• A Hybrid Conference – In-Person and Virtual Presentations
  • Technical Conference:  24 – 28 March 2024
  • Exhibition: 26 – 28 March 2024
  • San Diego Convention Center, San Diego, California, USA

Short Courses

SC453B - Hands-on: Fiber Optic Handling, Measurements, and Component Testing

Monday, 25 March
13:30 - 17:30 (Pacific Time (US & Canada), UTC - 08:00)

Short Course Level: Beginner

Instructor:

Steve Baldo, Seikoh Giken, USA
Chris Heisler, Santec California Corporation, USA
Jérome Allaigre, Data-Pixel, France
Julien Maille, Data-Pixel, France

Short Course Description:

This Short Course focuses on the practical aspects of working with fiber optic components and instrumentation used to make optical performance characterization measurements.

Through three individual and fully-equipped stations you will get the basic concepts and hands-on use of the following:

Basic Component Testing—Test and measurement techniques and latest issues involving single-mode and multimode fiber, cable and connectors including visual inspection and laser safety, insertion loss, return loss, and visual fault location.

Launch Condition Effects on Multimode Fibers - Launch conditions will be demonstrated and measured via near field, far field, and encircled flux methods. Includes demonstration and hands-on measurements with launch condition analyzer.

Fiber Optic Test Overview and Tips – An overview on fiber optic testing including the importance of connector cleaning and inspection, measuring insertion loss with tips on how to avoid commonly made testing errors.

End Face Polishing – At this station, each person will learn about and use the materials used in polishing and the effects that each step has on the end face geometry and return loss measurements of single and multi-fiber connectors.

Interferometry Measurements on Single and Multi-fiber Connectors — Understanding the measurements involved in characterizing a high quality fiber connection. Includes hands-on with an interferometer and an important discussion of the standards requirements.

Industry trends will be related in each rotation such as encircled flux requirements, high density connectivity, measurements important to the design and manufacture of optical components.

Short Course Benefits:

This course should enable you to:

  • Explain the fundamental optical differences and applications of single-mode fiber (SMF) vs. multimode fiber (MMF), including the different fiber types and fiber sizes.

  • Identify and overcome typical pitfalls with testing single and multi-fiber connectors.

  • Measure insertion loss (IL) and return loss (RL), while also understanding how these measurements can be affected by wavelength and launch conditions.

  • Understand the polishing process, the steps involved in creating the proper connector end-face, and the effects of this process on connector performance.

  • Explain characterization measurements on passive optical components.

  • Measure end face geometry and the value of that measurement as it relates to connectivity.

Short Course Audience:

This course is valuable to technicians, engineers, and managers interested in measurement and characterization of fiber optic components. Some familiarity with fiber optic test cables and equipment is assumed. Class size is limited to 25.

Instructor Biography:

Chris Heisler has been in the fiber optics industry for over 15 years and is the Director of R&D at Santec California Corporation. He has focused his research on fiber optic cable measurements with a focus on launch condition measurements and the various standards governing these measurements. Chris attended California Polytechnic San Luis Obispo where he received a B.S. in electrical engineering.

Steve Baldo is Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Seikoh Giken's Fiber Optic Products Division and has more than 25 years of laboratory and field experience in passive and active optical connectivity technology.  Based in the Americas, Mr. Baldo has worked to design, develop and implement a wide range of termination solutions for top-tier fiber switch and cable management manufacturers. Mr. Baldo attended the University of Southern California where he received a B.S. in International Relations and Marketing.

Julien Maille is R&D manager at Data-Pixel, and has more than 10 years of experience in the design and development of interferometers, microscopes and concentricity devices dedicated to the fiber optic industry. He is an IEC recognized expert and contributed to several documents related to visual inspection and geometry measurement of connector endface.