optic cabling systems in networks of
all types makes the connecting of fibers to one another a
more-important concern, in more networks, than ever before. And
while preterminated fiber systems are favorites in some
applications, field termination and splicing remain paramount to
a vast majority of installations. This webcast seminar, produced
by Cabling Installation & Maintenance and delivered by Fiber
Optic Association president and founder Jim Hayes, provides
in-depth information on both the tools and the practices
involved in fiber splicing and termination. It covers the
spectrum of connector-termination styles and techniques,
including critical “dos” and “don’ts” for installers in the
field. The seminar also details the procedures and equipment
used during the fiber splicing process, similarly addressing
best practices and those to avoid.
Available
now - Sign
Up Here
Free
Webcast: Best Practices for Deploying Preterminated
Fiber-Optic Systems - Presented by FOA's Jim Hayes
Available
anytime
Sign
up here.
The
popularity of preterminated fiber-optic systems continues to
rise, as network owners realize the multidimensional benefits
of these cablingsystems in several environments. Whether it is
between servers inside a data center or between wireless
towers outdoors, a preterminated fiber-optic cablingsystem
offers efficiency in the fiber-connectivity process. These
systems, however, do require careful forethought, planning,
acceptance and, yes,installation. This webcast seminar,
produced by Cabling Installation & Maintenance and
delivered by Fiber Optic Association president Jim Hayes,
describes the requirements and best practicesof deploying
preterminated or “prefabricated” fiber-optic cabling. It
covers the necessities of acceptance inspection, cleaning and
testing, as well asproper design and installation techniques.
Sign
up here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
How to Cut Cost and Improve Service with Passive Optical
Networking, Sponsored
By IBM
Campus Technology Webcast:
Date: March 26, 2015 Time: 12:00pm PT
What can you do to prepare your IT environment for the future?
What should you do about refreshing your LAN environment – e.g.
build new or simply expand your existing network? And perhaps
most importantly, what can you do to greatly increase service
levels without significant increases to your budget?
Join this webcast to hear how the White Plains School District
collaborated with IBM to improve their network with Passive
Optical Networking (PON). With cost savings of 30-50% less to
install and operate, PON offers a great alternative to copper.
Find out more about the journey, ask questions, and learn how to
make your Higher Ed network faster, less costly, and improve
your user experience all at the same time.
Sign
up here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
LAN
Standards, News & Trends 2015 Update
Presented by Cindy Montstream, Legrand/Ortronics and Adrian
Young, Fluke Networks
Standards are quite literally the backbone of the structured
cabling industry. Understanding how standards have evolved, and
how they impact your business, is critical. Here's your chance
to stay current with evolving requirements and ask questions
that you might have on how to interpret them for your network.
This webinar will summarize activities in TR-42 and IEEE task
forces.
Now
Available on Demand! Available anytime. (https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/727/148713)
Design
& Deployment Best Practices for Reliable Industrial Fiber
Optic Networks
Presented by Robert Reid, Panduit
Available anytime (https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/727/137229)
Avoid EMI while achieving longer distances and higher
performance utilizing fiber optics for EtherNet/IP networks
across manufacturing zones and devices. In this webinar, you'll
hear about physical layer best practices and understand proper
fiber media selection for each physical layer in the EtherNet/IP
network. We will review design recommendations and
considerations to help you successfully deploy a robust and
secure plant-wide implementation of EtherNet/IP
TIA
FOTC offers regular webinars and archives
them here so you can watch anytime.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 New
local programs for fiber installation training
See
the Light® Fiber Optic Training Program
Webinars, seminars and certification training classes.
Corning offers a library of
more than 200 hundred videos that help our customers
with everything from product preparation and installation to
proper testing procedures. Our free Video Library Tool provides
direct links to individual Corning videos, and allows you to
filter by topic or area of interest. Register
to download the Video Library Tool.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
RETURN
TO INDEX
 What's
Happening @ FOA
FOA
has three LinkedIn Groups
FOA
- covers FOA, technology and jobs in the fiber optic marketplace
FOA
Fiber Optic Training - open to all, covers fiber optic
technology and training topics
FOA
School Instructors - a closed group for instructors and
administrators at FOA-approved schools
Grupo
de La Asociación de Fibra Óptica FOA (Español)
 Corporate
Memberships
FOA is now
offering memberships to companies involved in fiber optics as
manufacturers, contractors, installers, etc. and government
organizations also. Corporate Membership gives companies
discounts on memberships and direct certifications and access to
special FOA materials for educating customers and employees. Read
more.
FOA
Standards:
FOA now offers free standards for datalinks and testing the
installed fiber optic cable plant, patchcords and cable, optical
power from transmitters or at receivers and OTDR testing.
What
Is A Fiber Optic Cable Plant?
In a recent
standards meeting, that issue was discussed with some
disagreement as to what constituted a "cable plant." It seemed
to be a perfect topic for another FOA "1Page Standard," so a
draft version is now uploaded for review (FOA
Standard FOA-6, Fiber Optic Cable Plant). Feel free to
review it and comment to the FOA at info@thefoa.org.
Available
also is a new standard for Datalinks.
Look for the "1
PageStandard" web page and in the FOA Online Reference
Guide.
Go to the
FOA "1
Page Standards"
Free
For FOA Members: NECA/FOA 301 Fiber Optic Installation
Standard
Standards
cover components and systems and how to test them, but rarely
get into installation issues. The FOA NECA 301 standard which
covers installation of optical fiber systems has been revised
for the second time, adding considerable new materials. This
standard is derived from FOA educational material put in
standards form and approved by ANSI as an American National
Standard. It's specifically written to be used in contracts to
define "installation in a neat and workmanlike manner." The
standard is available from NECA.
FOA members can go
here for instructions on how to download your free copy.
RETURN
TO INDEX
Free
Fiber U Self-Study Programs
FOA's
"Fiber U" free online self-study programs help you learn about
fiber optics, study for FOA certifications or use them to help
create "blended learning" classes. There are two new free online
self-study programs on Fiber
U. Fiber Optic Network Design is for those interested in
learning more about how to design fiber optic networks or
studying for the CFOS/D certification. FTTx is for those wanting
to know more about fiber to the "x" - curb, home, wireless, etc.
- or studying for the CFOS/H certification.
Got to Fiber U
for more information.
Most
Fiber U Online Self-Study Programs Offer Option Of Certificate
of Completion
FOA has
been offering quite a few free online self-study programs on Fiber
U, our online learning site. We are always getting
questions about getting a certificate for completing the course
online, so we have setup an option to take a test online and get
a certificate of completion for these two online courses.
