Short Courses
SC185 Hands-on Polishing, Inspection and Testing of Connectors
Tuesday, February 26, 8:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Jason Sloan¹, Steve Baldo², Neal Wagman³; ¹Light Brigade Inc., USA, ²Seikoh Giken USA, USA, ³Norland Products, USA
Level: Advanced Beginner (basic understanding of topic is necessary to follow course material)
Course Description
This course consists of three stand-alone segments that are supervised by a fiber-optic experts specializing in each particular discipline. Each segment includes both knowledge and skill (hands-on) components. The first segment, fiber-optic polishing, focuses on mass-production termination techniques manufacturers that work with fiber optic connectors including SC and LC connector types with UPC, and APC polishes. Learn how to achieve low insertion loss, low reflectance, optimum end-face geometry and improved production yields.
The second segment, fiber-optic endface inspection, explains the principles of microscopy and interferometry as they relate to the inspection and testing of fiber-optic plugs and termini. Hands-on demonstration will show how microscopes and interferometers help to control the polishing process by checking for scratches and measuring end-face geometry.
The third segment, connectorization testing, reviews the test equipment used for attenuation and reflection testing after the polishing process is complete. The assemblies manufactured in the course are used in the testing to allow the course attendee to follow the production from assembly through testing processes.
Benefits and Learning Objectives
This course should enable you to:
- Measure and understand optical attenuation measurements and expected variations at 1310/1550/1625nm.
- Measure optical return loss and define its relationship to connector polishes, polishing procedures and test methods.
- Identify contaminants, their cause, and how to resolve contamination issues with a variety of cleaning products.
- Identify and discuss the fundamentals of the polishing processes and their impact on attenuation and reflection.
- Identify and determine how to adjust variables that affect end-face geometry.
- Measure scratches using automatic analysis equipment.
- Apply the criteria for pass/fail in quality assurance programs and applications.
- Determine how the immediate feedback from the interferometer will help control the manufacturing process, creating higher performance terminations and increased production yields.
Intended Audience
This course is applicable to those involved with fiber optic terminations from the novice to production engineers and managers involved with laboratory, manufacturing, and field disciplines. A basic knowledge of fiber optics is expected.
Instructor Biographies
The Light Brigade (TLB) has been a leader in fiber-optic training since 1987. The company philosophy is to work from a purely technological perspective to provide an unbiased view. The staff of TLB consists of many veterans of the fiber optics, telephony and premise industries. TLB has provided OSP, networking, DWDM, SONET/SDH and FTTx courses around the world and has worked with OSA since 1990 for a variety of tasks at OFC and CLEO conferences. TLB is the coordinator (and instructs one of the three disciplines) of the course.
Norland Products Inc. has been in business for more than 40 years manufacturing novel products to meet critical customer needs. One of its specialties is 3-D interferometric testing and inspection of fiber-optic connectors. As the leader in this area, it has been actively involved in setting the standards, advancing the technology and providing customers with the optimum methods to achieve higher quality and cost savings in the fiber optics industry.
Seikoh Giken (SG) provides high performance interconnectivity solutions for network systems and chip level applications. For networks and testing Seikoh Giken provides premium patchcords (SMF & PMF), adaptors and attenuators. For manufacturers SG manufacturers ferrules, tunable connectors, polishing equipment, polishing films, and photonic packaging technologies including fiber-end shaping, metalization, AR Coating, and stub ferrules for TOSA/ROSA.