FOA scheduled to be at FiberFest! - JUNE 13, 2012
 
Fiberfest is the one day conference/trade show run by the New England Fiberoptic Council. This year the event will be colocated with a FTTH Council meeting in Boston.
FOA will have a table at FiberFest manned by some of our local schools. President Jim Hayes will be participating a a panel member in the FTTH Council program "Lighting Up New England."
Look for details here or on the NEFC website.
FOA Presents Seminars In Middle East In May
The Beirut seminar.
FOA visited Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Beirut in May to meet with our FOA schools there, present our "What's New In Fiber Optics" seminar and talk with fiber users. We found this trip focusing on FTTH, since Etisalat Academy, one of our two FOA approved schools in Dubai, is part of Etisalat, the telco in UAE that has connected over 1 million subscribers to FTTH, the second highest penetration of FTTH in the world. And in Beirut, The FTTH Council MENA sponsored our visit, arranging for hosting by the Ministry of Telecom and showed us several planned FTTH projects in the region.
While in UAE, our other FOA approved school, eSharp Consultancy, that specialized in IT applications, arranged seminars in Dubai and Abu Dhabi that focused more on "Fiber To The Office" (FTTO) with additional presentations by Cliff Walker who designed the FTTO system at the airport.
Photos from our trip are here, the seminar presentations from UAE and Beirut are available for download - click on the location to download.
FOA and FTTH Council MENA To Present FTTH Training In Beirut This July
While in Beirut, FOA and the FTTH Council MENA (Middle East & North Africa) finalized details for a special week-long, hands-on training course in Beirut in July 2012 for all those in the Middle East area. This 5 day long course will cover both the FOA FTTH and Design specialties and include a review course for those with experience who want to take the FOA certification exams.
This special FOA course will be taught by FOA Master Instructor Ian Gordon Fudge from FiberDK in Denmark who has taught many FTTH courses in Europe and around the world. The curriculum will combine FOA's FTTH and Design curriculum to cover both FTTH installation and network design. Hands-on training in FTTH will include installation and testing, plus several design exercises.
For more information or to register for the training, contact Christine Beylouni at
FTTH Council MENA
Why Is UAE #2 In FTTH?
When discussing our visit to the Middle East, we were often asked how UAE went from nowhere to #2 in FTTH in only a couple of years. It seems UAE has such a high penetration of FTTH because of the government policy toward the former monopoly telco Etisalat. It was basically decided by the government to do FTTH everywhere and Etisalat was given the budget to do it.
I met the tech people behind the program and learned that they had few obstacles save technical. I saw new types of cables developed for the program and other new hardware needed for their environment. Most of the equipment has to be underground because of the heat during the summer! Based on what I saw, I'd say the cost of the UAE build was quite low because of the efficiency of the job.
There is now a "competitive" phone company in UAE, called "du", but they are basically owned by the same people, mainly focused on wireless, not a bad strategy to divide up spectrum and users for greater throughput.
Having been in Turkey, Kenya, SA, Zambia, NZ, Austraila, Malaysia, UAE and Lebanon over the last two years (and live in the USA) talking to the companies involved with broadband, I've probably had the best "education" on the variety of approaches to broadband from my travels*. The most successful were promoted by the governments because they understand that broadband creates jobs. Witness Dubai and Abu Dhabi where finance and technology thrives, or Chattanooga, TN which successfully wooed VW to build a new factory or Santa Monica, CA with the movie/tech industry.
What we need to do is convince more politicians of that!
JH
Start-Up to Bring FTTH to Six Gig.U Communities
The company, Gigabit Squared, will work with Gig.U, an alliance of public and private universities that want to bring super-fast, all-fiber networks to university communities and thereby foster economic development and promote education, health care and scientific research in the communities. Gigabit Squared has announced that it has raised $200 million for the venture, and that it is aiming to fill a growing demand for ultra high-speed wireline service as many carriers focus on wireless networks.
Read the complete NY Times Article.
FTTO: Fiber To The Office
At our seminars in the UAE with eSharp Consultancy, Cliff Walker presented information on his work designing "fiber to the office (FTTO) networks. Cliff has worked on many networks in the UAE, including some big ones in the airports. He's using a concept he called FTTO to reduce cabling clutter and cost. The concept is based on using fiber to connect large switches in the equipment room to smaller switches with 4 ports at the outlet. These 4 port Gigabit Ethernet switches are connected to PCs or wireless APs using regular patchcords. Replacing multiple UTP cables with one fiber optic cable and big switches in telecom rooms with the smaller switches can result in considerable cost savings. You can read Cliff's paper on the airport system to see estimates of the cost savings using FTTO.
Read Cliff Walkers paper on FTTO.
Fiber And Broadband Expand In South America
While South and Central America have not been in the news as much as some regions of the world, work is moving ahead for building fiber optic networks to expand their communications systems. For example, there is an excellent website from the Government of Argentina on the "National Telecommunications Plan Connected Argentina" that describes their programs and goals:
"In order to ensure coverage of the telecommunications services sector and COMPETITIVENESS, through the National Telecommunications Plan Connected Argentina are developing actions for the promotion and support of cooperatives, small businesses and independent operators for the provision of services.
Priorities will promote technological innovation through the construction, expansion or upgrading the last mile networks with technology allowing access to new equipment and new infrastructure development, encouraging the provision of more and better services, quality and affordable for citizens.
These measures developed are essential for ensuring universal access to telecommunications services, the federalization of access to broadband and access to technology information and knowledge society for all and all Argentina. "
 Fiber networks in Argentina
Can You Translate Technical Materials From English To Spanish?
The FOA has begun translating its technical materials and curriculum to Spanish. We have a lot of material to translate, so we're looking for translators with technical expertise in fiber optics and language skills who can assist us. Interested. Contact the FOA at info@thefoa.org.
We are interested in other languages also!
More Fibre and FTTH Coming to South Africa
South Africa has only 2% penetration of broadband, but FibreCo is planning to change this. FibreCo, a partnership formed in 2010 between Cell C, Internet Solutions and Convergence Partners, will invest R5 billion in a long-distance fibre-optic network over the next five years. At the ground-breaking ceremony held in the Free State, construction started on a 2 000km link between Johannesburg and Cape Town, which will be connected through Bloemfontein, East London and Port Elizabeth, providing access to a wide range of rural and smaller urban areas along the route.
FibreCo says the project is expected to create close to 2 300 jobs, directly and indirectly, across the country. “An estimated 70% to 80% of the network construction relates to civil works, to be carried out by technology partner, ZTE Corporation, in collaboration with local engineering firms and subcontractors.”
The company will also train at least 200 fibre-optic technicians, who will be certified under the internationally-recognised Fibre Optic Association.
Read more.
Black & Veatch Engineers Transmission System For Wind Power Using OPGW
Sharyland Utilities is currently developing approximately 300 miles of new 345 kilovolt (kV) transmission lines that will transport electricity generated by renewable energy sources from the Texas Panhandle and South Plains to the more populous areas located downstate, such as Dallas, Austin and San Antonio. This is being done as part of a larger state-led effort known as the Competitive Renewable Energy Zone (CREZ) process.
Jim Swaters, Project Manager in Black & Veatch’s telecommunications business, said the telecommunications piece of the project involves a fiber-based optical transport network (OTN) that will ensure greater reliability and security. “The substations are using local area networks and a carrier-class OTN to transport information,” Swaters said. “Long fiber optic runs eliminate the need for repeater stations, thereby saving tremendously on equipment and future maintenance.” Swaters noted that the fiber optic lines being installed atop the transmission lines serve a dual purpose. They act as grounding wires in areas where lightning is more prevalent, while also providing speedy communications between substations and network controls.
Read more.