While it's not FOA certification, FOA will recognize a Fiber
U Certificate of Completion as background experience to
qualify for applying for FOA certifications. We also intend to
expand the program to more specialized topics as preparation
for FOA specialist certifications.
If you have associates that want to get started in fiber,
have them take this course online to get started. Go to Fiber
U and get started.
Lennie
& Uncle Ted Now Available As Free Books on iTunes
Lennie
Lightwave's Guide to Fiber Optics and Uncle Ted's Guide To
Premises Cabling are now available free to iPad users who can
download them from the Apple iTunes store.
Lennie's
Guide has always been the world's favorite introduction to fiber
optics. It was first published in the mid-1990s by Fotec, the
fiber optic test equipment company famous for its "Fiber U"
training conferences and more than 60,000 printed copies were
distributed. Lennie was one of the earliest commercial webpages
and is still online today (and as popular as ever) at http://lennielightwave.com.
Uncle
Ted's Guide was created at the request of Lennie readers
who wanted a similar simple introduction to "Cat 5" wiring. This
latest version of Uncle Ted's Guide covers the all premises
cabling topics - wiring, fiber and wireless.
You can find these free guides on Apple's iTunes Store: Lennie
Lightwave's Guide to Fiber Optics and Uncle
Ted's Guide To Premises Cabling
FOA
Textbook Now Available in French / FOA manuel disponible
en français
Available
from Amazon.com / Disponible
sur Amazon.com
And
from Createspace / Et
à partir de Createspace
FOA Now
Offers Fiber Optic Textbook In Spanish
Guía de
Referencia de la Asociación de Fibra Óptica (FOA) Sobre Fibra
Óptica
- Reference
Books for FOA Certifications available on Kindle and
iPad/iPhone as well as printed
We have created three new FOA books to be used in training for
FOA certifications and as reference books for contractors,
installers and end users of fiber optics. These books have
full curriculum support, including free curriculum materials
for teaching FOA certification courses. Because we are
self-publishing these books using more modern "publish on
demand" technology, they are easier to keep up to date, easier
to buy and much, MUCH cheaper!
All
are now available in print and electronically in Kindle and
Apple iBook versions. The basic fiber optic book is also
available as a self-study program in an Apple APP for
iPad/iPhone/iPod.
Details on the new book each of the new books are at the book
pages linked to the photos above.
RETURN
TO INDEX
FOA
iPad Apps
FOA
LossCalc
 FOA
LossCalc estimates the optical loss of a fiber optic link. This
will save time for the installer of a fiber optic link needing
to know whether test results are reasonable and/or make a
"pass/fail" determination. It can also help the designer of a
link to determine if communications equipment will operate over
this link.
By choosing the type of link (singlemode or multimode) and
specifying the length of the fiber and numbers of connections
and splices, it will calculate the end to end loss of the link.
The app has default specifications for singlemode and multimode
links or the user may create custom setups with specifications
appropriate for any application. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foa-losscalc/id476262894?mt=8&ls=1
Self -Study in Fiber Optics
 Our
first app is a self-study version of the FOA Reference Guide to
Fiber Optics. The FOA APP builds on the FOA basic fiber optic
textbook to create an interactive learning environment that
builds on the iBook electronic version of the book to add a
guide to use for self-study and real-time testing that provides
feedback on what you have learned and correct answers to
questions answered incorrectly.
The FOA APP is priced at only $9.99, same as the iBook, so the
self-study program is free. Download it from the Apple APP Store
with your iPad or iTunes.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foa-guide/id434354283?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
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TO INDEX
The
FOA has many videos on ,
including two Lecture Series (Fiber Optics and Premises
Cabling), Hands-On lectures on both and some other informational
and instructional videos. For all the videos, go
to the FOA Channel "thefoainc" or use the direct links
below.
Three
New Component/Installation Videos - Focused on MPO Connectors
FOA
Lecture 41 Prefabricated (Preterminated) Fiber Optic Cabling
Systems
Prefabricated or preterminated fiber optic cabling systems are
made in a factory and installed with no need for termination or
splicing. This video looks at how they are used, what components
typically are used in manufacturing them and then how to design,
install and use a prefab cabling system.
FOA
Lecture 42 MPO (Multifiber, Array) Connectors and How To Test
Them
MPO fiber optic connectors are multifiber array connectors that
have from 12 to 72 fibers in a single connector. These
connectors are typically used in prefab (preterminated) fiber
optic cabling systems or parallel optics links. They have some
unique characteristics in their design and use that users need
to understand to implement them successfully. This video will
look at their unique features and discuss how to use and test
them in actual cable systems.
FOA
Lecture 43 Managing Polarity of MPO Connectors (using the
PanMPO Connector)
MPO connectors are complicated to manage because they have
gender (male/female or as it is generally called "pin/no pin"
versions) and keying (generally called "key up/key down").
This creates problems having the right patchcords to test or
connect them in systems. In this video, we show the variations
and how to accommodate them all with one connector - the
Panduit PanMPO. (Thanks to Robert Reid and Panduit for samples
to use in the video.)
For End Users - Who Think Fiber
Needs Maintenance
FOA
Lecture 39 Maintaining Fiber Optic Networks
Two New Applications Videos
To accompany new FOA certifications in FTTA and Data Centers
FOA
Lecture 37: FTTA (Fiber To The Antenna) and Data Center
Cabling
FOA
Lecture 38: Data Center Cabling
FOA Product Demonstrations
In the June FOA Newsletter, we talked about the new 3M
"disposable" cleaver, the Easy Cleaver, which is provided free
with 3M connectors and mechanical splices that need cleavers. We
got samples of the Easy Cleaver from 3M and tested them
ourselves, and they work great. You can see for yourself how
they work in this FOA
YouTube Video about the Easy Cleaver.
We also tested the new Ripley/Miller FO-CF Center Feed Fiber
Stripper and used it as an opportunity to show the other three
common types of strippers, the Miller, MicroStrip and NoNik and
how they are used. So you get a review of how to strip fiber and
a product review of the new stripper in this FOA
YouTube video about fiber strippers.
New FOA Lectures - Jargon and
Jobs
How to
Talk Fiber Optics - an introduction to fiber optic jargon
- the perfect place to start learning about fiber optics.
Where Are
The Jobs In Fiber Optics? FOA talks about all the
applications for fiber optics, what jobs involve and the
qualifications for the workers in the field.
What's A "Network"
That's a common question from fiber and cabling people. Even
though they may be installing the cable plants for networks,
often the nature of networks is not something they have been
exposed to, other than perhaps the catch-all "star network"
description. But what is a network? What does it connect? How
does it connect users and how does it allocate the bandwidth to
them? How do various network types vary?
