Distributor Fiber Optic Center, Inc. (FOC) says it now offers the Viavi FiberChek Sidewinder to accommodate technicians with varying demands and skills. With the FiberChek Sidewinder, FOC can deliver one portable MPO inspection microscope system for inspecting, measuring, and certifying fiber-optic connectors to industry standards on a mobile device, the distributor says.
Introduced by Viavi in September of this year, (see “Viavi tackles MPO connector applications with FiberChek Sidewinder, MPO Optical Switch Module“), the FiberChek Sidewinder offers all-in-one handheld inspection and analysis for multifiber connections with MPO or other connectors.
The need for troubleshooting in optical networks primarily arises because of contaminated connectors, FOC says. Systematic and proactive methods are necessary for managing clean MPO connections, but can be time-consuming and challenging to technicians. The importance of MPO end face maintenance is increasing as the adoption of MPO connectivity continually grows, FOC asserts.
This issue has pushed the industry and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) to release the IEC 61300-3-35, says FOC. A global standard implementing acceptance criteria for fiber-optic connector end face quality and cleanliness, the IEC 61300-3-35 has been incorporated into TIA-568.3 and ISO/IEC 11801, and other standards.
According to FOC, the FiberChek Sidewinder can test to industry standards with the push of a button, automate inspection, identify defects and scratches, identify inspection zone locations, and incorporate results into certification reports. Compatibility with many different devices, including Android, iPhone and iPad, Windows Tablets, and PCs and laptops, offers automatic test results in fewer than 12 seconds, and test result analysis on the same device, FOC says.