More On Fiber Use In Wind And Solar Power
Craig Bowden, FOA Master Instructor at FiberNexxt in NH, presented a program at the New England Fiberoptic Council recently on fiber in wind power. His presentation is available for downloading here. It's full of good illustrations and photos that tell the story.
Investors Considering $1.5 billion Submarine Cable for BRICS Nations
Potential investors including Internet giant Google will decide before year-end on a $1.5 billion undersea cable linking the BRICS group of emerging economies to each other and the U.S., a senior official in the project said on Monday. The 34,000 km cable, which would be the first of its kind to link Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, is expected to come online by the end of 2014, said Andrew Mthembu, chairman of technology group i3 Africa which is promoting the project.
Reuters
Splicing SM Fibers - Regular to Bend-Insensitive Fibers
FOA Master Instructor Joe Botha has been using his students to do some good research. His latest project was splicing different types of singlemode fibers including bend-insensitive type G.657. You will want to read Joe's report. Read it here.
Joe has studied how long does it take to splice a cable. It's not a simple answer as it varies with the number of fibers in the cable and the work setup, including whether one or two techs are working at a job site. Here is Joe's splicing analysis.
Joe also has an excellent writeup on how to choose singlemode fiber that helps understanding the different types of G.6xx fiber. Read it here.
Understanding And Selecting An Electrical Contractor (a.k.a. an integrated systems contractor)
Electrical contractors work with more than high voltage and AC power, with a majority of them also doing "low voltage" fiber optic and copper communications cabling. Electrical Contractor Magazine, the publication of the National Electrical Contractor Association (NECA), publishes lots of articles on low voltage, including monthly columns by FOA President Jim Hayes. They've also coined the term "Integrated Systems Contractor" to define the electrical contractor that does other projects. Recently they ran an article by Frank Bisbee, Communication Planning Corp., a telecom and datacom design/build firm that explains the process of selecting a contractor that also covers the scope of any project. It's worth reading.
Read the article here.
Frank provides a free monthly summary of cabling industry news called "HOTS" for "Heard on the Street" at www.wireville.com
Data Center Considerations: Architecture Choices
Here is an excellent article that explains how the architecture of data centers affects cabling, power and costs. It also helps in understanding the jargon of data centers and how users view their design and growth. Rodney Casteel, CommScope, TIA Fiber Optics LAN Section, wrote the article for Lightwave Magazine.
Read the article in Lightwave
Confused By Standards?
You are not the only one! As Bob Metcalfe, co-inventor of Ethernet, once said at a conference "The wonderful thing about standards is we have so many to choose from!" But the Siemon Company, an active participant in standards activities for decades, has tried to give some order to this chaos with a new website Standards Informant where they cover the TIA, ISO /IEC and IEEE standards that affect cabling and networks. If you need to keep up with standards, sign up for their email newsletter too.
Should Standards Be Free?
It's an interesting issue, since standards are often included as mandatory requirements in project documents, especially for government agency projects. But the issue has been discussed a lot recently, including in the US Congress, leading to this comment in the US Federal Register:
"(3) When agencies use incorporation by reference to create mandatory standards, the legality of charging the public for access to material incorporated by reference by the voluntary standards organizations that may have developed them, under copyright, is in serious doubt. Veeck v. S. Bldg. Code Cong. Int'l, 293 F.3d 791 (5th Cir. 2002). Free availability to the affected public of incorporated materials is of particular importance, as already suggested, when those materials create mandatory obligations whose violation could have adverse consequences, whether directly or on others whose interests may be affected by the behavior it controls. Measures such as the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act make plain that Congress has set its face against agency actions that export costs to others arguably unable to bear them. And in the age of information, secret law, that the public must pay for to know, is unacceptable. Today, binding law cannot be regarded as “reasonably available” if it cannot freely be found in or through an agency's electronic library. Perhaps this would require agencies to pay license fees for their use of such standards—and if so, they would then have proper bargaining incentives to keep those fees low."
The implication of this is obvious; a US government agency, or by implication any government agency in the US, would have problems including any industry standard in one of their documents if the document were not available free. We've commented on this many times and agree with this opinion and it's one reason that FOA has made its standards available free.
FOA Standards:
FOA has joined the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) to be able to keep up to date on more standards activities. ANSI is certainly a diverse organization. In March, when FOA joined ANSI, the list of new ANSI members included NASDAQ, Bonneville Power Administration and Broward (FL) County Sherriff Office Crime Lab!
FOA now offers free standards for testing the installed fiber optic cable plant, patchcords and cable, optical power from transmitters or at receivers and OTDR testing. Look for the "1 PageStandard" web page and in the FOA Online Reference Guide.
Go to the FOA "1 Page Standards"
Free For FOA Members: NECA/FOA 301 Fiber Optic Installation Standard
Because of its importance to users, contractors and installers of fiber optic networks, The FOA and NECA have agreed to make the NECA/FOA 301 Fiber Optic Installation Standard available free to FOA members. It's specifically written to be used in contracts to define "installation in a neat and workmanlike manner." FOA members can go here for instructions on how to download your free copy.
Three New Fiber U Online Self-Study Programs: Design, FTTx and Testing
FOA has added three new free online self-study programs to our Fiber U web-based training site. The new programs cover topics that have been requested often: "Fiber Optic Testing," "Fiber Optic Network Design" and "FTTx." The Testing course is a comprehensive self-study course on all aspects of fiber optic testing. The Design course leads you through lessons on fiber optic network design and planning, then concludes with several online design exercises to test your understanding. The FTTx course has lesson plans covering what the "x" in FTTx means, network architectures, installation and testing, then concludes with a design exercise. All use the FOA Online Guide or our textbooks and our YouTube videos as study materials. If you are interested in the FOA Specialist Certifications in Testing (CFOS/T), Design (CFOS/D) or FTTx (CFOS/H), these are excellent study guides. See Fiber U for links to the new courses.
We are considering using these self-study courses as part of online instructor-led courses using Linked-In. We have a new LinkedIn group, "Fiber Optic Training" (see below) which will be used for this. Join now for these courses.
FOA Starts New LinkedIn Group On Fiber Optic Training
FOA has started a new LinkedIn group called "Fiber Optic Training" dedicated to discussions on fiber optic training. Anyone can join our new Linked In fiber optic training group. We're experimenting on teaching instructor-led online courses on LinkedIn - watch for announcements on the FOA LinkedIn group and Fiber Optic Training Group. Take a look and join the group.
2012: The Year of The OTDR
Most of the technical and testing questions we get here at FOA involve misunderstanding of OTDR testing. A number of FOA master instructors have suggested we focus on OTDR training, both in our schools and online, to minimize the problems, so we have declared 2012 "The Year of The OTDR." Look for special articles, a new "1pStandard" and other information that will make these instruments less enigmatic!
What A FOA Instructor Said: "So you've had discussions about making 2012 "The Year Of The OTDR" for training. I couldn't agree more. So many clients, contractors and sales people we meet have so little knowledge about OTDR that it's astounding. ... OTDRs are still subject to interpretation, user error and (in some cases) dead zones that can still effect the results. Everyone we teach is initially overwhelmed and looking for "E-Z OTDR" that is fully automated...!"
The Simplest OTDR Measurements Can Be Confusing - Like Length
OTDRs measure length, but not the length most people think. It measures fiber length, not cable length. The OTDR uses the speed of light in the fiber (from the index of refraction) to calculate the length of the fiber. Most cables have 1-2% excess fiber (less on ribbon cables) to prevent fiber stress under cable tension. Some manufacturers of cable can provide that information for your testing. If you do not know the index of refraction/velocity of propagation or the ratio of excess fiber, you can estimate it or, if you have a long spool of cable, calibrate it.
