Termination & Testing

We understand that testing and cleaning fibre optic connections are critical steps in the installation of fibre optic cables.  The importance of using the correct methods can’t be overstated because this can directly impact the performance, reliability and longevity of the fibre optic connections and therefore the wider network.  That’s why Ark Fibre Optics supplies a whole compliment of Fibre Inspection, Fibre Splicer and Fibre Cleaning Kits to cover every scenario when out in the field.

Why is it so essential to clean fibre optic connectors and connections?
Fibre connectors must be immaculately clean for optimal light transmission.  Even microscopic dust, oil or debris can cause signal loss (increased attenuation), reflection (back reflection or return loss) , permanent damage to the fibre end face and intermittent or total failure of the network.  With out cleaning and inspecting the ends, this could end up being a costly mistake.  In short, cleaning prevents signal degradation and connector damage.

We would always recommend inspecting ends with a fibre optic inspection scope before connection.

We recommend these best practices to follow for installation:

1. Always inspect with a fibre optic inspection scope before connecting

2. Clean both ends of the connector (e.g male/female) using:

         – Isopropyl alcohol (99%) and lint-free wipes

         – Specialised fibre cleaning tools such as our click cleaners & fibre optic cassette cleaners

3. Follow a “inspect-clean-inspect” cycle.

Why is it so important to test fibre optic cables?
We take testing very seriously at Ark Fibre Optics.  Our fibre optic cables come with full test reports to verify that our manufacturing meets our high performance standards and are free from faults.

In turn we promote to our customers the importance of testing during the installation process.  This helps to:

• detect breaks or bends
• high loss splices
• poor terminations
• improper polarity

In a nut shell, testing confirms performance, detects faults and ensures compliance.

Testing equipment can be costly however we do provide some very affordable kits and options such as our fibre optic light source, optical power meter, fibre inspection scope and our very comprehensive and budget friendly fibre splicing kit.

Making sure you follow these simple clean and inspect steps means you can ensure reliable network performance, lower maintenance costs, positive acceptance testing, reduced downtime and higher customer satisfaction and prevent rework and repeated installation costs.  Without the steps, high-performance fibre optic installations and products are just not possible.