Showing posts with label AFL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label AFL. Show all posts

Friday, September 9, 2011

How To Splice Fiber Optic Cable - Mechanical Splice

Instructions for splicing fiber optic cable with the AFL CS004162 mechanical splice kit. Watch quick overview video at bottom of post.

1.0 GENERAL
1.01 These instructions describe the operation of the SpliceConnect™ Universal Mechanical Splicing Tool. Please be sure to read these instructions carefully before proceeding.

WARNING: Always wear eye protection when handling optical fibers. Dispose of any cut or cleaved ends properly. Do not touch the wedge with bare hands.

1.02 The SpliceConnect™ CS004162 Universal Mechanical Splicing Tool Kit Contains:
• Mechanical Splicing Tool
• Instruction Manual
• Fiber Holder (900µm)
• Fiber Holder (250µm)
• Instructions Video (CD)
• Carrying Case

1.03 Tools and materials required:
• CT-30A Universal Cleaver (recommended)
• Fiber Prep Fluid
• Marking Pen
• Fiber Stripper
• Lint-free Cloth Wipes

2.0 INSTALLATION
2.01 Identify components of the kit. (see Figure 1)



2.02 Securely set the mechanical splice into the tool with the “F” logo upside down and on the left side. (see Figure 2)


2.03 Push the Red lever fully to engage the wedge into the splice. (see Figure 3)


2.04 Avoid damage to the fibers by making sure the fiber holder grooves and stripper are free of dust. (see Figure 4)

2.05 For 250µm: Mark 35mm from the end of the fiber. Strip the fiber to the mark. Clean the bare fiber. (see Figure 5)

For 900µm: Mark 35mm from the end of the fiber. Strip the fiber to the mark by removing 7mm at one time. Clean the bare fiber. (see Figure 5)


2.06 For 250µm: Place end of the fiber coating at the 10mm mark on the cleaver and cleave the bare fiber. The result is 10mm of bare fiber remaining after cleave. (see Figure 6)

For 900µm: Place end of the fiber coating at the 15mm mark on the cleaver and cleave the bare fiber. The result is 15mm of bare fiber remaining after cleave. (see Figure 6)


2.07 For 250µm: Set the fiber onto the holder with a protrusion of 25mm (10mm of bare fiber and 15mm of buffer coating). Gripping the front portion of the holder, slide the clamp downwards to lock the fiber. (see Figure 7)

For 900µm: Set the fiber onto the holder with a protrusion of 25mm (15mm of bare fiber and 10mm of buffer coating). (see Figure 7)


2.08 Set the fiber holder in the tool in line with the arrows on the rail. The fiber end should coincide with the tip of the fiber guide. (see Figures 8 and 9)



2.09 Slide the fiber holder forward until it is secured by the fiber holder lock. (see Figures 10 and 11)



2.10 Repeat steps 2.05 through 2.09 for the opposite fiber.

2.11 Insert opposite side of holder and fiber should bend on the side of the inserted holder. (see Figures 12 and 13)



(Except for 250µm to 900µm, the fiber on the opposite side of the inserted fiber holder should bend. (see Figure 14)


2.12 Press down the fiber bend and the opposite side should form a bend. (see Figures 15 and 16)



2.13 Balance the fiber bends on both sides. If the fiber bends cannot be balanced, restart the process with a new mechanical splice. (see Figures 17 and 18)



2.14 When the fiber bends on both sides are balanced, push the yellow lever to disengage the wedge. Fiber splice is completed. (see Figure 19)


2.15 For 250µm: Release the fibers from the fiber holder by sliding the clamps towards the splice side. Make sure the fiber does not get caught by any part of the splice tool. Remove the splice gently. (see Figures 20 and 21)


For 900µm: Release the fibers from fiber holders by opening the fiber holder covers. Make sure the fiber does not get caught by any part of the splice tool. Remove the splice gently. (see Figures 22 and 23)



2.16 Slide the fiber holder backwards and remove it from the lock. Do not keep the fiber holders locked in the tool. (see Figures 24 and 25)



Watch the mechanical splice video overview



Order all the fiber splice parts online at Discount-Low-Voltage.com:
AF-CS004162 mechanical splice connector kit
AF-CS004154 mechanical fiber splices
AF-CT-30 fiber cleaver
ID-45-350 fiber optic cable stripper
AF-FPF1 fiber optic cleaning solution

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Fiber Optic Visual Fault Finder - AFL HiLite Product Video





The AFL HiLite fiber optic visual fault finder is the star of this weeks Product Video Blog.