Just measure the fiber on the spool of cable with the OTDR, then look at the cable jacket for length markings to get the actual length of the cable from the printed markings at each end of the cable. Use the OTDR’s calibration feature to set the index of refraction to the value that makes the OTDR read the same as the marked length of the cable.
What Is The Resolution In Length Of The OTDR? Most OTDRs have a display range digitized to about 10-20,000 parts, so on a 20km range, the display resolution is 1m, or on a 2km range it would be 0.1m. The actual resolution of the OTDR is usually thought of as its ability to distinguish between two points on the cable, like intermediate patchcords or closely spaced splices. The actual resolution is determined by the width of the test pulse and the bandwidth of the OTDR receiver and is usually much longer than the display resolution. A 100ns pulse, for example, equals about 20m, but the depending on the shape of the test pulse, the OTDR may not be able to distinguish events 2-3 times that length.
Three Good Practice Tools For OTDRs, All Free
You may already know that the FOA has a free OTDR Simulator you can download from our website (go here for directions) that allows you to practice using an OTDR on your PC, seeing the effects of changing setup parameters and analyzing dozens of real world traces. But here are two more tools that can be good for practice.
AFS OTDR Online Demo
AFS has an online interactive demo of their new OTDR that allows you to see how an OTDR makes measurements. You use the yellow buttons in the center of the OTDR to set the markers to make measurements. Very well done. Go to http://www.afsi.us/otdr/otdr_mode.php for the demo.
"Fiberizer" APP Reads, Analyzes OTDR Traces
Fiberizer is a iPhone/iPad APP that reads industry-standard ".sor" format files and allows trace analysis on your iPhone or iPad. An android version is in the works too. Read more about Fiberizer. And here are more directions on its use.
OTDR Tip Of The Month:
- Last Month: What Does A PON Network Look Like On An OTDR?
Many of the technical questions we get here at the FOA deal with OTDRs and many are problems caused by untrained operators expecting the OTDR to do the trace interpretation for them. That is almost always a recipe for disaster! If you are going to use an OTDR, learn how to use it first. Start with the new Fiber U OTDR self study course, "Understanding OTDRs". You can also download the Free FOA OTDR Simulator to practice analyzing traces.
Free FOA iPad App Calculates Loss Budget
The FOA has just released its second APP for the iPad/iPhone/iPod Touch, a free "loss budget calculator," FOA LossCalc.
FOA LossCalc
FOA LossCalc estimates the optical loss of a fiber optic link. This will save time for the installer of a fiber optic link needing to know whether test results are reasonable and/or make a "pass/fail" determination. It can also help the designer of a link to determine if communications equipment will operate over this link.
By choosing the type of link (singlemode or multimode) and specifying the length of the fiber and numbers of connections and splices, it will calculate the end to end loss of the link. The app has default specifications for singlemode and multimode links or the user may create custom setups with specifications appropriate for any application.
 http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foa-losscalc/id476262894?mt=8&ls=1
More New Lectures on 
10 new lectures on premises cabling have been added to the FOA YouTube channel along with lectures on fiber to the home - FTTx - and Loss budgets, making 26 fiber optic lectures total.
Here is a list of the current lectures (plus there are 28 hands-on videos too!). We're looking for ideas for topics for future lectures. Send your ideas to <info@thefoa.org>.
Events of Interest
FOLS Webinar
Preventing Network Failure by Cleaning and Inspecting Fiber Optic Connectors
Presented by Run Ron, AFL
AFL has conducted extensive research and determined that contamination is a major cause of network failures. In this seminar you'll learn how and when to clean fiber optic connectors and when and how to inspect them.
Tuesday, June 12th from 11:00 a.m.
to 12:15 p.m. EST
Log-in information for the Webconference will be sent to you after you register.
Register Now
Also From FOLS:
LAN Standards, News & Trends: 2012 Update
Presented by Pete Pondillo, Standards Chair, TIA's Fiber Optics LAN Section
Available Online, Register Here
FIBERFEST - JUNE 13, 2012 - FOA scheduled to be at FiberFest!
Fiberfest is the one day conference/trade show run by the New England Fiberoptic Council. This year the event will be colocated with a FTTH Council meeting in Boston. Watch for details here or on the NEFC website.
Exfo Seminars: Eliminating Guesswork in Next-Gen Fiber Testing
Join EXFO's experts for this half-day seminar dedicated to fiber testing in testing for metro, PON and cell backhaul networks, as well as smart grids.
Monday, April 23 - Los Angeles
Tuesday, April 24 - San Diego
Wednesday, April 25 - Phoenix
Click here to register.
2012 FTTH Conference & Expo - September 23-28, Dallas, Texas
This event is much more than North America's biggest fiber to the home trade show. With dozens of track sessions, panel discussions and other educational presentations, the 2012 FTTH Conference & Expo will get you up to speed on the latest in FTTH technologies, network design, business operations, and more. Click here for more information on this year's event in Dallas.
AFL to Host "Traveling" Advanced Splicing Seminars
AFL has launched advanced splicing seminars intended for engineers and professionals, as well as university students, engaged in fiber optic activities involving non-standard and specialty fusion splicing activities. Typical applications for these advanced splicing needs are often in the Medical, Oil and Gas, Fiber Lasers, Optical Manufacturing, and Aerospace markets. These seminars will cover a wide range of applications and solutions for difficult and challenging applications using advanced fusion splicing platforms.
- Seminars will be held in around the US and Canada.
- There is no charge for attending; however AFL will be conducting pre-registration in order to ensure availability of a proper facility depending upon the number of attendees.
- Details on the seminar, a current schedule and signup form are at http://www.stateofthearc.com/seminars/signup.html
Free Corning "See the Light" Seminars
Corning Cable Systems' See the Light team is coming to a city near you! Receive Free fiber optic training on a variety of topics including Termination Technology, Testing and Trouble Shooting, Fusion Splicing, and Preterminated Solutions. These interactive three-hour sessions provide students with a comprehensive overview of the latest technology. Fiber optic BICSI (CEC) credits apply (3).
Here is the current information and schedule.
JDSU Testing Webinars
You are invited to join JDSU for a complimentary series of educational webinars in early 2012. Each webinar, presented by a JDSU subject matter expert, occurs on the same day and time of the week and will last approximately one hour, including Q&A.
Go here to see the seminars offered and dates. IMPORTANT: use registration password: FONA1.
Don't forget to download your copies of the JDSU Testing Textbooks.
 What's New @ FOA
FOA Standards For Contractors, Designers, Installers and Users
Read more about them here. And above.
Go to the FOA "1 Page Standards"
FOA Certifications Recognized By US Department of Labor
All FOA Certifications have now been recognized by the US Department of Labor. The DoL reviews certifications and how they relate to job opportunities and training. The DoL Career OneStop website helps individuals explore career opportunities to make informed employment and education choices. The Web site features user-friendly occupation and industry information, salary data, career videos, education resources, self-assessment tools, career exploration assistance, and other resources that support talent development in today's fast-paced global marketplace.
FOA Certifications Listed By US Department of Labor - Career OneStop
US Department of Labor Recognizes FOA In New "Occupational Outlook Handbook"
FOA is listed in the new US Department of Labor "Occupational Outlook Handbook" in the section "How to Become a Line Installer or Repairer."
This website lists all sorts of interesting information, including what these workers do in their jobs, how they get trained and certified (where the FOA is referenced) and something everybody is interested in - sections on "Pay" and "Job Outlook" - see the red arrow above.
 New Corporate Memberships
FOA is now offering corporate memberships to companies involved in fiber optics as manufacturers, contractors, installers, etc. Read more. Among other benefits, Corporate Membership gives companies access to special FOA materials for educating customers and employees.
