Fiber optic testing is a must when one installs a fiber optic system, maintains it, or troubleshoots issues. It can verify that cables, connectors, and other components, were properly installed. The testing can locate faults, measure signal loss, and provide characteristics about the fiber optic network overall.
What are the different types of fiber optic testers available at CableOrganizer® and how are they used?
FAULT LOCATOR
A fiber optic fault locator, which may also be known as a fault finder or fault tracer, can help find faults in a fiber optic network, including bends, breaks, misalignments, and other issues in the fibers. Many of the fault locators available use LED to illuminate the fiber, to help detect the fault. Their range is often significant, with the ability to locate problems up to several miles (kilometers), depending on the type. They discover the faults using continuous mode (constant light output) or pulsed (intermittent light pulses). There are some types that have power meters included to measure the optical power simultaneously with fault detection. These fault finders, which are frequently portable and handheld, can be used on both single mode and multimode fibers. The Greenlee® 180XL Visual Fault Locator has a 4.35 mile (7 kilometer) range that can check for continuity, breaks, and macrobends (when fibers are bent into a visible arc), in single mode, and multi-mode fibers. Precision Rated Optics (PRO®) Visual Fault Finder can uncover issues in densely populated network equipment for up to 32.8 feet (10 meters).
FIBER OPTIC POWER METERS
A fiber optic power meter measures the light intensity or power in fiber optic networks. It measures the power level of an optical signal passing through fiber optic cables, to ensure signals are being transmitted properly. These meters analyze signal quality and can be used with other tools, as fiber optic networks are being installed or maintained. Measurements are often given in watts (W) or decibels (dB), after being converted from an optical to an electrical signal. Fiber Optic Pro PM 1 Series Power Meter is one of the types featured at CableOrganizer®. It is ideal for installers, technicians, and engineers, who work with single mode fiber optic cable network installations. Single mode fiber optic is an optical fiber with a smaller core diameter that transmits signals over longer distances. The Kingfisher KI 9600 Series Optical Power Meter is another meter that is pocket-sized but can test single mode or multimode. Multimode has a larger-diameter core that is capable of multiple pathways, such as working in an alarm system or bringing fiber to a desktop. It also works for Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) systems, which use plastic fibers instead of glass. The Tempo® Communications Test Equipment Set includes power meters and adaptions that takes both singlemode and multimode measurements.
FIBERSCOPE
A fiberscope or fiber inspection scope, can inspect the condition and quality of fiber optic connectors, terminations, and more, ensuring they are aligned properly, clean, and without damage. It uses a probe and imaging system to conduct the inspection, either with images or videos. A scope can provide magnification of fiber end faces. They also have light sources that aid in the inspection. Like fault locators, they too are often portable and handheld. These typically work with SC, LC, ST, or MPO connectors. Precision Rated Optics (PRO®) Fiberscopes magnify cable jackets, components, connectors, and fibers. This handheld tool is capable of inspecting terminations, and splices, with magnifications available at 200X and 400x.
MULTI-TESTER
A multi-tester combines several testing features in one unit. It could have an optical power meter, light source, fault locator, inspector, fiber identifier, or other items, in one unit. The Precision Rated Optics (PRO®) Optical Multi-Tester have a power meter and 3-wavelength laser source, in one handheld device. It includes auto wavelength recognition, which can recognize the source of a wavelength to make testing faster and easier.
OPTICAL LIGHT SOURCE
This device, also known as a light emitter or optical source, provides controlled light in the form of optical signals, to test, calibrate, or use on fiber optic networks and components. An optical light source comes in different wavelength options, including 850 nanometers (nm), 1,300 nm, 1,310 nm, 1,550 nm, and more. They can be used with other tools, including optical power meters, optical time domain reflectometers (ODTRs, which measure optical loss), and other tool types. Kingfisher KI 9800 Series Optical Light Source comes in light or laser formats. An Optical Laser Source uses laser to provide lighting, rather than light-emitting diodes (LEDs). This type of source can often cover greater distances than a light source, with the Precision Rated Optics (PRO®) LS1 Series Optical Laser Source available at CableOrganizer®.
QUALIFICATION TESTERS
A qualification tester assesses the performance of a fiber optic link or installation, to make sure it can support the applications, and meet standards. It can measure optical power loss (attenuation or decrease in signal strength), reflectance (signal or reflected light), link length estimation (the approximate length of the fiber optic links), provide data rate support (measuring the data speed), and other tasks. The SignalTEK® Qualification Testers can test fiber optic and twisted-pair copper cabling to IEEE 802.3ab networking standards, a standard often used in ethernet networks.
Shop at CableOrganizer® here for our entire selection of fiber optic testers.
Read our other article here about fiber optic testing and safety.