First, some information on visual fault finders:
Fault finders are designed to troubleshoot faults on fiber optic cables by sending a red laser beam through the fiber optic cable. Light generated by these units will escape from sharp bends and breaks in jacketed or bare fibers, as well as poorly mated connectors. They can identify faults in fiber optic jumper cables, distribution frames, patch panels, and splice trays. In addition, they can also be used to aid installation of AFL FAST fiber optic connectors.


Watch the Video!



Features and Benefits of the AFL HiLite:
- Compact, lightweight size
- Visible red laser source, 650 nm
- Easily locate faults in fiber optic cable, fiber jumpers, and more
- Includes 2.5mm adapter for popular SC and ST fiber optic connectors
- High power, 1 mW
- Universal connector interface for quick connection
- Easy to order from Discount-Low-Voltage.com


Related Posts:
Video: How It's Made - Fiber Optic Cable
Video: How To Terminate Fiber Optic Cable Using AFL FAST Connectors
Tutorial: Difference Between Loose Tube Fiber Optic Cable and Tight Buffered Fiber Cable
Whitepaper: Fiber Optic 10 Gigabit Ethernet Technology Overview
FAQ: Glossary of Common Fiber Optic Terms (A-E)

Friday, April 9, 2010

How To Make Fiber Optic Patch Cables... Kinda


Times are tough these days, which is why many people are looking to save a few dollars any way they can. A couple weeks ago we made a video showing you How To Build an Inexpensive Wall Mount Fiber Box. We've already had quite a few customers thank us for that cost saving solution. Today, let's talk about making your own fiber optic patch cables.

Seems like just about everyone in the low voltage industry has made their own ethernet cat5e/cat6 cables at least once in their life (me included). And I'm sure you have too. So you're thinking, those are really easy and only take a few minutes, why don't I just start making my own fiber cables. Unfortunately, we're not comparing apples to apples here. Making your own fiber cables CAN be an easy process, but it's not very economical. I'm talking about the FAST fiber connectors from AFL Telecommunications. Although these connectors require only a couple minutes per strand to complete, they are much pricier than regular connectors and still require a couple expensive tools. It wouldn't make sense to buy these unless you already had the tools and did fiber terminations regularly. Even then, the cost of the connectors make this an expensive way to make fiber jumpers. If this is still something your interested in, watch the video below.

The other option for making fiber cables would be epoxy fiber connectors. These connectors have been around for quite a while now and are fairly inexpensive. The problem with these connectors is the amount of time involved in terminating them. In addition, you still need all the tools and testing equipment to get the job done. Well, I thought you were going to show us how to make fiber jumpers? That's where the "kinda" comes in. Watch the video below for a brief explanation on making fiber cables, but when it comes down to it, buying pre-made fiber cables is the way to go. You can order them in any length you need, with any type of fiber, and any type of connector. If you need more than 2 strands of fiber, or plan on using them for a long distance, I would recommend Pre-Terminated Fiber Optic Cable. Pre Terminated fiber assemblies are just like the fiber jumpers, but can be pulled long distances and are much more durable. To order any of the products talked about in this article, simply click the links above or visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com.


How To Make Fiber Patch Cords... Kinda




We hope you enjoyed the video. To follow the Discount-Low-Voltage.com Blog, simply click the "Follow" link on the right hand side of the page.

Want more to see more Fiber Friday articles? Check out the others here:
April 2, 2010 - How To Terminate Unicam SC Fiber Connectors
March 26, 2010 - How To Terminate Unicam ST Fiber Connectors
March 12, 2010 - How To Install Fiber Optic Fan Out Kit
February 12, 2010 - Loose Tuber Fiber Vs. Tight Buffer Fiber
February 5, 2010 - FAST Fiber Connector FAQ

Friday, February 5, 2010

FAST Fiber Connector FAQ


AFL Telecommunications FAST Fiber Connectors FAQ

Q: What is the index of refraction over temperature?
A: The refractive index is 1.469 at 25degC, with a thermo-optic coefficient of less than 4.0×10-4/degC.

Q: How do you prevent the gel from drying out inside of the connector?
A: The gel has a low evaporation rate. There is data inside the document that shows the % weight reduction of the gel over time.

Q: What prevents the gel from migrating away from the fiber?
A: The upper body of the mechanical splice part is designed such that the surface area clamping onto bare fiber is minimized, thereby preventing the gel from migrating away from the splice point.

FuseConnect
 Q: What fusion splicer will you need to use the FuseConnect connector?
A: It will work with FSM-11-S, 11-R, 17-R, 17-S-FH, 50-R, 18-R, 18-S, 60-S, and 60-R.