We've been working on some new YouTube videos on networks,
starting as we usually do on a new subject with the basics. We
have these three videos online now, but watch for more.
Fiber
Optics - Live! A
series of videos that use lab demonstrations to show how
optical fiber works.
Prepolished/Splice
Connector Termination (Panduit OptiCam)
Cabling
Project Management - what's involved in a
copper/fiber/wireless project -advice for the customer and the
contractor
Hazards
Of Counterfeit Cable
You may
have read the stories we have written about the counterfeit
"Cat 5" cable made from copper-clad aluminum rather than pure
copper. Recently we tried an unscientific burn test on the
cable compared to a known good UL tested cable and posted a
video on YouTube. You can see the results below.
Counterfeit
Cable Real UL-rated cable
The
difference is obvious and the danger is real. Watch the video
on YouTube: Premises
Cabling Lecture 11: Counterfeit Cat 5 Cabling
View a
complete list of FOA Videos with links to each video on
YouTube.
View
all the FOA Channel on YouTube.
RETURN
TO INDEX
What's
New in the FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide?
We have
been updating the Online Reference Guide to keep up with changes
in the industry and adding lots of new pages of technical
information.
Fiber For Wireless: FTTA
and DAS
FOA
Guide page on Metrology-
the accuracy of measurements
Updated page on Data
Centers
Le
Guide de référence pour la fibre optique de la FOA est
maintenant disponible en français.
Updates
for new FOA certifications in FTTA
and Data
Centers
What do you do when you need to test fiber or
cable on a reel? Here is a new page on Bare
Fiber Testing
Couplers or splitters are used in FTTH and OLANs. How
do you Test Splitters?
Tapping fiber has been a big topic in the news. How
do you tap fiber?
The page on Optical
LANs (OLANs) has been expanded with new material and
links.
What's
A Network? A simple explanation of network types and
operation has been added to the FOA Online Guide.
We
have updated the
"Datalinks"
page.
Three
"Quickstart Guides" for fiber optic testing: cable
plant & patchcord loss, power
and OTDR
Learn
More About OTDRs - Download a Free OTDR Simulator
More and more installers are being asked for OTDR testing but
using these instruments is not easy. They are hard to set up
properly and complicated to interpret the traces. Using the
autotest function can lead to disastrous results! The FOA has a
good tutorial on OTDRs on our Online Reference Guide and we
added a free download of an OTDR
simulator to the OTDR
section so you can learn how to use an OTDR on your PC.
More
New Info:
Links
to manufacturers
and distributors of fiber optic lighting products.
The
FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide has become very
popular - perhaps the most popular technical website ever,
typically with over 360,000 users downloading about 1.75 million
pages in 2011! We continue updating materials regularly, keeping
it as up to date as possible.
Find
What You Want Using "Google Custom Search
 There's
so much information on the FOA Tech Topics and Online Fiber
Optic Reference Guide that even a well-organized Table of
Contents isn't enough and when the material is always changing,
an index is impossible to maintain. So the FOA is using the
latest technology in search, Google Custom Search, which will
allow you to search just the FOA Tech Topics and
Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide for any topic you want to
find more about. Try
it!
Go
to The
FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide.
RETURN
TO INDEX
New
Schools
The FOA welcomes the newest additions to our listing of FOA-Approved
Training Organizations:
FOA
welcomes two new training organizations this month. Both Tim
Yount and Steve Wolszczak
are highly experienced in the fiber optic field with years of
experience in the test equipment business. Both are experts in
fiber characterization and can provide high level training in
this area as well as the other FOA certification courses.
Tim Yount,
VP Training
Fiber Insight
South Portland, ME 04116
www.fiberinsight.com
FOA Approved School # 339
Steve Wolszczak, Lead Trainer
Midwest Lightwave
Greenwood, Indiana 46142
Email: steve@midwestlightwave.com, steve@midwestlightwave.com
midwestlightwave.com
FOA Approved School # 340
Find
a listing of all the FOA-Approved schools here.
Find
A FOA-Approved Training Organization
Most
inqiries we get regarding finding a FOA-Approved training
organization want to know two things: what school is closest to
me or what school offers the certifications I need. The FOA has
about 200 training organizations we have approved worldwide so
finding the right one can be difficult! We've been looking at
ways to make it easier, and we think we've got a good solution.
In fact we have two solutions.
First we have added a sortable
table of all the FOA-Approved schools.
You can also use our FOA
Google Map to find FOA-Approved schools.
What
Should A Fiber Optics or Cabling Tech Know and What Skills Do
They Need?
FOA
certifications are based on our KSAs - the Knowledge, Skills and
Abilities that techs need to succeed. Read the FOA KSAs
for fiber and cabling techs.
School News
Feedback
We always
enjoy feedback, especially when it shows how great some FOA
instructors are. These came from students of Tom Rauch, an
instructor at BDI
Datalynk:
"I took your fiber optics certification courses this past March.
I just wanted to let you know that in two weeks I start working
as a fiber optic technician with ___ up in ___. You mentioned on
the first day of the course that there is always one guy in
class who had rubbed his last two nickels together to be there
and, in that instance, I was that guy. Now I'm going to be able
to provide for my family like never before and I owe it to the
certification that I received from you and BDI Datalynk. I just
wanted to thank you again."
"Thanks to our tremendously knowledgeable and patient instructor
Thomas Rauch, who was not only generous in sharing his wealth of
information, but he did so with ease, humor and in a way that
invited curiosity and participation. He was encouraging and
proud of our accomplishments and helped us learn from our
mistakes in a way that did not break our confidence, rather it
pushed us to better results the next go around. The hands on
labs were just AWESOME!" Just thought you should know what a
class act you have representing you in his travels..... but then
again you probably already knew that! : )
In almost 19 years at Verizon and having held numerous
positions, I have gone through many training sessions. I cannot
remember ever having been actually looking forward to coming
back to class quickly after lunch, to get back to the hands on
activities, and walking away with the sense of empowerment that
the information presented was not only relevant but dead on
point accurate! I will be signing up for the Outside Plant class
on March! I can't say enough good things about Tom and his
impact! Feel free to quote me, I can only imagine that he will
open so many doors and change so many lives in the years to
come, with his style of teaching! Great experience, awesome job!"
IBEW
and FOA Partner on Fiber Optic Training
The
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) and the
National Electrical Contractors Association(NECA) through the
National Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee
(NJATC) in
a partnership with the FOA has published a new textbook for
training IBEW apprentices and journeymen in fiber optics. The
new textbook uses the material from the FOA Reference Guide To
Fiber Optics with new material and photos from other NJATC
training partners.
