Manual

 Fiber-to-the-Antenna (FTTA) Installation and Maintenance Testing
IS IT CLEAN
Inspection Criteria
Dirt is everywhere, and a typical dust particle (2 – 15 µm in diameter) can significantly affect signal performance and
cause permanent damage to the fiber endface. Most field test failures can be attributed to dirty connectors, and
most connectors are not inspected until the problem is detected, after permanent damage has already occurred.
Zones and Acceptance Criteria
Zones are a series of concentric circles that identify areas of interest on the connector endface. The innermost zones
are more sensitive to contamination than the outer zones. Acceptance criteria are a series of failure thresholds that
define contamination limits for each zone.
The Grading Process
. .Count/measure the particles/contamination that are on the fiber surface.
. Estimate or use a grading overlay to grade the fiber by determining the number and size of each particle present
in each of the four fiber zones.
In most cases, there are no limits to the number/size of contaminations present on zone C (adhesive/epoxy).
y If acceptable, do not touch it and CONNECT
y If not acceptable, CLEAN
A. Core zone
B. Cladding zone
C. Adhesive/epoxy zone
D. Contact/ferrule Zone
Zone Overlays
A
B
C
D
Multimode fiber
Single-mode fiber
Inspect: Is It Clean?