Q: Why does the external tube heater take longer to heat the protective sleeve?
A: The heater takes longer because the FuseConnect protective sleeve is larger than a standard splice sleeve and has an inner sleeve and outer sleeve. The inner sleeve protects the splice. The outer sleeve protects the inner sleeve and captures the cable or fiber and connector body to obtain the pull strength.

Q: What is the loss at the splicing point and connector?
A: The typical loss at the splice point is 0.01 dB and 0.20 dB at the connector.

Q: What type of FuseConnect connectors are available?
A: Currently we only offer single-mode and multimode (50µm, 50µm 10GIG, and 62.5µm) SC/UPC, SC/APC, SC/PC, LC/UPC, and LC/PC in 3mm, 2mm, and 900µm boot.

Q: Do you need to clean the fiber stub at the end of the FuseConnect connector?
A: No, you do not need to clean the fiber because it is clean from the factory.

Q: Why does the protective sleeve not shrink onto the 900µm fiber?
A: Check the mode on the FuseConnect heater and make sure it is set on MODE 2.

Q: How many splices can be executed using the battery-operated FSM-18 or FSM-60 series with the FuseConnect heater power cord attached?
A: Up to 50+ splices per fully charged battery for the FSM-18 or FSM-60 series.

Q: What are the 2mm or 3mm cable clamps use for?
A: The 2mm or 3mm clamps are use to clamp onto the 900µm fiber inside the cable jacket. The clamps prevent the 900µm fiber from pistoning out of the jacket.

Q: Can you terminate the FuseConnect connector onto a Fanout or Breakout kit?
A: Yes, we recommend using our Fanout kit. It will not melt the 900µm furcation tube in our external heater.

Q: Why would the FuseConnect connector melt back to a round end face during the termination process?
A: There are 2 possibilities, one is that the arc power (cleaning or splicing) is too strong; and the other is the insufficient compression force of fibers (the holder may be caught somewhere such that it cannot move smoothly forward).

For installation instructions, visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com

Related Posts:
How To Terminate Fiber Optic Cable Using AFL FAST Connectors
 How To Pull Fiber Optic Cable
6 Strand Fiber Optic Cable Video
Armored Fiber Optic Cable Video

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

How To Terminate Fiber Optic Cable Using AFL Fast Connectors

This is an introduction to the most commonly installed Fiber Optic Cable – 62.5 Multimode fiber, using AFL Fast SC or LC connectors. This new style 2009 Fast connector has cut the cost of labor and time in the field up to 90% compared to termination styles from 10 years ago.

Items Needed:
AFL Fast Connectors
Fiber Stripper
Fiber Cleaver
Fiber Wipes
Kevlar Scissors

Warning: Always wear protective eyewear when terminating optical fibers. Dispose of cut or cleaved ends properly.



Let’s Get Started:
First, you’ll want to cut the outside jacket off the fiber optic cable, maybe about 18 inches from the end. Electrician snips will be fine with most types of fiber optic cable. You may or may not need to cut the kevlar depending on what style fiber connector your using. Since were using AFL Fast connectors, we’ll cut the kevlar down.

If your using a 250μm buffered fiber, you’ll then slid the boot over the fiber strand, small end first.
Then strip the buffer coating off the individual strands with a fiber optic stripping tool. Be sure to leave more fiber than the finished cleave length. It is recommended that the stripped fiber be cleaned with an alcohol wipe before cleaving to remove any dust or debris.

Check the fiber for integrity by bending the stripped end of the fiber slightly. This insures that you have not damaged it during the stripping step.

Now we need to cut the fiber to length using a cleaver. A cleaver is a specially designed tool that makes a controlled break in the glass. It also cuts it to the exact length you need. The cleave length will vary depending on what size coating of buffer your using. Since were using a 250μmwe need to cleave the connector at 10mm (the cleave length is 10.5mm for ST connectors).





Once we have the fiber cleaved, we need to carefully insert the fiber into the connector. Press the wedge into the connector to open it.




Once it is inside, apply slight force on the fiber into the connector. This will insure the prepared fiber is against the internal pre polished fiber inside the connector.



Maintaining slight force on the fiber, release the wedge unit by squeezing it from the side until the wedge pulls out of the connector body. Slide the locking piece from the bottom of the wedge unit and remove the wedge from the connector assembly. Slide the boot up and engage it over the rear of the connector body. Apply the connector housing onto the assembly from the front.

Your DONE!




For more videos, visit our YouTube Channel.
Here's some fiber videos you might be interested in: 6 Strand Fiber Optic Cable, Fiber Optic Rack-mount Box, Pre Terminated Fiber Optic Cable, Fiber Jumper Patch Cords, AFL Fiber Termination Kit, Armored Fiber Optic Cable

Questions? Visit Discount-Low-Voltage.com
Or call us at (888) 797-3697