FOA is pleased to have been able to assist the NJATC in the
development of this new text. FOA has been a NJATC training
partner for many years, including offering instructor training
at more than 16 of the NJATC's summer National Training
Institutes. A majority of IBEW NECA contractors do fiber optics
and low voltage, especially for applications that combine
electrical and communications cabling like smart grid,
alternative energy, traffic controls, data centers, etc.
Quote
from one of our certified instructors: I want to thank
you and your organization for all the resources you provide for
the students and the opportunity to offer the certification to
the students. The fact that you published the book yourself to
get the cost down and the unlimited free resources on your
website shows a commitment to the public that is second to none.
I let it be known to the students that the FOA is the best in
the industry at supplying knowledge and resources related to the
communication industry. I look forward to passing on the
information that you provide for the industry.
Great
Video About An FOA School And Their Training
BDI
Datalynk trains at the Unversity of Central Florida. UCF
created this incredible video on the BDI Datalynk program.
It shows the power of what they
offer on campuses around the US.
Watch the video here: http://www.ce.ucf.edu/Program/2583/Fiber-Optics-Network-Certification-Courses-Non-credit/
For more information, contact Bob Ballard, CFOS/I, BDI DataLynk,
LLC, A Vietnam Veteran-Owned Company
www.bdidatalynk.com,
Ph: 512-785-9024
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TO INDEX
Good
Question! Tech Questions/Comments Worth Repeating
Real
Questions From FOA Newsletter Readers
Fiber
On A Pipeline
Q: We would appreciate if you could please advise me
on the following aspects on FO cable intended to be used for
data transmission for a cross-country hydro-carbon pipeline:
1. What is the maximum length of a
single run of FO cable that can be produced, transported,
handled & installed, considering any practical constraints
of production/transportation/ handling/ installation?
2. What are the methods by which the
long-haul FO cables (kilometres long) are usually i) transported
(series of cable drums on pallets?), ii) handled & iii)
installed (onshore as well as offshore)?
3. Any other precautions/ word of advice
in the above case?
A: Most manufacturers
have available lengths of “regular” cable up to about 12km, but
it depends on the cable type - the weight and bulk is the
problem. Submarine cables are built on board ships and have
lengths of thousands of km, but they are a very special case.
Once you have an idea of how many fibers you need and the cable
type, you can talk to manufacturers to get a more precise
answer.
Transportation is by cables on reels transported on special
trucks that have spindles to pay out the cable or cables on
spools transported with the cable spools upright, sitting
on the edges, not the sides, so they can be easily rolled around
or put on a spindle to pay out for installation. Upright spools
can also be picked up by forklifts without damaging the cables.
I would assume that if you are building a pipeline, you have
good roads alongside it so weight is not a problem and bigger
spools can be accommodated.
Rural
Network Opex (Operating Expense)
Q: I'm looking for some resources that will help me
figure out the operating costs of a rural fiber network. I would
appreciate it if you could point me in the right direction.
A: Estimating OPEX is very difficult unless you are a
network owner with historical data. Fiber itself has little
maintenance. Properly installed, it has no routine maintenance
requirements and can operate for decades without needing
assistance. See
http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/user/maintain.html
Repairs are the biggest expense for the cable plant - if you
have aerial cable, it can be damaged by vehicles hitting poles
or - at least out West, but unlikely in MA, target practice -
underground cables can be flooded and frozen in the North or dug
up by contractors who never heard of "Call Before You Dig."
Overall network OPEX is the usual provisioning, adding
subscribers, upgrading equipment, etc. - nothing to do with the
fiber network beyond construction to add subscribers but simply
running a system. That all ties into what kind of system(s) you
are running.
Planning for the environment, future expansion and adding
subscribers is important to keep costs low. We're working with a
rural system - an electrical utility in this case - in the CA
mountains on a broadband/smart grid project that's probably
similar to you. (We know your region, we lived in Boston for 30
years before moving to CA in 2003, had a son go to Hampshire and
my family was from the area starting 330 years ago). For your
area, the important issues are preparing for the weather and
ensuring the contractors are used to designing/installing the
cable plant that must withstand freezing cold to blistering hot
weather!
Getting
Old Cables Out Of Conduit
Q: How do you get old cables out of a conduit when
they are stuck?
A: Usually we are concerned about reducing friction
when pulling cables through conduit, but sometimes you need to
get them out. Here
is a page from American Polywater the leading lubricant
company with advice on the subject.
OTDRs
For MM Fiber?
Q: I watched the OTDR presentation and would like to
clarify some conditions of the standard OTDR test. I am sure
that single mode fibers are testable by OTDR. Does the test
apply to multimode fibers?
A: Yes OTDRs are used
for multimode fiber, but because many MM links are short and
OTDR distance resolution is often not very good, the usefulness
of such measurements may be limited.
Many of the technical questions we get here at FOA relate to
OTDR testing and often resolution is an issue.
If you want to use an OTDR to test short MM links, you need a
very high resolution OTDR. Testing is always better at 850nm
because the trace has more amplitude and can use less
amplification for better resolution. Besides there is little use
of MM at 1300nm anymore.
The second issue is mode power distribution - see http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/testing/test/MPD.html
The laser source of the OTDR launches mainly into the center of
the fiber so any loss at a connector is minimized. That affects
reflectance measurements too but I’ve never seen it analyzed.
Finally, most MM users are novices, often sold a device they
have little training on, so they hit the “auto test” button and
store th results because they have no idea what the instrument
is doing. Not a good idea…
Storage
of Optical Cable
Q: I would like to know that the procedure for long
time storage and preservation of fiber optic cables.
A: The preferred
guidelines are fairly simple - store the cable on the reel in a
indoor dry location where the temperature is moderate - say
10-40deg C- and humidity is also moderate. Have the spools
sitting on the edges or on a spindle (see
Nexans guidelines here).
OTDR
Loopbacks
Q: We are looking at running a OTDR test across a pair
of fibre’s but instead of running a OTDR test from A-B and then
B-A, we are looping the fibres at exchange B and doing the OTDR
test at on F1 &2 at Site A. We have launch cords and trail
leads on Fibres one and two but I’m wondering what length of
fibre should the loop be, would 50m be acceptable. Typically the
sites are 10-20km apart.
A: Loopback tests are a
good way to simplify OTDR testing. On a 10-20km run, the
loopback needs to be long enough to allow both connections on
the far end to be seen, so it depends on the pulse width of the
OTDR. I suspect 50m is too short - I’d say use 500-1000m to
ensure all the data is valid.
Manufacturing
Guide?
