Would you drive a car with inaccurate speedometer readings? How do you know how fast you are driving? Failed optical test equipment can also cause false test readings. Unqualified fusion splicers will produce inferior joints. Wrong readings connecting cables from an OTDR and a bad connector will cost you time and money. Not to mention that customers and network owners will question your fiber installation work. How do you expect to evaluate the installation or repair of your equipment without calibration?
As demand continues to grow, more and more fiber optic network owners require their networks to meet these needs. This means that your splicing equipment and cutters need to meet work requirements. Due to the increased need for speed, today’s loss budget is lower than ever. These budgets must be met. The test equipment must be more accurate than ever.
1. Items to be calibrated
You need to remember that your OTDR is an important diagnostic device. It must be calibrated at specific time intervals to ensure a correct diagnosis. Power meters and light sources are other important test equipment in your arsenal. This tool consists of a transmitter and a receiver. It measures the power of the optical signal passing through the fiber optic cable. When the two ends of an optical fiber are permanently welded together by an arc, this is called fusion splicing. For proper splicing, arc calibration must be performed. Don’t forget the fiber cutter. Splitting is the process of breaking or cutting fibers. Fusion joints require the use of highly accurate cutters. As you can see, each piece of equipment mentioned has a specific job. Failure to calibrate the cutter or fuser can mean a bad splice. Without calibration, optical test equipment, such as OTDRs and power meters, and light sources, is somewhat useless in determining the quality of connectors and joints.
2. What is a loss budget?
This calculation is the total optical power loss allowed by the system. This amount is determined by the power loss caused by the total number of devices in the system. The loss budget of the optical fiber network comes from the installation of patch lines and other items; the couplers, adapters, connectors, cables, and any additional optical components installed in the system. This is determined at the time of network design.
After installation, this loss must be tested to see if the budget is met. Is the connector made to extend the cable acceptably? How about the connector? Is it installed correctly? Another equally important reason for OTDR testing is that once the system is active if there is a problem later, you can go back to the original Test. You can then compare the new test with the original test and identify the problem quickly and easily. This is why it is necessary to maintain accurate OTDR test equipment. In order for that device to be accurate, it must be calibrated regularly.
Calibration is not an option. it is necessary.
If you postpone the calibration, your expenses may exceed the cost of the calibration itself. Incorrect readings may lead the technician to believe that the installation is better than it actually is, or on the contrary. Calibration will not save you a few dollars. The name of your business depends on quality and accuracy. During this year, your equipment, such as splicing equipment, will be affected by various events, which may cause it to exceed calibration.
If you are in the south, the high temperature will become your enemy. The extremely cold temperatures in the north are not your friend. Have you dropped the device in the truck and let others bump it back and forth? All these bumps, drops, and bumps cause inaccurate readings. The dirty environment is not helpful. In many cases, in order to get paid, you need the latest certified test equipment. If you have passed the ISO 9001 certification, you need to calibrate your equipment.
Part of ISO clause 7/6 is as follows; Control of monitoring and measuring equipment. The organization shall determine the monitoring and measurement to be performed, as well as the monitoring and measurement equipment needed to provide evidence that the product meets the determined requirements. The organization shall establish a process to ensure that monitoring and measurement can be carried out in a manner consistent with the monitoring and measurement requirements. Remember, calibration is always necessary when the measurement of your device is more critical-it than simple.
3. What exactly is calibration?
When you calibrate any device, compare the unit to be calibrated with a unit of known value. This known value comes from another similar device with known precision and precision. Equipment with a calibrated laser means that the laser must fall within a certain acceptable range. If the device under test is found to be “out of calibration” and produces erroneous readings, the device must be repaired or adjusted so that it is within the acceptable specified measurement range.
4. What is NIST calibration?
NIST is the abbreviation for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. They provide services to ensure that the device being calibrated is measured to a specific device that is similar to the device being calibrated. NIST confirms that the methods used in the laboratory’s testing of equipment comply with NIST standards and must comply with NIST’s measurement standards for specific equipment. For optical fiber, these devices include OTDR, fusion splicer, cutting machine, electric meter, and light source.
Simply put, when using the NIST method, you need a complete document chain; your equipment and parts are compared with our equipment, and our equipment is compared with the NIST equipment, and the NIST equipment is stipulated Within tolerance. The tolerance set by NIST is correct. Our equipment has been compared with NIST equipment, so we know ours is correct. Finally, compare yours with ours and find that it is correct.
This is a complete chain. This complete chain traced back to the NIST precision measurement standard, is how to maintain uniformity. Once your equipment has been tested and complies with NIST standards, you will receive a calibration certificate document stating the results and date. This means that your equipment has reached the highest test standards. A big advantage is that you can obtain certification from a calibration company that meets the ISO standard.
5. What is ISO
The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest standard-setting non-governmental organization. iso9001 is currently the most popular management system standard in the world. They have set more than 22,808 international standards and targets. Their standards are voluntary. Companies seeking this standard are ensuring that their customer requirements are met accurately and consistently.
When it comes to calibration, the company is trying to meet a set of regulatory requirements, which will improve the company’s performance, which will improve the quality of products and services. This approach will ultimately benefit customers because it assures customers that ISO-certified companies have reached strict ISO standards and brought them better products.
6. Conclusion
Over time, even a well-maintained test device will lose its accuracy. You must calibrate your equipment in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations. However, in many cases, you may need to complete it as soon as possible, because many conditions suffered by the device may change or falsify your test results.
As the network needs to improve efficiency, the lost budget becomes smaller and smaller. Only calibrated equipment can ensure that you are correct within your budget. Calibration is not a real option. it is necessary. Always use a laboratory capable of testing in accordance with NIST standards, and if possible, use an ISO-certified testing laboratory. It will always be more economical and beneficial for your business to get accurate results.
