Inspection: General Questions
Q: Is it safe to view live fiber with an inspection scope?A: Although some scopes offer protection through the use of cameras or optical attenuation filters, intentionally viewing live fibers is not considered a safe practice. Always check the connector with a power meter to ensure no power is present. Since light in most fiber systems is in the infrared (IR) and invisible to humans, it will not be visible to the human eye.
Q: What are the standards related to visual fiber optic inspections?
A: The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) created Standard 61300-3-35, a set of requirements for fiber optic connector end face quality, designed to guarantee insertion loss and return loss performance. The standard covers three methods of inspection: direct view microscopy, video microscopy, and automated analysis microscopy.
Q: What is the best magnification power for a fiber optic scope?
A: Usually, 100x to 400x is considered optimal for viewing fiber end faces, with lower power scopes, 100 – 200x, suitable for multimode connectors, and 200 – 400x for more critical inspection needs of single mode fibers.
Q: Do you offer a DFSI ferrule adapter tip for 3.81mm POF connector?
A: No, the FoV is about 4.25 x 3.2mm and the fiber diameter is 3.81mm so you wouldn't be able to see the entire POF connector end face.