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Return Loss(RL) is a Measure of Power Reflected

Return Loss is a measure of the relative power reflected back from a splice, connection, or defect in the fiber. In the early days, this was a big problem. Lasers could be destabilized by power coming back at them, and analog video would suffer ghosts. This is largely a thing of the past, and measuring RL is something of a historical remnant. In fact – and it may be controversial to say this – measuring Return Loss is no longer critical.

Today, good (high) RL numbers are regarded as a mark of quality. If a connector shows poor RL, it may still perform adequately, but this indicates something is not quite right with the process. If you are not getting high RL measurements, I encourage you to investigate your production process. Also, it’s possible that good RL may contribute to long-term reliability, although I don’t have concrete evidence to support this.

READ THE BLOG: How to Accurately Measure IL/RL

 

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About Fiber Optic Center, Inc.
Fiber Optic Center, Inc., (FOC), is an international leader in distributing fiber optic components, equipment and supplies and has been helping customers make the best cable assemblies in the world for over two decades. Several areas of specialization and expertise, in which they are the industry leader, make them the preferred choice for many of the world’s fiber professionals. In these key technology areas, FOC is "at least as technical as the manufacturer" about the products they sell. Striving to "make the business part easy," they offer outstanding and personal customer service, low or no minimum purchase order values, and from-stock delivery on industry-leading products and technology. FOC is the industry connection to the most innovative optical products, technologies and technical experts who integrate their manufacturing knowledge and vast experience into customers' worldwide operations. @FiberOpticCntr

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