Two New Free Fiber U Self-Study Programs on Design and FTTx
There are two new free online self-study programs on Fiber U. Fiber Optic Network Design is for those interested in learning more about how ot design fiber optic networks or studying for the CFOS/D certification. FTTx is for those wanting to know more about fiber to the "x" - curb, home, wireless, etc. - or studying for the CFOS/H certification.
Got to Fiber U for more information.
FOA Certification On Outside Plant Fiber Optics
The FOA CFospT outside plant certification focuses on OSP fiber optic network design, installation and maintenance. A CFospT certified tech must know the ways that fiber is used in the OSP, how it is installed, tested and maintained. While a CFOT might only have a basic knowledge of fusion splicing and OTDR testing, for example, a CFospT will be knowledgeable and skillful in those areas - and more. Reference materials for the new CFospT are the printed textbook, the FOA Reference Guide to Outside Plant Fiber Optics (right) as well as eBooks from Amazon for the Kindle or Apple for the iPad/iPod/iPhone and the OSP reference section of the FOA Online Reference Guide which now includes a self-study guide to the CFospT exam.
More information on the FOA Outside Plant Fiber Optic Technician (CFospT) certification.
- Reference Books for FOA Certifications are now available on Kindle and iPad/iPhone
  
We have created three new FOA books to be used in training for FOA certifications and as reference books for contractors, installers and end users of fiber optics. These books have full curriculum support, including free curriculum materials for teaching FOA certification courses. Because we are self-publishing these books using more modern "publish on demand" technology, they are easier to keep up to date, easier to buy and much, MUCH cheaper!
All are now available in print and electronically in Kindle and Apple iBook versions. The basic fiber optic book is also available as a self-study program in an Apple APP for iPad/iPhone/iPod.
Details on the new book each of the new books are at the book pages linked to the photos above.
FOA iPad Apps
The FOA has just released its second APP for the iPad, a free "loss budget calculator," FOA LossCalc.
FOA LossCalc
FOA LossCalc estimates the optical loss of a fiber optic link. This will save time for the installer of a fiber optic link needing to know whether test results are reasonable and/or make a "pass/fail" determination. It can also help the designer of a link to determine if communications equipment will operate over this link.
By choosing the type of link (singlemode or multimode) and specifying the length of the fiber and numbers of connections and splices, it will calculate the end to end loss of the link. The app has default specifications for singlemode and multimode links or the user may create custom setups with specifications appropriate for any application. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foa-losscalc/id476262894?mt=8&ls=1
Self -Study in Fiber Optics
 Our first app is a self-study version of the FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics. The FOA APP builds on the FOA basic fiber optic textbook to create an interactive learning environment that builds on the iBook electronic version of the book to add a guide to use for self-study and real-time testing that provides feedback on what you have learned and correct answers to questions answered incorrectly.
The FOA APP is priced at only $9.99, same as the iBook, so the self-study program is free. Download it from the Apple APP Store with your iPad or iTunes.
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/foa-guide/id434354283?mt=8&ign-mpt=uo%3D4
NECA/FOA 301 Installation Updated
Standards cover components and systems and how to test them, but rarely get into installation issues. The FOA NECA 301 standard which covers installation of optical fiber systems has been revised for the second time, adding considerable new materials. This standard is derived from FOA educational material put in standards form and approved by ANSI as an American National Standard. It's specifically written to be used in contracts to define "installation in a neat and workmanlike manner." The standard is available from NECA. FOA members can go here for instructions on how to download your free copy.
2 New Lectures: About The FOA and FOA Standards, plus Fiber Optic Lectures, Premises Cabling Lectures Plus More Hands-On Videos
Below is a list of the current lectures (plus there are 28 hands-on videos too!). We're looking for ideas for topics for future lectures. Send your ideas to <info@thefoa.org>.
Hands-On Fiber Optic Videos show how it's actually done
Fiber Optic Connector Polishing Technique
The Fiber Optic Tester In Your Pocket (Cell Phone)
Insertion Loss Testing
Fusion Splicing
Mechanical Splicing
Fiber Optic Termination, Part 1, Setup & Tools
Fiber Optic Termination, Part 2, Jacketed Cable Prep
Fiber Optic Termination, Part 3, Adhesive Prep
Fiber Optic Termination, Part 4, Stripping Fiber
Fiber Optic Termination, Part 5, Connector Attachment
Fiber Optic Termination, Part 6, Polishing
Fiber Optic Termination, Part 7, Inspection
Fiber Optic Termination, Part 8, Distribution Cable Termination
Fiber Optic Cable, Part 1 Introduction
Fiber Optic Cable, Part 2, Zipcord
Fiber Optic Cable, Part 3 Distribution Cable
Fiber Optic Cable, Part 4 Breakout Cable
Fiber Optic Cable, Part 5 Loose Tube Cable
Fiber Optic Cable, Part 6, Armored Cable
Lectures On Premises Cabling
The FOA has added 10 more videos to our YouTube Channel, thefoainc. These are an introduction to premises cabling, covering applications, types of cabling, standards and installation practices for copper (UTP and coax), fiber and wireless. Like our lecture series on fiber optics, these provide a comprehensive introduction to the subject in short videos, typically 5-10 minutes in length, on each subject. Watch for more.
Premises Cabling Lectures on YouTube
"Hands-On" UTP Cabling Videos show how it's actually done
UTP "Cat 5" Cabling, Part 1, Tools
UTP "Cat 5" Cabling, Part 2, The Training Board
UTP "Cat 5" Cabling, Part 3, UTP Cable
UTP "Cat 5" Cabling, Part 4, 66 Block Punchdown
UTP "Cat 5" Cabling, Part 5, 110 Block Punchdown
UTP "Cat 5" Cabling, Part 6, Jacks
UTP "Cat 5" Cabling, Part 7, Testing
UTP "Cat 5" Cabling, Part 8, Plugs and Patchcords
View all the FOA YouTube video Lectures.
What's New in the FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide
We have been updating the Online Reference Guide to keep up with changes in the industry and adding lots of new pages of technical information.
FTTx and Design Pages Updated
As we developed the new Fiber U self-study courses, we updated the FTTx and Design pages and added a FTTx installation section.
OTDR FAQs
Including FOA Master Instructor Terry O'Malley's tests on what the end of a fiber trace looks like with broken and cleaved fibers.
Frequently Asked Questions On OTDRS And Hints On Their Use
Testing FTTH
Basic guidelines for testing FTTH PON networks
Measuring Reflectance or Return Loss
It can be important but it's not so easy to test.
Fiber Optic and Premises Cabling Project Paperwork
Covering what are SOW, RFPs and RFQs and how they are created for a project.
Effects of Alignment and Fiber Geometry on Fiber Optic Connector Loss
With all the controversy about connector loss due to modal distribution, we sometimes forget the effects of component variations.
Fiber Optics For Wireless Networks
How wireless is not wireless - it needs fiber.
Learn More About OTDRs - Download a Free OTDR Simulator
More and more installers are being asked for OTDR testing but using these instruments is not easy. They are hard to set up properly and complicated to interpret the traces. Using the autotest function can lead to disastrous results! The FOA has a good tutorial on OTDRs on our Online Reference Guide and we added a free download of an OTDR simulator to the OTDR section so you can learn how to use an OTDR on your PC.
More New Info:
Links to manufacturers and distributors of fiber optic lighting products.
The FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide has become very popular - perhaps the most popular technical website ever, typically with over 360,000 users downloading about 1.75 million pages in 2011! We continue updating materials regularly, keeping it as up to date as possible.
Find What You Want Using "Google Custom Search
 There's so much information on the FOA Tech Topics and Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide that even a well-organized Table of Contents isn't enough and when the material is always changing, an index is impossible to maintain. So the FOA is using the latest technology in search, Google Custom Search, which will allow you to search just the FOA Tech Topics and Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide for any topic you want to find more about. Try it!
