Holiday Update:
Fiber Optic Center will be closed December 24 and 25.
Due to potential early carrier pickups, PLEASE HAVE ALL ORDERS IN BY NOON ON MONDAY, DECEMBER 23.


We will resume our regular business hours on Thursday, December 26.

Fiber Optic Center will be at Photonics West - Schedule your meeting with a member of the FOC team now

Articles by Chris Rollinson

Articles by Chris Rollinson

Chris Rollinson
Chris Rollinson, Business Development, Test, Technical Sales
Chris began his career at Fiber Optic Center in 2013 with 40 years of experience in test and measurement. Chris handles Business Development for Test and Measurement with a specialty area in the MAP passive component tester.
Chris has nearly 20 years in fiber optics, mostly as application engineer and later product line manager in instrumentation at JDSU, where, in the fiber boom, he designed and installed several complex optical measurement systems. Further back he was involved with shock , vibration and sound measurements with the Danish company Bruel & Kjaer.
Chris Graduated from the University of Leeds (UK) with a BSc. in Physics. He Lives in Ottawa, Canada with his Wife, Dog, several old cars and a motorcycle.

Insertion Loss: How Offsets Can Give Unexpected Results (Gains)

Measuring the insertion loss of a Single Mode jumper would seem to be a simple matter but there are a few complications to consider. Insertion Loss is a relative measure, it’s the reduction in power when an additional passive element is added to an optical...
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Test Cables Don’t Last Forever: How to Assess Quality, Condition, Usage Limit, and Replacement Schedule

I frequently hear customers complain that although nothing has changed in their fiber optic cable assembly production process, the measured Insertion Loss (IL) and Return Loss (RL) values of their product aren’t as good as they once were. Is something wrong ...
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Patch Cord Gain: Shedding Light on This Perplexing Issue

Here is a question several customers have asked me. Have you experienced this issue? When measured on my properly calibrated IL/RL meter, some of my patch cords show ‘gain.’ How can this be possible? ...
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Which Passive Component Tester to Purchase? Start by Answering 7 Basic Questions to Get Correctly Configured Fiber Optic Test Equipment

Is your company entering the fiber optic cable assembly business, and you’re “setting up shop”? In your research, you may be discovering that most equipment is not offered as a one-size-fits-all, universal solution. ...
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How to Accurately Measure IL/RL

Why is it important to measure Insertion Loss and Return Loss? It’s quite simple: Your customers demand it. Your customers need to know that you’ve tested every fiber optic jumper and cable and have acquired accurate IL/RL measurements that meet their specs. Why...
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What Causes Poor IL/RL in Fiber Optic Connectors?

Authors: Chris Rollinson and Dan Rocheleau Most likely, your testing specifications present minimum requirements for a Low IL and High RL. If your production facility is challenged with meeting the desired IL/RL specs, there are common causes you can investigate and...
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Insertion Loss Measurement, Not a Trivial Task

Here at Fiber Optic Center, we are asked questions daily about insertion loss measurement. It might seem like a trivial task to make an insertion loss measurement on a fiber optic connector but it’s not – it is impossible ...
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Encircled Flux – A Relatively Non-Technical Overview

Ever tried measuring the insertion loss of a Multi-Mode connector using a single-mode launch fiber? You tend to get really good results! It’s like squirting a 1/2 inch garden hose into a 3 inch fire hose from a foot away. It’s not difficult to catch ...
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Is Bi-Directional Testing the Silver Bullet to Cut All Your Optical Testing Time in Half?

Is Bi-Directional testing the silver bullet to cut all your optical testing time in half? The simple answer is…no. However, there certainly are areas where it will help ...
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