Seven behaviors in fiber optic engineering can cause fiber damage

Compared with copper wire, optical fiber is much more fragile, so be extra careful during construction. Many examples of optical fiber splicing, connection, testing, and fault checking all tell us that improper operation can easily cause deterioration of optical fiber network performance.
1. Do not clean the fiber before splicing
 
Before optical fiber fusion splicing, the outer skin needs to be stripped, which is a very important step for cleaning. This step before cutting can effectively remove residual debris and other possible contaminants. If the wire is cleaned after cutting, it is easy to increase the extra burden of the fusion splicer to prevent the electric stage, shorten the electrode life, cause a non-linear joint with bubbles, reduce the mechanical strength of the joint, and cause additional loss.
 
Cleaning method: Use fast volatile non-flammable precision cleaning fluid. Don't choose alcohol. Since alcohol will combine with water molecules in the air, causing pollution, a good cleaning solution is sealed and non-backwashable container packaging, which can fully prevent cross-contamination.
 
Note: When cleaning the optical fiber, if you hear a "click" sound, it indicates that the surface of the light has been cleaned.
 
2. Improper cutting tools
 
The smoothness of the fiber end face has an important influence on the light performance after splicing or termination. In the past, people often used fiber cleavers to manually cut optical fibers, which required relatively high technical requirements for operators. But up to now, there have been many automatic cutting jobs. These tools can adjust the handshake and automatically complete the cutting. These tools can both improve operator safety and protect optical fibers.
 
Note: The cutting tool needs to be cleaned, so as to reduce the risk of fiber breakage during the splicing process. It is recommended to use a dry solvent and a lint-free cloth for wiping.
 
3. The fiber fusion splicer is not calibrated
 
It is very important to calibrate the machine before fiber splicing, especially to adjust the arc intensity and current intensity to ensure the proper size during splicing. If it is not calibrated, the cutting tool is likely to accumulate a large amount of calcium, resulting in unsatisfactory welding results.
 
Calibration method: Put the optical fiber on the fusion splicer, just like it needs to be spliced, but instead of real splicing, go to the maintenance menu of the fusion splicer, select the option of arc calibration or arc back test, and the fusion splicer will tell you step by step How the operator performs calibration.
 
4. The fiber is slightly bent
 
The slight bending of the optical fiber is generally caused by excessive pressure on the light (too tight fixation, problem with the position of the device panel shaft), this situation will cause the signal transmission quality to decline, and generally this kind of problem can not be observed with the naked eye, it can only be used OTDR to detect.
 
Solution: Use transparent sleeves to package the welding points. This loose sleeve will be shaped to form a sealed bag. These sleeves are placed in the wiring board and fixed. The fixed joint will slide freely on the outer layer of the hard plastic sleeve, which prevents the light from being squeezed and moved.
 
5. Excessive bending of optical fiber
 
If the optical fiber exceeds the low bend radius, it will damage the optical cable and the optical fiber in the sheath. Excessive bending will cause signal attenuation. Excessive bending generally occurs when the expansion ring of the optical cable is too tight and is placed on a base that is too small; or the constructor uses mouse ears or buckles to fix the overhead optical cable.
 
6. Reuse old wipes
 
Repeated use of wipe paper is a kind of behavior that loses a lot of money. This is because if a piece of repeatedly used wipe paper is dirty, it will contaminate other connectors that it wipes. Obviously, this will not save costs.
 
A good piece of wiping paper should not be afraid of fluffing, shattering, and will not pollute the end faces of other connectors. Of course, the corresponding price will be higher. Some companies are greedy for cheap and will purchase poor wiping paper, causing serious problems. as a result of.
 
Wipe paper/cloth purchase: (1) Do not buy large pieces, buy small ones; (2) Do not buy large bags of wipe paper, sell packaging products that can ensure cleanliness; (3) Make sure to throw away the wipe paper once you use it , Don’t lose big because of small.
 
7. Do not check and clean the connector end face before installation
 
The end face of the connector is a place that is easily polluted by dust and oil. Therefore, when we install the connector, we must check and clean the end face of the optical fiber connector.
 
These problems are often encountered in optical fiber communications. These problems will slow down the optical fiber network and cause network failures. Therefore, the steps must be strictly followed during construction to avoid subsequent problems.