Go to The FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide.
School News
Corning Grant To FOA School To Provide Free Training To Unemployed
Corning Cabling Systems has provided a grant of money and equipment to The Urban League of Central Carolinas and Catawba Valley Community College that will be used to train 80-100 low-income and/or unemployed residents in the Hickory, NC area. Those successfully completing the course will get FOA certifications.
Tri-County Technical College and BDI Datalynk were prominently mentioned in an article on fiber optics in the Carolinas.
"Tri-County Technical College established additional fiber optics training courses this fall as the demand for certified technicians increased across the Upstate. Tri-County Technical College’s Corporate and Community Education Division, in association with BDI Datalynk, hosted the series of training sessions.
Students had the option to become certified fiber optics technicians; certified fiber optics specialists in testing and maintenance; or certified fiber optics specialists in splicing, which focuses on mechanical and fusion splicing of fiber optics networks.
Bob Ballard, owner of BDI Data Lynk, which partnered for the Tri-County training, said demand increased as opportunity within the industry increased. The telecommunications industry in particular requires fiber optic cable because of bandwidth."
Read the article in GSA Business.
New Schools
The FOA welcomes the newest additions to our listing of FOA-Approved Training Organizations:
Alliant Global Training Center, FOA-Approved School #326
Madison Area Technical College, FOA-Approved School #643
IBEW Local 193, FOA Approved-School #642
Find a listing of all the FOA-Approved schools here.
It's Now A Lot Easier To Find A FOA-Approved Training Organization
Most phone calls we get regarding finding a FOA-Approved training organization want to know two things: what school is closest to me or what school offers the certifications I need. That can be difficult, since the FOA has almost 200 training organizations we have approved worldwide!
We've been looking at ways to make it easier, and we think we've got a good solution. In fact we have two solutions.
First we have added a sortable table of all the FOA-Approved schools.
You can also use our FOA Google Map Application to find FOA-Approved schools.
Here are links to the sortable table of all the FOA-Approved schools and FOA Google Map.
What Should A Fiber Optics or Cabling Tech Know and What Skills Do They Need?
The FOA has been updating its lists of KSAs (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities) for fiber and cabling techs. The updated list is now on the website for your information and comments - as fiber and cabling KSAs evolve as new technologies develop.
KSAs for fiber and cabling techs.
Good Question! Tech Questions/Comments Worth Repeating
Tech Hint: Did You Know You Have A Fiber Optic Tester In Your Pocket?
Yes! The camera in your cell phone is sensitive to infrared light - lots more than your eye - and can detect light in an optical fiber or from a transmitter. Chris Hillyer,CFOT/CFOS/I, Master Instructor, Northern California Sound & Communication JATC sent us some photos showing how this works. See below or the video now on YouTube. Update: You should check out your old cell phones before you recycle them. We've found older models use sensors which are better at infrared than the newer ones which take better pictures. This is a good use for your old cell phones hiding in the drawer!
Replacing Connectors On OTDR Launch Cables (6/12)
Q: I just got some brand new launch and receive fiber cables for my OTDR and the connector on one end went bad for some reason. Can I replace it myself?
A: The connector on your launch and receive cables need to be good, since bad ones will always show high loss when connected - even to good connectors. It is hard to do a field connection that is as good as the factory polished connections on the original cable. We recommend replacing the original connectors by fusion splicing a new pigtail on the cable if the connector is too badly damaged to repair, as the fusion splice will only be a few hundredths of a dB loss. (there are new unicam-like connectors that are susion- not mechancial spliced) You can also repolish the connector using diamond film which will polish the ceramic ferrule as well as the glass and remove enough material to remove scratches.
Another field trick is to reverse the cable and put the bad connector on the OTDR end. One of the FOA Master Instructors is the guy who wrote and taught the OTDR trainng for AT&T and he recommends using a short (3-5m) cable on the OTDR which is never removed to protect the OTDR connector then attache the launch cable to it, so even a bad connector on the cable will not harm the one on the OTDR.
More on Loss Budgets (4/12)
Q: We manufacture cables for seismic industry which contains fiber optics. I have some questions after checking your loss budget document at http://www.thefoa.org/tech/lossbudg.htm.
a-If we want to establish the specs for max allowed attenuation for a cable containing 1 connector at each end (meaning the cable has 2 connectors); is it correct to calculate it this way: 2 x (0.75 db “TIA-568 max) + fiber loss along the length = our loss budget ?
b-What about the connectors of the optical power meter used for measuring (the ones we mate with each connector at end to transmit/receive the light)? Should I add their connector loss in the budget or I assume that the connector mate loss = max loss between one of both connectors (assuming the one at the cable has higher loss) for each end?
A: Let's start with question "b", testing. For reference, I'm going to use the new FOA standard for testing the cable plant: FOA Standard FOA-1
I am assuming the connectors on the cable are compatible with the meter, e.g. some version of the SC/ST/FC family with 2.5 mm ferrules and you have some compatible launch and receive cables that have been tested and are known good.
When you do a reference calibration in the one cable reference method, you attach the launch cable to the source (leave it attached for the duration of the testing) and the other end to the meter input to do the "0 dB" calibration. Most meters have an adapter that screws on top of the actual detector of the meter so the end of the fiber faces the detector. This interface is not without some loss, but it is consistent in the coupling of the power from the fiber to the detector of the meter, so it is a constant in the measurement.
Now we know how much power is exiting the fiber of the launch cable. To test a cable, we attach the cable we want to test to the launch cable. That connection has loss that depends on the quality of the connectors on each cable and the alignment precision of the mating adapter for the connectors.
If we attached the other end of the cable we are testing to the meter now, we would measure the loss of the connection to the launch cable and the loss due to the attenuation of the fiber in the cable. Since the connector mated to the meter has the same interface as the reference cable when we calibrated "0 dB" there is no loss added in this connection. We use this test for patchcords since it allows us to test each connector independently by reversing the cable and thus we can identify if we have one bad connector.
Completed cable assemblies are usually tested double ended, so on the opposite end from the launch, we attach a receive cable. The connection to the cable under test is added to the loss we measure and the connection to the meter is the same as for all other measurements so it is not included.
Thus the loss budget adds the connections on each end of the cable to the fiber loss since that is what is measured in this test.
Now we did this test with what we call a "1 cable reference" but there are options for 2 or three cable references. The standard linked above shows why you might use a 2 or 3 cable reference, it's a matter of the connectors on the cable and the meter and how they can be mated. What confuses people is what you are actually measuring with the 2 or 3 cable reference, since connections are included in the setting of the "0 dB" reference. We have a web page that explains the math: http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/testing/5ways/lossmath.html
In our loss budget calculations, we always include the loss of the connectors on each end since most tests are done with a 1 cable reference. If you use a two cable reference, the loss is reduced by the amount of loss in the connection(s) during the setting of the 0 dB reference, plus the measurement uncertainty is increased due to the uncertainty of the loss included in the reference. We address the measurement uncertainty here: http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/testing/5ways/fiveways.html
Now question "a": The answer is "yes" with a caveat. That is how you calculate the loss budget. Most connectors do not have 0.75 dB loss! That number has been used in TIA and ISO/IEC standards for many years. It was created by manufacturers as a worst case value for them to use so that all types of connectors would meet the standards. In fact, the more typical values for loss are ~0.3 dB for adhesive polish connectors, ~0.5-0.75 dB for prepolished/splice connectors and ~0.75 dB or more for multifiber connectors.
So while 0.75 dB is in the standard and widely used, you may want to use a lower value more representative of the manufacturing process.
