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General Information
Care of Fiber-Optic Connectors
Care of Fiber-Optic Connectors
Advances in measurement capabilities make connectors and connection tech-
niques more important than ever. Damage to the connectors on calibration
and verification devices, test ports, cables, and other devices can degrade
measurement accuracy and damage instruments. Replacing a damaged con-
nector can be very expensive, not to mention the lost time. This expense can
be avoided by observing the simple precautions presented in this section.
C A U T I O N
The connectors on the switch are not easily cleaned. Before connecting cables
to the the lightwave switch it is very important they are cleaned following the
procedures in
"Cleaning optical connectors" on page
1-17.
Inspecting connectors
Because fiber-optic connectors are susceptible to damage that is not immedi-
ately obvious to the naked eye, bad measurements can be made without the
user even being aware of a connector problem. Although microscopic exami-
nation and return loss measurements are the best way to ensure good connec-
tions, they are not always practical. An awareness of potential problems, along
with good cleaning practices, can ensure that optimum connector perfor-
mance is maintained. With glass-to-glass interfaces, it is clear that any degra-
dation of a ferrule or fiber endface, any stray particles, or finger oil on the
endface, can have a significant effect on connector performance. Many times
an instrument must be serviced to replace a damaged connector when thou-
sands of dollars and lost time could have been avoided if better care were
given to the fiber-optic connector.
Figure 1-1
is a close-up micrograph of a clean cable endface. In contrast,
Fig-
ure 1-2
shows a connector endface that was either not cleaned, or not prop-
erly cleaned. Material is smeared and ground into the endface causing light
scattering and poor reflection. Not only is the precision polish lost, but this
action can grind off the glass face and destroy the connector.
1-13
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