Q: Is there a guide published by FOA that provides
insight as to the process of fiber optic manufacturing? It's my
understanding that the guide stresses quality and controls to
ensure performance and reduce product loss?
A: We do have a guide
for manufacturers. It is mostly aimed at communications systems
and components manufacture. Here
is a link to download it.
How
Long Does Termination Take?
FOA received a request from a consultant recently wondering if
we had information on the termination times for fiber optic
cables. After some looking in our archives, we realized we had a
document online that compared times for various fiber optic
termination processes. The paper was written after several FOA
instructors did a comprehensive time and motion study on
termination processes. The document is about 15 years old but
still relevant.
You
can read it here in the FOA Online Guide.
Testing
Connectors (From A Patchcord Maker)
Q: What are the chief defining standard(s) that
specifies connector and assembly IL (insertion loss) and RL
(return loss or reflectance) for both SM and MM fiber?
A: The description on
our Guide is here: http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/testing/test/conntest.html
FOTP-34 covers connector testing as a qualification test
for the type of connector - basically a "destructive" test for
connector manufacturers.
Reflectance is described on that page and here also: http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/testing/test/reflectance.html
Testing an assembly like a patchcord is covered under
FOTP-107 http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/testing/test/FOTP-171.html
Basic
Tests For Fiber Optic Cable Plants
Q: I did some research and I noticed that there is a
bunch of tests that can be done to fiber optics and I was
wondering if there is a list of primary tests that can be done
as a basic test.
A: Fiber optic testing
does have a hierarchy of tests.
- At
the top of the list is "insertion loss" testing which uses a
light source and power meter to test the fibers in the
same way that a communications system transmits over the
fiber. It is a simple test and the equipment needed is
inexpensive.
- Techs
will also use a microscope to inspect the fiber optic
connectors for dirt and damage, a big issue for fiber.
- The
instrument called an "OTDR" takes a snapshot of the fiber
using a technique like radar. Most outside plant cables are
tested with an OTDR and the data ( the snapshots are called
"traces") stored for future reference. OTDRs are more
expensive and require more training to use properly.
Here is a
link to a page on the FOA Guide site that explains the
technical,details: http://thefoa.org/tech/ref/testing/test/OFSTP-14.html
FOA also has information just for users of fiber optic networks,
see http://thefoa.org/tech/guides/UG3.pdf
How
to Clean POF (plastic optical fiber)
Q: I
heard that plastic fibres such as PMMA can suffer damage from
cleaning from an alcohol solution. Are there alternate cleaning
solutions available for these types of fibres."
A: You can use a 10/90
mix of isopropyl alcohol/water. Typically use with a lint
free swab. (from out POF consultants)
Testing
Bare Fibers With OTDR
Q: We are starting to test some OPGW cables. We have an
OTDR but we don’t find some reusable connectors. If we have to
test an OPGW with 48 fibres, we can’t set up 48 SC connectors!
Are there some reusable connectors in the commerce?
A: I assume you mean you
need to test with a bare fiber on the OPGW. For testing bare
fiber, use a splice, not a connector. Have a long pigtail on the
OTDR as a launch cable, long enough for the test pulse to
settle, say 100-500m, then use a splice for a temporary
connection. You can fusion splice the fibers then cut the splice
out or use a removable splice like the Corning Camsplice
(http://catalog.corning.com/opcomm/en-US/catalog/ProductDetails.aspx?cid=&pid=17929&vid=18219)
If you use a mechanical splice, you need a high quality cleaver
just like with fusion splicing and after several uses, you need
to add more index matching gel or liquid - mineral oil works OK.
See
the FOA page on Testing
Bare Fiber.
Is A Flashlight Test Adequate?
Q:
I contracted a firm to install an OM3 of 200 meters. On
one end I have an SFP 1000SX ,on the other a 1000SX
converter from optical to UTP. We made pings but they never
reached, and I didn’t see the laser at the extreme of the fiber.
They promised me to send me the certification they supposely
made ,though they assured me the fiber is ok, because WITH
A FLASHLIGHT THEY SENT WHITE LIGHT FROM ONE SIDE TO THE OTHER
AND IT WAS VISIBLE. I saw the light too, and I thought the
culprit was my switch or my SFP. I want to know: is this a good
demonstration that the fiber is ok?
A: A visual continuity
test is not adequate - your eye is not calibrated! The power of
the lamp is unimportant as each eye’s sensitivity is different.
And your eye probably cannot see the light from a 850nm VCSEL
source - most people’s eyes are not sensitive at that infrared
wavelength. The installer should have tested the link with a
light source and power meter (http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/testing/test/OFSTP-14.html)
and given you the loss in dB. The connectors should also be
inspected with a microscope to ensure proper polishing and
cleanliness
(http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/testing/test/scope.html). If the
SFP output is -6dBm, what is the power at the receiver?
1000base-SX is supposed to work with 4.5dB loss (see
http://www.thefoa.org/tech/Linkspec.htm). The fiber loss should
be ~0.6 dB, so you must have >4dB connector losses! That says
bad installation! The 1000SX link should work over 200m if the
fiber has been properly installed.
Older Fiber?
Q: I have some 62.5 mm and sm inside fiber plant over
20 years old. When is a good time to upgrade?
A: When you need to or
have to. If it's working OK, there is no need to upgrade!
"Connector Loss" or "Connection
Loss"
Q: I have always counted the loss of a connector as .75
dB (568B-3) and 1.5 for a mated pair. Is that correct?
A: While the industry
always says "connector" loss, it is actually "connection" loss.
As we explain in the page on termination and splicing (http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/basic/term.html)
When we say "connector" loss, we really mean "connection" loss -
the loss of a mated pair of connectors, expressed in "dB." Thus,
testing connectors requires mating them to reference connectors
which must be high quality connectors themselves to not
adversely affect the measured loss when mated to an unknown
connector. This is an important point often not fully
explained. In order to measure the loss of the connectors
you must mate them to a similar, known good, connector. When a
connector being tested is mated to several different connectors,
it may have different losses, because those losses are dependent
on the reference connector it is mated to."
The
TIA spec of 0.75dB is for a mated pair of connectors. If you
have been passing connectors tested @ 1.5dB loss....you may have
some very bad connectors in your cabling!
Microscope
Magnification (11/13)
Q: I am doing a lot of fiber optic jumpers for control
systems, either single mode or multimode. I want to get a
scope to inspect the ends after I clean them would you recommend
a 200X, 400X handheld or one similar to a Noyes OFS 300
200C?