Burying Fiber Ducts Below Frost Line (3/12)
Q: Should fiber ducts in northern regions be laid below frost line. Frost line in some areas of Canada is typically 8 feet.
A: Normally telecommunication conduit should be place below frost line when ever possible. Cost is always a factor, in most cases frost line does not exceed 36" (1 meter aprox). Northern Canada is an exception. Depending on the strength of the conduit/cables to resist the crushing force of ice frozen in place around cables (see manufacturer). Ice has been know separate conduits from itself, frost has crush conduits/cables. The following designs have been used:
1) Use schedule 80 conduit/ GIP conduit (threaded pipe).
2) Design each conduit section so that it will drain down hill.
3) Keep water out off handholes/manholes. This can be very difficult & costly.
4) Ensure that cables can maintain frost crushing (see manufacturer).
Companies like Bell /AT&T have been placing conduit below or at 3' to 5' in Canada.
Companies like CATV have been placing conduit below or at 2' to 4' in Canada.
In the US most conduits are placed 24" to 60" for communication.
Each situation will need to be reviewed on a case by case bases.
Municipal Fiber Network Advice (2/12)
Q: I am charged with researching a municipal requirement to install fiber optic infrastructure in new development--this could either be for active development or dark fiber for future connection. Any pointers as to where to look? Have any communities done this well.... done this poorly.... have good examples of policy, legal code or standards?
A: Municipal networks are becoming very common. The best example I know is Santa Monica, CA Citynet http://www.smgov.net/departments/isd/smcitynet.aspx and we've interviewed them on the project.
Santa Monica built a citywide network to combine connections to all the city offices, public safety offices, libraries, etc. plus added numerous CCTV surveillance cameras, smart traffic signals and muni WiFi. They installed lots of fiber - fiber is cheap but installation can be costly, so they built a big network with lots of dark fiber in the beginning. Then they leased fiber to the local CATV company, Verizon for FiOS fiber to the home, and connected up dozens of tech companies to high speed Internet access (Google, Yahoo and dozens of movie production houses are located in Santa Monica.)
The really good deal was it paid for itself. Federal money helped with the initial installation (DoTransportation, DoEducation, Homeland Security) and leased fiber keeps the income coming.
As a big college town already involved with "Gig U" (http://www.gig-u.org/), you should contact the people at the University to see what they have planned that may be able to be combined with your work.
I suspect that every town has its own issues with policy, codes and standards. We've discussed some of the issues with other towns and one thing that comes up regularly is that at a minimum, the town should own the conduits even if the fiber is private. If a private contractor digs up the streets to bury cables they should be required to install many conduits for whenever another company wants to pull cable, the conduit is ready and no digging will be necessary. We also suggest talking to the local telephone and CATV companies. In the past, many have fought muni fiber but now many cooperate with the city and lease fiber from them.
Help On Termination 2/12
Q: I'm working as an user and sometime I install connectors on fibers. Most of the time I work with ST connectors. Do you have a small guide how to prepare, and polish the fibers ? Is it possible to use ST single mode connector on Multimode fiber and viceversa ?
A: We have several links that help you:
YouTube Videos:http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL21F27A040DFAA6E5&feature=plcp
Tutorial: http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/termination/Term/Term.htm
Step-By Step Virtual Hands-on Termination: Epoxy/Polish, Anaerobic, Hot Melt
Singlemode fiber termination, Hands-on SM termination
Even more from the FOA Online Reference Guide: http://www.thefoa.org/tech/ref/contents.html#Components
Singlemode connectors have tighter tolerances and a slightly smaller hole in the ferrule. Generally speaking, you can use SM connectors on MM fiber, except when the fiber diameter is on the high side of tolerance but you should never use MM connectors on SM fiber as the fit will be sloppy and the resulting core offset causes high loss.
Removing Unused Cables 2/12
Q: Can you point me in the direction of information on how to properly and safely remove 50 Micron Multi-mode Fibre Optic Cable from a data center? My company would like to remove their old FOC when they upgrade to 10g cable fibre and were considering cutting the LC connectors off the cables to make it easier to pull through the rats nest of cables under the floor. Is this a safe method?
A: There is not standard way to remove cables, as it will depend on the installation. Cables in underfloor (or overhead) trays tend to be enmeshed in other cables unless they are in separate ducts. Under any circumstances, the best way to remove them is to cut off connectors, locate the cables and cut into lengths that are easily removed (just make sure you are cutting the right cables - a installer doing this with some cables in Newark, NJ once cut the wrong cable and put Wall St. out of business for a day!). Once they are cut into short lengths, it should be easy to remove them.
After removal, the cable can be recycled for the plastic - connectors are trash. Or if they are long enough, I may know some schools who would like them for their hands-on labs!
Higher Loss At Long Wavelengths? 1/12
Q: I have a tech in the field that has installed a piece of single mode fiber approx. 650’ long. He is testing it with a source and meter. The fiber is passing the 1310 loss test but failing the 1550 test. What could be causing this? He has put new ends on the fiber already and is getting the same results.
A: This sounds like a classic problem of cable stress. Singlemode fiber is much more sensitive to bending stress losses at 1550nm than 1310nm. If there is a stressed area in the cable installation, it's easy to get >3dB loss from a tight bend or kink, even near the connectors. There should be no difference with the connectors themselves. Telcos test links at 1625nm for stress testing.
Followup: The tech went back to the job site with an OTDR and found there was a spike in the reading about 120’ from one end which is where there is a pull box up in the ceiling.
Fiber Cleaning
This is a topic we keep reminding everybody about, and here is why:
From a contrator in the Middle East: Here some samples of the connectors for SM fiber already installed in the system we were testing.
 
As you can see, the dirt is large compared to the size of the fiber (dark gray), and the core (not visible here) is only 9/125 of the overall diameter of the fiber! More on cleaning. See Product News below for links to vendors of fiber cleaning products.
See news about Fiber Optic Cleaning Videos on YouTube by ITW Chemtronics below.
Measurement Uncertainty: Everyone testing fiber optics should understand that every measurement has some uncertainty - whether you are measuring loss, length, wavelength, power, etc. Knowing that uncertainty is very important to interpreting the measurement. It's worthwhile to read and understand the issue of measurement accuracy covered in this page of the FOA Online Fiber Optic Reference Guide.
Worth Reading or Watching:
What's ahead for multimode fiber communication systems?
By Gastón E. Tudury, Ph.D., and Al Brunsting, Ph.D., Panduit
With networks like Ethernet moving to 40 and 100 Gb/s, current multimode fiber has been forced to a parallel optics solution, not considered acceptable by some users like Google, due to the masses of fiber needed for data centers. Rather than go to a singlemode WDM solution, these two suggest we should look at redesigning MM fiber, cutting the NA for higher bandwidth and maybe tweaking the VCSELs too. Lightwave.
In Pictures: The World’s Largest Solar Thermal Power Plant
BrightSource’s 370-megawatt facility near Las Vegas is taking shape, with lots of fiber optics being installed by FOA-certified techs..
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/428009/in-pictures-the-worlds-largest-solar-thermal/
Dark fiber providers may see $986M market as broadband data demand rises
Dark fiber is approaching a $billion market as broadband data demand rises. Read more on FierceTelecom.
WantTo Know Where Submarine Fiber Optic Cables Run?
There is a good map online by TeleGeography you can access here.
Choosing the right connector: APC vs. UPC
An interesting article from ADC on the differences in APC and UPC connectors makes the choice easier. Read more.
