Installation guide

Parts of the fiber optic cable
FTTH Application Guide
111
Bending the fiber optical cable too far may also damage the fiber itself by
creating micro cracks in the glass. Most industry standards describe one inch
as the minimum bend on a fiber optic cable, though a good rule of thumb is to
keep the bend radius greater than two inches.
Connector loss
Each connector or component in the Optical Deployment Network may have
an effect on signal loss. Special fiber coupling gels may be applied between
glass surfaces to reduce signal loss at connectors.
Fibers must be aligned. The fiber connectors are keyed so they will be
aligned. Even with the keyed fibers you may need to jiggle the connector
slightly so the connectors will match properly.
With testing before and after components, these types of connector loss
problems may be quickly identified and resolved.
Cleaning and inspecting fiber connections
Dirt, dust, oil or other substances may obstruct the passing of light through the
end faces. Upon delivery the ends of fiber connectors usually have (and
should have) a cover to keep the connector clean. Because many common
particulates may interfere with the optical connection, discipline in keeping
fiber clean is very important.
Notable contaminents include:
• Oil from hands
• Dust particles
• Lint
• The residue that may be left when using wet cleaning methods
• Scratches which may be from dry cleaning methods or the mishandling of
the fiber
Warnings
WARNING! Never look into
• an active optical fiber
• an optical fiber connector opening of an active or powered-up
unit
WARNING! Prevent direct exposure to optical fiber ends or
optical connector ends where laser signals are directly accessed