You will need:
Light source
Launch reference cable
Power meter and adaptor
Trim tool to adjust source output
ST-ST mating adapter
Contents
Step 1 - Getting Ready
Step 2 - Examine Connector Construction
Step 3 - Stripping the Cable
Step 4 - Preparing the Epoxy
Step 5 - Applying the Connector to the Fiber
Step 6 - Scribe and polish
Step 7 - Visual Inspection - Microscope
Step 9 - The Quiz
To test the connector we just made, we'll use a standard FOTP-171 insertion loss test. We'll give a quick overview of testing here, but you should see the complete "virtual hands-on" testing tutorial.
Connect the launch reference cable to the 850 nm source and turn it on. Screw the adaptor onto the meter and attach the other end of the launch cable. Use the trim tool to adjust the power out of the source to a value such as -20.0 dBm which will be easy to remember.
Once the meter has been "zeroed" to -20.0, remove the launch cable from the meter (not the source!) and insert that ST end into the ST-ST mating adapter. Take the newly terminated connector, insert it into the other side of the ST-ST adaptor, and the other end of that cable goes to the meter.
Read the loss from the meter display. The loss in the new connector is the difference between the test power and the reference power. If the meter reads as in the figure above, (20.3 - 20.0) = 0.3 dB loss.
Good epoxy polish connectors will have losses less than 0.5 dB, with our training students routinely getting 0.2-0.3 dB. How did you do?
