Chapter 8 General Maintenance - THORLABS SPDC810N User Manual

Narrowband Photon Pair Source
Chapter 8 General Maintenance
Aside from the AC input fuse, there are no user serviceable parts in this product. If you suspect something has
failed in the unit, please contact Thorlabs for advice on returning the unit for evaluation.
Always clean fiber optic connectors that will be inserted into the system and install the dust cap whenever the
source is not being used. Allowing dust and dirt onto the fiber end faces will degrade coupling efficiency and
possibly damage the fiber patch cables, both inside and outside.
Cleaning
The housing can be cleaned using a soft, slightly damp cloth. Avoid using any solvents on or near the unit. Keep
the vent holes on the sides, rear and bottom of the enclosure free of dust buildup. Restricted airflow will cause
the temperature controls to operate inefficiently and, in extreme cases, loss of temperature control.
Connector Cleaning
Always inspect and clean the ferrule end of your fiber patch cables and clean the output FC bulkheads prior to
inserting the fiber patch cables into the FC bulkheads.
Thorlabs offers the FCC‐7020 Fiber Cleaning Cloth Spool, which can be used for cleaning the ferrule ends of the
patch cables. Please note, if cleaning is needed on the AR coated end of the included patch cables, use a solvent
such as isopropanol (IPA) on a small piece of the cloth. Using a dry cloth on an AR coated end may permanently
damage the fiber end face. Furthermore, the AR coated end should never be mated to another fiber and is meant
for free space launching only.
Additionally, each unit is shipped with a FBC250 Bulkhead and Connector Cleaner for cleaning the output
bulkheads. To use the FBC250 Bulkhead and Connector Cleaner, please refer to the instructions on our website.
Fiber Cleaning Cloth Spool
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FCC‐7020
Bulkhead and Connector Cleaner
Chapter 8: General Maintenance
FBC250
TTN271994‐D02