Archive News

London, August 2002

New system speeds up fibre testing

Fujikura Europe has announced a radically new way to measure optical fibres which will greatly speed up the process without any corresponding drop in accuracy.

By adding the new Fujikura FS-S compact fibre switch to fibre optic test equipment, it is now possible to automatically ILM and OTDR test up to 96 fibres at dual wavelength in both directions in just a few hours - a fraction of the time it would normally take.The new and exceptionally compact Fujikura FS-S fibre switch offers 100 output ports and highly reliable optical fibre to fibre connection. It utilises a V-groove and Stepper motor design and is claimed to be less than half the cost of comparable switches on the market. Fujikura Europe say that they can provide of a top of the range system comprising an Agilent Technologies E6000 OTDR with an optical power meter sub-module, a Fujikura FS-S optical switch and a notebook PC at each end. Using this system, a single operator can connect the fibres to the test system at both cable ends and start the test procedure on a master notebook PC. The system then takes over, performing ILM and OTDR measurements in both directions at two wavelengths with no further interaction needed from the operator.

Complete solutions will range from approximately £13k to £25k, but many other test combinations are possible using the new fibre switch and Fujikura say that they will be pleased to provide customised solutions. The new FS-S switch can also be purchased individually for use with any OTDR. The new fibre switch can also be used, if required, to provide continuous monitoring of a number of cables using one or more unused fibres within each cable and for fibre optic component testing in mass production environments. Should a cable be tampered with or damaged, immediate indication is provided and the location shown.

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