JOHN WILLIAMSON FIBRE INSPECTION
DOING IT RIGHT Fibre Network Installation And Testing
As the traffic volume and application demands on optical networks escalate, the premium placed on fault-free service turn-up, continuity and upgrade is getting substantially bigger, writes John Williamson.
R eflecting this are various estimates of the size of the global fibre optic test equipment (FOTE) market. According to a study available from Verified Market Intelligence, the sector could be worth over US$1.016 billion by 2025; another account, provided by Envision Intelligence, reckons the opportunity might reach US$1.079 billion by 2024. In this context, access by infrastructure suppliers, builders and operators to advanced installation, inspection, monitoring and trouble-shooting tools and technologies is of particular consequence. Guillaume Lavallee, says the number one cause of network failure arises from connectors that are damaged or contaminated. Faulty connectors have an adverse effect on insertion loss and optical return loss which, in turn, can degrade bit error rate. According to CONNECTOR SECTOR Product Line Manager at EXFO,
The solution here is to employ appropriate inspection probes and cleaning tools, repeating the inspection, and cleaning processes until the connection is passed and adheres to industry standards. If at the end there’s still no pass, a new connector may be required. MORE IS LOSS? The adoption of multi-fibre MPO/MPT technology has been driven by the need to increase connectivity and up data speeds. It has also complicated the test and inspection process. “MPO connectors carry multiple fibres within a single connector,” comments Nicholas Cole, EMEA marketing manager at AFL. “This makes it difficult to interface on to each fibre without the use of purpose- built equipment, or accessories such as a multi-fibre switch.” Cole notes that multi-fibre connector inspection probes require more complex software algorithms to analyse and report on each fibre, which is a challenge for the test vendor. But MPO
Douglas Clague, Solutions Marketing CIVT, Viavi Solutions, next in line after fibre/connector end face dirt or damage problems are optic ports on the transmission kit with the same issue. “Fibre runs and links are typically checked and certified with an OTDR, but the lack of an inspection routine or habit is where it can go wrong, otherwise you are in the ‘plug and pray’ arena,” he says. Connector-related problems can occur at install or system upgrade, in the latter case, for example if moving from GPON to XG-PON. “The higher the bandwidth, the higher the sensitivity of the connector,” observes Lavallee. “Some companies offer pre-inspected and sealed connectors or similar for equipment ports. These may work and improve success rates during the very initial connection and activation, but after that any further disconnects/re- connects are anyone’s guess,” points out Clague. “It only takes a small slip or a poor fibre handling technique and you’ve either damaged the end face or got dirt on it.”
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| ISSUE 17 | Q2 2019
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