Benchmarking Fusion Splicing And Selecting Singlemode Fiber
We've been asked many times "How long does it take to splice a cable?" It's not a simple answer as it varies with the number of fibers in the cable and the work setup, including whether one or two techs are working at a job site. FOA Master Instructor Joe Botha of Triple Play in South Africa did his own analysis based on decades of experience both splicing cables and teaching others how to do it properly. This is one of the best analyses we have seen because Joe includes prep times as well as splicing times and differentiates between one tech and two techs working together. He adds some other tips on fusion splicing too. This should be mandatory reading for every tech and given to every student! Here is Joe's splicing analysis.
Joe also has an excellent writeup on how to choose singlemode fiber that helps understanding the different types of G.6xx fiber. Read it here.
And you will want to read Joe's report on splicing different types of SM fiber, including bend-insensitive (G.657) fiber. Read it here.
Videos on Firestopping: These free videos from UL and the International Firestop Council are good tutorials on firestopping. Go here to view the videos.
Micro-Trenching, Cable Removal (3/12)
Nano-Trench offers products for micro (or I guess they call it nano-) trenching and their website is very informative. They also have Kabel-X, a method of extracting copper cables from old conduit. Both websites are informative and interesting. Watch this video on the cable removal process!
Free - Mike Holt's Explanation Of The US National Electrical Code (NEC) For Communications Cables
Mike Holt is the acknowledged expert of the US National Electrical Code (NEC). His books and seminars are highly praised for their ability to make a very complicated standard (that is in fact Code - law - in most areas of the US) easily understood. Part of the appeal is Mike's great drawings that make understanding so much easier. Mike makes Chapter 8 of his book available free. It covers communications cables, telephones, LANs, CATV and CCTV, for premises applications. Even if you live in a region or country where the NEC is not the law, you may find this interesting.
Download Mike's Chapter Here.
Fiber Optic Crossword Puzzles For Entertainment And As A CFOT Certification Study Aid (2/12)
Pearson Technologies Inc., a 32-year fiber optic training, technical and marketing consulting firm, announces availability of a free training and certification tool. This tool is a free set of crossword puzzles on the terms of fiber optic installation and products. This set assists those studying fiber optic installation or planning to take the Fiber Optic Association (FOA) Certified Fiber Optic Technician (CFOT) certification examination. The four puzzles are for: light and fiber terms, cable terms, connector and splice terms, optoelectronics and testing terms.
The puzzles can be viewed and printed from: http://www.ptnowire.com/resources.htm or http://www.ptnowire.com/CFOT-Puzzles-vb.pdf. Individuals can receive the answers by email request.
For additional information, contact Pearson Technologies Inc. at: 4671 Hickory Bend Drive, Acworth, GA 30102, at (770) 490-991, or via e-mail at fiberguru@ptnowire.com.
New Eric Pearson Books (2/12)
  
Pearson Technologies Inc. announces the release of three new books, Professional Fiber Optic Installation, The Essentials For Success, Mastering Fiber Optic Connector Installation and Mastering The OTDR.
Based on 31 years of experience, laboratory testing, development, and training of more than 8000 installers, these books is suitable for training, installation, personnel certification, and reference. Eric's books are perhaps best described as fiber optic "cookbooks," full of detailed directions that reflect many years of tesing in his courses. They are valuable references for the fiber optic tech.
For additional information. contact Pearson Technologies Inc., www.ptnowire.com, fiberguru@ptnowire.com, 770-490-9991
Fiber Optic Cleaning Videos on YouTube
ITW Chemtronics has three fiber optic cleaning videos on covering Dry Cleaning, Wet-Dry Method, FiberWash and Combination Cleaning. They are good explanations of cleaning processes - the Wet-Dry is especially interesting.
A Documentary Treasure on the History of the Internet
15 minutes of a rarely-seen BBC documentary demolish the myth that ARPAnet was inspired by nuclear war, and explain the far more intriguing truth.
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/mimssbits/26719/?nlid=4433
Ensuring Distance Accuracy On OTDR Measurements
By JDSU.
Broadband Properties Webinar Archives
Lots of interesting webinars, mostly on FTTH. Go here.
FTTX Networks
An ADC white paper on how they work and how networks are upgraded to FTTH. http://connectedplanetonline.com/images/CP-ADC3-WhitePaper-v4.pdf.
JDSU Application Note On "Qualifying FTTH Network before Equipment Installation"
Another great paper from JDSU covering FTTH PON networks is available for downloading. It gives an overview of FTTH architecture, cleaning connectors then testing the cable plant with OTDRs and OLTSs. This paper will help you understand why OTDRs can be confusing on PONs!
Best Practices For Wireless Backhaul Network Upgrades
Joan Engebretson, Contributing Editor of Connected Planet has written a very good overview of how fiber is essential to the operation of cellular wireless systems. Everybody probably knows that fiber is used to connect towers into the telecom network - they call it backhaul - but her article also covers the new appliations to replace bulky, heavy, lossy coax up the tower to the antennas. http://connectedplanetonline.com/images/CP_ADC2_WhitePaper.pdf.
Fiber Optic Safety Poster
We've had numerous requests to reprint our guidelines on safety when working with fiber optics, so we have created a "Safety Poster" for you to print and post in your classroom, worksite, etc. We suggest giving a copy to every student and installer.
Corning now offers videos on . Lots of interesting videos, some technical, some sales, but all good information.
US Conec's videos on cleaning fibers - show's the results of proper cleaning.
Webinars of Interest
Broadcast Engineering Magazine - Fiber Optic Testing
FOA President Jim Hayes presents an overview of fiber optic testing for all applications. Available on Demand. Sign up here.
Multimode Fiber Trends from TIA's Fiber Optics LAN Section
Ryan Chappell, Draka Communications, looks at the evolution of multimode fiber, examines its current usage and shares predictionson its future Available on-demand at: http://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/7182/play
OSP Magazine Webinars
OSP Magazine (OSP as in outside plant telco) is now offering a number of interesting webinars that cover fiber topics, including network design and specialized components. http://www.ospmag.com/events/web/
Multimode Fiber Characterization Launch Condition Considerations - new ap note from JDSU
JDSU Reference Guide to Fiber Optic Testing – Volume 2 Published
The second volume of the JDSU series on fiber optic testing has been published. Volume 1 focused on Basic Fiber testing and Volume 2 is geared toward fiber optic installers, project managers, telecom technicians and engineers who need to understand fiber networks. Volume 2 also covers Chromatic Dispersion, Polarization Mode Dispersion, Attenuation Profile and Fiber Link and Network Characterization. A 3rd volume, a glossary of fiber optic terms, is also available for download.
This is a "MUST HAVE" for all fiber optic techs. Download your free copies here.
We used this book as one of our references in creating a new page in the FOA Online Reference Guide on chromatic dispersion (CD) and polarization-mode dispersion (PMD).
Careers in Fiber Optics: Brian Smith. A 1998 book on fiber optic jobs is a bit dated, but a free overview is on Google Books and worth a look at it online.
Dirt!
As much as 70% of the problems associated with deploying fiber to the home result from something as simple as dirty connectors according to JDSU. Telephony Online.
US Conec's videos on cleaning fibers - show's the results of proper cleaning.
Good Technical Websites
American Polywater (http://www.polywater.com/) has one of the best technical website for cable installers. Here is a rundown on some new material on their site.
Cable Installation using "Push" or "Push/Pull"
Polywater's new Pull-Planner™ 3000 Software allows a "pushing force" variable in pulling tension calculations. Read a White Paper that quantifies the push contribution and compares calculation results to field experience. --
http://www.polywater.com/pushing.pdf
Pulling Cable Through Water?
Read a Product Spotlight on Polywater® + Silicone™, Polywater's new generation underground lubricant. Continued reduction of friction when pulling through water is only one of the unique features of this lubricant. --
http://www.polywater.com/NNNBSL.pdf
Check out their website, especially “Videos,” “Engineer’s Corner” and “Calculators.” http://www.polywater.com/NNNBSL.pdf
" Heard on the Street" is a monthly online newsletter from Frank Bisbee of Communications Planning Corporation that covers the telecommunications and cabling businesses. Each month includes news from manufacturers, trade associations and professional societies like the FOA. You can read the current issue and back issues online.