A: We prefer to use
lower magnification and have a wider view so I can see more of
the ferrule to determine its condition. You can see the fiber
effectively at 100X but 200X may be better. 400X may be too much
for most tasks like inspecting for cleanliness, but may be good
if you are polishing SM for good reflectance. We've used the
Westover units for years because they offer two different
methods of illumination - direct and at an angle. If you are
doing a lot of patchcords, I recommend a video microscope. I've
used the Noyes unit that interfaces to a PC to create the FOA
Microscope Inspection YouTube video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyumH8CiUPQ&feature=youtu.be
and it works well.
Recycling Cabling
Q: Who can I contact regarding recycling cable I am
removing from a building?
A: Here are some people
who say they recycle fiber optic cable or at least know how to
do it:
http://www.scottrecycling.com/complete.html
http://www.scrapmonster.com/selloffer/fiber-optic-cable/10400
http://www.dnvkema.com/services/ces/hse/recycling/recycling-cables.aspx
http://tmscrapmetals.com/Recycling.html
Tech
Hint: Did You Know You Have A Fiber Optic Tester In Your
Pocket?
Yes!
That old mobile phone has a camera which may be sensitive to
infrared light - lots more than your eye - and can detect
light in an optical fiber or from a transmitter. Chris
Hillyer,CFOT/CFOS/I, Master Instructor, Northern California
Sound & Communication JATC sent us some photos showing how
this works. See below
or the video
now on YouTube. Update: You should check out your old
cell phones before you recycle them. We've found older models
use sensors which are better at infrared than the newer ones
which take better pictures. This is a good use for your old
cell phones hiding in the drawer!
Fiber
Cleaning
This is a topic we keep reminding everybody about, and here is
why:
From
a contrator in the Middle East: Here some samples of the
connectors for SM fiber already installed in the system we were
testing.
As
you can see, the dirt is large compared to the size of the fiber
(dark gray), and the core (not visible here) is only 9/125 of
the overall diameter of the fiber! More
on cleaning. See Product
News below for links to vendors of fiber cleaning products.
See
news about Fiber Optic Cleaning Videos on YouTube by ITW
Chemtronics below.
Fiber Optic Cleaning Videos on YouTube
See news about Fiber Optic Cleaning Videos on YouTube by ITW
Chemtronics three fiber optic cleaning videos on YouTUbe
covering Dry
Cleaning, Wet-Dry
Method, FiberWash
and Combination
Cleaning. They are good explanations of cleaning processes
- the Wet-Dry is especially interesting.
- Westover
Application Notes And Cleaning Video
- Westover
has several application notes on inspecting and cleaning
fiber optic connectors. The video is a big file (50+MB) but
a good tutorial.
- Download
page: http://www.westoverfiber.com/Support/downloads.php
-
Measurement
Uncertainty: Everyone testing fiber optics should understand
that every measurement has some uncertainty - whether you are
measuring loss, length, wavelength, power, etc. Knowing that
uncertainty is very important to interpreting the measurement.
It's worthwhile to read and understand the issue of measurement
accuracy covered in this
page of the FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide.
RETURN
TO INDEX
Worth
Reading or Watching:
FOA
"Quickstart Guides"
In our
continuing quest to help people understand how to test fiber
optic cable plants and communications systems, we've created two
more "QuickStart Guides to Fiber Optic Testing." They are
simple, step-by-step guides on how to test fiber optic cable
plants, patchcords or single cables using insertion loss or OTDR
techniques and optical power from transceivers. It's as
straightforward as it can get - what equipment do you need, what
are the procedures for testing, options in implementing the
test, measurement errors and documenting the results.
It can't get much simpler.
Send anybody you know who needs to know about fiber optic
testing here to learn how it's done in a few minutes.
Testing
Fiber Optic Cable Plants And Patchcords
Testing
Fiber Optic Cable Plants With An OTDR
Measuring
Optical Power In Communications Systems
New
Edition Of Eric Pearson's Fiber Optic "Cookbook"
Eric
Pearson of Pearson Technologies Inc. announced the availability
of Professional Fiber Optic Installation, v.9. This
recently updated training, field, and reference text is a
comprehensive presentation of the information essential to
successful fiber optic installation.
This text assists the installer in achieving the three
elements of success: low power loss, high reliability, and low
installation cost. This text is the ideal tool for three types:
those who wish to become professional fiber optic installers;
for instructors who want to use the most comprehensive training
manual available; and for those who want to pass the Fiber Optic
Association CFOT and CFOS/C/S/T certification examinations.
Continuously developed and tested over the last 24 years during
both fieldwork and training presentations, this text includes
both the information essential to understand the reasons for the
installation rules and detailed procedures for installation,
inspection, certification, and testing of cables, connectors,
and splices.
The
new edition, #9, is available on Amazon.com.
Getting Cables Out Of Conduit
Usually we are concerned about reducing friction when pulling
cables through conduit, but sometimes you need to get them out.
Here
is a page from American Polywater the leading lubricant
company with advice on the subject.
What Is The FOA?
Hear FOA President Jim Hayes tell the FOA Story in a 2-part
interview by Sound & Video Contractor Contributing Editor
Bennett Liles. It tells about the FOA history, goals and
achievements.
Part 1: http://svconline.com/podcasts/audio/fiber_optic_association_part1/index.html.
Part 2 http://svconline.com/podcasts/audio/inside-fiber-optic-association2-0924/index.html.
New
Textbook On Cleaning Fiber Optic Connectors
As fiber optic networks become faster and link margins lower,
cleaning fiber optic connectors has become more critical. Now
there is a book that gives really good information on cleaning
from a real expert.
Ed Forrest retired from ITW Chemtronics recently after many
years of being their expert on cleaning fiber optic connectors.
Ed has been one of our best contacts on the subject because his
knowledge is both broad and deep. When he retired, we suggested
he write a book on fiber optic cleaning and he took our advice.
Ed's book is like a cookbook, looking at specific cleaning
recipes, plus evaluating the tools commonly used for cleaning.
It's also in color which makes it easier to see what is being
done, although it makes the book a bit more expensive.
Now you can buy The Need to
Precision Clean Fiber All Optic Connections, A study of
the 'sciences of cleaning', contemporary cleaning products,
methods and procedures by Edward J Forrest Jr. The book is
available online from CreateSpace, the same publisher FOA uses.
Go here for more information on the book: https://www.createspace.com/5120367
What
Happens To Old Fibers?
In a recent web search, we found this article from Corning,
reprinted from a IWCS presentation in 1995. It discusses
extensive tests on a 1984 cable installed in the northern US to
see how it had degraded in almost 10 years. It is interesting to
see how the fiber survived OSP exposure. Read
it here.
