Optical fiber, connectors, inspection

Optical fiber

First use of optical fiber was endoscope as it lets see inside body (1950). Back in 1970, fiber from Corning becomes capable of transmitting information. It exhibits a 20dB/Km attenuation. Today monomode fiber attenuation at 1310nm is 0.5dB/Km and more than 200 million km are produced a year.

Fiber optic guides light. Multimode fiber lets multiple rays take different paths inside the core while in monomode fiber there is just one path. Monomode fiber can transmit high frequency signals and further if we compare it to multimode fiber. Equipment from BSRF must be used with monomode fibers.

Connectors

Types: Several standard connectors exist: LC, SC, ST, FC... SC connectors are often found in technical bays. LC connectors are smaller so you can use more of them compared to SC. ST is found in the video area. All those connectors can be found in monomode or multimode.

Polishing: In order to increase quality of transmission, manufacturers offer 3 kinds of polishing: PC, UPC and APC. Tip of PC (blue jacket) is straight and polished. Tip of UPC is straight and polished better than PC. Tip of APC (green jacket) is angled (8°) and polished. This angle reduces back reflection.

Products from BSRF use APC connectors for optimal transmission quality. Adaptation from APC to PC can be done inside equipment if needed.

Inspecting and cleaning

Tip of fiber must be as clean as possible. Some dirt at the wrong position leads to drop of optical signal. When you deal with Radio over Fiber it also leads to loss of RF signal.

That's why our products use Neutrik Opticalcon as standard connector. This connector is fitted with shutters and can be used also with LC connectors.

Mastering inspection and cleaning ensures optimal performance of BSRF products.