JDSU has announced the See the Light webinar series, a four-part program designed for anyone involved in the installation, maintenance, and repair of fiber optic systems. It begins with fiber inspection and cleaning and then covers the basics of fiber testing. The webinar series then continues with the more advanced optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) and fiber local area network (LAN) testing challenges. More information on the series.
IGI is offering a series of webinars on topics of interest to those in the communications industry. You can join them live ir download from the archives. IGI WEBINAR ARCHIVES UP AND RUNNING - VISIT TELECOMBRIEFINGS.COM TO DOWNLOAD!
IGI, a major market research and technology reporting company (the "Active Optical Cables" below) is offering a a free one year subscription to one of our fiber optics newsletters to FOA members. All they have to do is to send IGI an e-mail stating which newsletter they would like to get. See http://www.igigroup.com/nl.html for a listing of IGI Newsletters.
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- FOA Tech Topics -
A Fiber Optic Tester In Your Pocket? (See the video on )
Yes! The camera in your cell phone is sensitive to infrared light - lots more than your eye - and can detect light in an optical fiber or from a transmitter. Chris Hillyer,CFOT/CFOS/I, Master Instructor, Northern California Sound & Communication JATC brought this to our attention.
 
If you have an old cell phone, try it too. Our experience is that older cell phone cameras have better sensitivity at IR wavelengths than newer phones, so you may want to toss that old phone into the toolbox.
- FOA Technical Bulletins
- How do you design and manufacture fiber optic systems? Choose and install one to serve your communications needs? Troubleshoot problems? The FOA Fiber Optic Technical Bulletins will provide step-by-step guidelines to help you. All are PDF files you can download, print and use.
- Testing Update
- Are there really 5 different ways to test optical fiber cabling after installation? Why so many? How do the measurements - and more importantly the measurement results - differ? What are the advanteages and disadvantages of each method?
- Why are there 4 ways (maybe 5) to test fiber optic cables?
- Do OTDRs and OLTS tests give the same results?
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- New Tech Topics
- Industry standards updated to include international standards
- Updated link specs for fiber optic networks - now includes 10/40/100G Ethernet.
Product News
AFL Releases Rugged Indoor/Outdoor Breakout Fiber Optic Cable
AFL introduces a new product line of rugged indoor/outdoor breakout fiber optic cable. Designed to support cable terminations and connector configurations that require more strength and durability, these new cables feature a reinforced core configuration anchored by a robust, water-blocked sub-cable construction and stranded design. Additional strength elements allow for a wide variety of termination schemes. Either via direct termination with wedge-type retention systems common in industrial connectors or via a fan-out configuration, AFL's Indoor/Outdoor Rugged Breakout Cable provides a highly flexible solution that can be tailored to the application. The cable family is available ranging from two to 12 optical channels and is qualified to the UL 1666 Riser standard. MSHA-rated cable is also available. For additional information on AFL and its cable products and accessories, visit www.AFLglobal.com.
AFL now offers their launch and receive test cables for OTDRs (they call them "rings") made from bend-insensitive fibers too.
Uraseal FOD-40 Drop Splice Protection Kit
Uraseal has developed a procedure allowing the use of round cables up to 8mm (5/16") in diameter with the FOD-40 kit. This procedure allows the technician to attach round cables to the channels in the FOD-40 kit, where the remaining steps for preparing and filling the kit remain the same. For more information you can download the FOD-40 splice kit instruction sheet at this link:
http://www.urasealtraining.com/Instructions/FOD-40rda8.pdf
Videos On Installing Valdor Crimp-On Connectors
Valdor just released these short SP and ST connector videos demonstrating the simplicity of field installation.
SP & ST field installation videos: http://youtu.be/RggqruyagMc and http://youtu.be/9to5-kxTEPA
Valdor company and product overview: http://youtu.be/hK-cq2d8ofo
OTDR Software for Standardized Cable Plants
Noyes has introduced new software for their OTDRs called Test Results Manager which helps viewing and analyzing OTDR traces. In addition, it can compare results to required performance for networks like 10G Ethernet and certify the fibers for those networks. There is an interesting note on standards here. The standards for the fiber optic cable plant required to support IEEE 802.3ae 10G Ethernet are specific to the network (see here for a list of most network fiber cable plant requirements) and if testing is being done to determine if the cable plant will support this network, testing must be done to the network standards not the generic cable plant standards to ensure proper operation. This is another common misconception of standards. Read more on the Noyes TRM(r) software.
Restoration Kits
TriNet Communications offers restoration kits for field emergencies (e.g. backhoe fade), covering both temporary and permanent repairs. Kits include cable with a specified number of fibers, splice cases and mechanical splices. Here are links to specs on both temporary and permanent repair kits.
Temporary Restoration Kits
Permanent Restoration Kits
Handheld OTDR
Advanced Fiber Solutions has introduced a new compact portable OTDR that offers high resolution (to 1m) and light weight (1.6 pounds, 0.72 kg) plus numerous wavelength and range options. Here is more information.
Magnetic Cable Management Hardware
Mounting hardware for cable management in equipment or telecom rooms can be difficult - what do you attach things to? But RES has a unique idea - use magnets to hold the hardware on racks or any metal parts. Neat idea, see their products here.
Micro-Trenching, Cable Removal
Nano-Trench offers products for micro (or I guess they call it nano-) trenching and their website is very informative. They also have Kabel-X, a method of extracting copper cables from old conduit. Both websites are informative and interesting. Watch this video on the cable removal process!
Protecting Pedestals From Rodents
Pedestals and underground vaults can be damaged by rodents who come up through the base and damage cables. Uraseal "Drain N'Seal" foam deters mice from taking up residence in your pedestals. They have some good videos on using their product.
A Cable Tie That's Fiber Friendly
We're always warning installers not to tighten cable ties too tightly around fiber optic cable (or UTP copper cable either!) A better choice is the hook and loop fastener ties (Velcro is one trade name), but there is another type, the Mille-Tie. It's an open tie that can be used at any length, then cut off and the remainder used also. Take a look a the video to see how it works.
Mille-Tie Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPVTQGKmcvE
Used Test Equipment – Buy or Sell
http://www.testequipmentconnection.com/
Have you read the FOA Tech Topics on Cleaning?
More links on cleaning:
Westover
- AFL
ITW Chemtronics
Cleantex Alco Pads
MicroCare
Seiko-Giken
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- FTTH Notes:
Broadband Properties: Latest Issue has lots of FTTx News.
Google Map Shows Worldwide FTTx Projects
One of the better sites to track FTTx projects is this Google maps application that shows projects on a world map with details on the project.
Click on the map above or here to view the interactive web map.
Testing FTTH
JDSU shows how to test a PON with an OTDR: http://www.jdsu.com/other-literature/PON-OTDR_fop_an_ae.pdf
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- Want To Learn More About FTTx?
- The FOA has created a special FTTx resources section of our website with a FTTx links page with lots of links to news, market reports, technical articles and vendor technical and product information. Here is a great place to start learning more about FTTx.
- FOA's CFxT FTTx Certification Program Explained
- Read the Broadband Properties article about the FOA FTTx certification program. Read the article about FOA President Jim Hayes being honored for his work promoting FTTH.
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JDSU offers a free download of their Testing Guide from the Lightwave website. This is one great book which explains some basic fiber technology, but the real value is the last half which deals with OTDR testing. Not only does it give the usual info, but it covers important topics like measurement uncertainties and anomolies like ghosts and gainers. 