Australia's
Standard Is Comprehensive Guide To Customer Cabling (Get your
copy free)
In
answering a recent technical questino, Trevor Conquest in
Australia pointed to the Australian Standard "Installation
Requirements For Customer Cabling." When we checked, it is on
the web and can be downloaded. It's a big book - 220 pages -
full of details for fiber and copper installations. We recommend
you download
yourself a copy - go here.
Demystify
fiber inspection probe technical specifications -
From EXFO
The
intent of this application note is to promote a better
understanding of video inspection probe specifications and
features. Properly understanding the key specifications
and features will greatly facilitate the decision process
involved in acquiring such devices. Understanding the key
aspects of fiber inspection probes will also help users
understand how fiber inspection probes operate, thus
enabling them to maximize the full potential of these
devices. Read
more.
Where
In The US Do Contractors Need Licenses For Fiber Optics?
We often
get asked where in the US do contractors doing fiber optic
installations need licenses. We found a good website for that
information, the NECA -NEIS website. You might remember
NECA-EIS, as they are the partner with the FOA in the NECA/FOA
301 Fiber Optic Installation Standard. NECA is the National
Electrical Contractors Association and NEIS stands for National
Electrical Installation Standards. They have a very easy to use
map and table that gives you data on every state in the US, so
mark these pages for future reference.
NECA/NEIS
http://www.neca-neis.org
(See “State Regulations”)
http://www.neca-neis.org/state/index.cfm?fa=state_regs
(all electrical licensing)
Low Voltage: http://www.neca-neis.org/state/index.cfm?fa=specialty_licensing
How Is
Fiber Manufactured?
OFS invites you on a tour of their multimode fiber manufacturing
facilities in this new 5-minute video. You will see their highly
automated manufacturing operation in Sturbridge, Mass.,
including their patented MCVD preform fabrication process to
fiber draw and final product testing. With a technological
heritage dating back to AT&T and Bell Labs, OFS has been
manufacturing high-quality multimode fiber since 1981.
Watch
the video here.
Want To
Know Where Submarine Fiber Optic Cables Run?
There
is a good map online by TeleGeography you can access here.
Benchmarking Fusion Splicing
And Selecting Singlemode Fiber
We've been asked many times "How long does it take to splice a
cable?" It's not a simple answer as it varies with the number of
fibers in the cable and the work setup, including whether one or
two techs are working at a job site. FOA Master Instructor Joe
Botha of Triple Play in South Africa did his own analysis based
on decades of experience both splicing cables and teaching
others how to do it properly. This is one of the best analyses
we have seen because Joe includes prep times as well as splicing
times and differentiates between one tech and two techs working
together. He adds some other tips on fusion splicing too. This
should be mandatory reading for every tech and given to every
student! Here
is Joe's splicing analysis.
Joe also has an excellent writeup on how
to choose singlemode fiber that helps understanding
the different types of G.6xx fiber. Read
it here.
And you will want to read Joe's report on splicing
different types of SM fiber, including bend-insensitive
(G.657) fiber. Read
it here.
Free
- Mike Holt's Explanation Of The US National Electrical Code
(NEC) For Communications Cables
Mike Holt
is the acknowledged expert of the US National Electrical Code
(NEC). His books and seminars are highly praised for their
ability to make a very complicated standard (that is in fact
Code - law - in most areas of the US) easily understood. Part of
the appeal is Mike's great drawings that make understanding so
much easier. Mike makes Chapter 8 of his book available free. It
covers communications cables, telephones, LANs, CATV and CCTV,
for premises applications. Even if you live in a region or
country where the NEC is not the law, you may find this
interesting.
Download
Mike's Chapter Here.
Fiber
Optic Cleaning Videos on YouTube
ITW
Chemtronics has three fiber optic cleaning videos on
covering Dry
Cleaning, Wet-Dry
Method, FiberWash
and Combination
Cleaning. They are good explanations of cleaning processes
- the Wet-Dry is especially interesting.
- Westover
Application Notes And Cleaning Video
- Westover
has several application notes on inspecting and cleaning
fiber optic connectors. The video is a big file (50+MB) but
a good tutorial.
- Download
page: http://www.westoverfiber.com/Support/downloads.php
-
A
Documentary Treasure on the History of the Internet
15
minutes of a rarely-seen BBC documentary demolish the myth that
ARPAnet was inspired by nuclear war, and explain the far more
intriguing truth.
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/26719/?nlid=4433
Ensuring
Distance Accuracy On OTDR Measurements
By
JDSU.
JDSU
Reference Guide to Fiber Optic Testing
Volume 1 focuses on Basic Fiber testing and Volume 2 is geared
toward fiber optic installers, project managers, telecom
technicians and engineers who need to understand fiber networks.
Volume 2 also covers Chromatic Dispersion, Polarization Mode
Dispersion, Attenuation Profile and Fiber Link and Network
Characterization. A 3rd volume, a glossary of fiber optic terms,
is also available for download.
This is a "MUST HAVE" for all fiber optic techs. Download
your free copies here.
We used this book as one of our references in creating a new
page in the FOA Online Reference Guide on chromatic dispersion
(CD) and polarization-mode dispersion (PMD).
-
- Download
yourself a copy and read it!
-
Good
Technical Website For Installers
American
Polywater (http://www.polywater.com/)
has one of the best technical website for cable installers. Check
out their website, especially “Videos,” “Engineer’s Corner”
and “Calculators.” http://www.polywater.com/NNNBSL.pdf
Fiber
Optic Safety Poster
We've had numerous requests to reprint our guidelines
on safety when working with fiber optics, so we have
created a "Safety Poster" for you to print and post in your
classroom, worksite, etc. We suggest giving a copy to every
student and installer.
RETURN
TO INDEX
" Heard on the Street" is a monthly online newsletter from Frank
Bisbee of Communications Planning Corporation that covers
the telecommunications and cabling businesses. Each month
includes news from manufacturers, trade associations and
professional societies like the FOA. You can read the current
issue and back issues online.
IGI, a major market research and technology reporting company
(the "Active Optical Cables" below) is offering a a free
one year subscription to one of our fiber optics newsletters to
FOA members. All they have to do is to send IGI an e-mail
stating which newsletter they would like to get. See http://www.igigroup.com/nl.html
for a listing of IGI Newsletters.
RETURN
TO INDEX
-
FOA
Tech Topics -
A
Fiber Optic Tester In Your Pocket? (See the video on
)
Yes!
The camera in your cell phone is sensitive to infrared light -
lots more than your eye - and can detect light in an optical
fiber or from a transmitter. Chris Hillyer,CFOT/CFOS/I,
Master Instructor, Northern California Sound & Communication
JATC brought this to our attention.
If
you have an old cell phone, try it too. Our experience is that
older cell phone cameras have better sensitivity at IR
wavelengths than newer phones, so you may want to toss that old
phone into the toolbox.
RETURN
TO INDEX
Product
News
New
Company Focuses on FTTA Testers
Deviser Instruments brings an extensive portfolio of innovative,
high-quality, value-packed test and measurement solutions to
communications service providers and equipment manufacturers
worldwide. For more than 25 years, communications service
providers have relied upon Deviser’s products to deliver
reliable, high-performance cable, satellite, wireless, fiber
optic and telecommunications services to their customers.
Over the last 12 years, Deviser has been an OEM supplier of test
equipment to tier 1 communications service providers in North
and South America.
Products include a high res OTDR and CWDM testers.
Learn
more.
YOKOGAWA
OTDR Has Extended range, High Resolution And Multitasking
One OTDR manufacturer you don't hear as much about is YOKOGAWA
(formerly ANDO) which is too bad - they make some of the best
OTDRs, exemplified by this new model AQ7280. Need long range -
how about 50dB. High resolution - 0.6m dead zone. Like touch
screens, but for some functions want hard buttons, it's got
that. Options for VFL, microscope, light source and power meter,
etc. - it has that too.
But the unique aspect of the YOKOGAWA AQ7280 is it offers
multitasking - you can let do a trace with long averages while
you inspect connectors, make power readings, use the VFL or
other functions.
More
info on the YOKOGAWA AQ7280.
Need
A Fiber Optic Cable That's Waterproof And Floats?
Linden Photonics can help you. The specialize in special
underwater cables for towed vehicles or ROVs. Read
more.
How To
Make Space For More Cables In Full Conduits
Traditionally, underground fiber has been placed in plastic
innerducts in conduit. About a decade ago, MaxCell
"fabric" innerducts were introduced. They provided the
protection needed during installation and greatly increased the
availabe space in conduit. Recently, the company has introduced
an interesting technique to remove plastic innerduct in place to
make more space for cables in current ducts.
Here are photos from a MaxCell YouTube video showing what we are
describing.
Before, with innerduct in place:
After, with
the MaxCell innerduct and more cables:
We suggest
you watch the overview: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf726tPAvt8&list=PLDfVYzTi8g93zg1ZYWE-bINEeADVgEMsC&index=1
Then watch some actual examples of the innerduct removal
process: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs0bfd79AYM&feature=youtu.be&list=PLDfVYzTi8g93zg1ZYWE-bINEeADVgEMsC
A
Really Bright Visual Fault Locator
SKY
Technologies recently sent us a VFL to evaluate. With a VFL,
you need quite a bit of power to see splices and through some
cable jackets, even MM orange (the cable in the photo) but
especially other colors, so high power is an advantage. This
VFL is the brightest we have seen - bright enough that you
want to ensure it's aimed away from your eyes when you turn it
on! It has CE and RoHS approval. Model FT650H-50B. Contact SKY
for more information.
SKY
Technologies Inc.
http://skytechlasers.com
http://visualfaultlocator.net
1.888.878.2374
Switch
For Testing MTP/MPO Cables - Now
Available for 12 or 24 fiber MPOs
Fibernext has introduced a portable switch for testing
multifiber MTP/MPO connectors. You can also watch
the YouTube video here.
Recycling Communications Cable
FOA was
contacted by a company that recycles electronics communications
equipment and cabling. CommuniCom recycles
cable/metals/e-waste
for Telcos and CATVs. They also recycle Fiber Optic Cable and
associated Materials (the fiber scrap). And, they reclaim OSP
abandoned copper cables (abandoned from road moves or FTTx
growth). This is a huge part of our business. They do the work
(permitting/locates/labor) for free and we revenue share back
with our clients (telcos).
Contact
Steve Maginnis
smaginnis@communicominc.com
www.communicominc.com
803.371.5436 (cell)
Micro-Trenching, Cable
Removal
Nano-Trench
offers products for micro (or I guess they call it nano-)
trenching and their
website is very informative. They also have Kabel-X,
a method of extracting copper cables from old conduit. Both
websites are informative and interesting. Watch
this video on the cable removal process!
Protecting Pedestals From
Rodents
Pedestals
and underground vaults can be damaged by rodents who come up
through the base and damage cables. Uraseal "Drain N'Seal"
foam deters mice from taking up residence in your pedestals. They
have some good videos on using their product.
Used
Test Equipment – Buy or Sell
http://www.testequipmentconnection.com/
Have
you read the FOA
Tech Topics on Cleaning?
As
much as 70% of the problems associated with deploying fiber
result from something as simple as dirty connectors according
to JDSU. Telephony
Online.
US Conec's videos
on cleaning fibers - show's the results of proper
cleaning.
Westover
- AFL
ITW
Chemtronics
Cleantex
Alco Pads
MicroCare
Seiko-Giken
- RETURN
TO INDEX
FTTH
Notes:
Many
States In the US Restrict Municipal Networks
As reported
in the website "Community
Broadband Networks," many municipalities are creating
their own networks, including FTTH like Chattanooga and
Clarksville, TN, etc. But in 19 of the US states, there are laws
that handicap municipalities or outright ban their offering
"telecom" services. (See
the list of laws compiled by Optica here.) Obviously,
these laws were passed to protect the (usually monopoly) telecom
and CATV providers who do not want competition. But they also
make it difficult or impossible for many areas to get broadband.
Does anybody know if these laws prohibit a municipality from
building a fiber network and then leasing it to an Internet
service provider? Obviously, FTTH needs good lawyers too.
-
FTTH in
MDUs (Multiple Dwelling Units)
When we
talk about FTTH, we often assume we are installing the fiber to
a “home” where it terminates in a optical line terminal (OLT)
and services (voice, data and video) are delivered inside the
subscriber’s "home." But since we may have detached
single-family homes, row houses or living units in a large
building, the situations can be quite different, requiring
different architectures and installation practices. To clarify
the options for fiber in MDUs, FOA has created a new page in our
FTTx section of the FOA Guide to explain the options.
FOA
Guide: FTTH
in MDUs
Testing
FTTH
JDSU
shows how to test a PON with an OTDR: http://www.jdsu.com/other-literature/PON-OTDR_fop_an_ae.pdf
-
- Want
To Learn More About FTTx?
- The
FOA has created a special FTTx
resources section of our website with a FTTx
links page with lots of links to news, market reports,
technical articles and vendor technical and product
information. Here
is a great place to start learning more about FTTx.
- FOA's
CFxT FTTx Certification Program Explained
- Read
the Broadband Properties article about the FOA FTTx
certification program. Read
the article about FOA President Jim Hayes being honored
for his work promoting FTTH.
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