TABLE OF CONTENTS So far you have learned about fiber optic theory, cables, connectors, splices, transmitters, receivers, and many different passive components. We have shown you how to predict the performance of a link and test that link to industry standards using various pieces of test equipment. However, we have not discussed what to do when the link doesn't work.
This chapter takes the knowledge and skills you have learned up to this point and applies them to troubleshooting a fiber optic link or cable. You will learn basic techniques that will allow you to quickly analyze and determine the fault. You will learn fault location techniques with devices as simple as a flashlight and as complicated as an OTDR.
The weakest link in any fiber optic installation is likely to be the connector. When you look at a fiber optic connector, you don't see anything exciting. Fiber optic connectors look simple. They have very few moving parts and don't require electricity. How hard can it be to properly install a fiber optic connector?
As you learned in Chapter 9, Connectors, the fiber optic connector provides a way to connect an optical fiber to a transmitter, receiver, or other fiber optic device. The optical fiber is physically much smaller than the connector and virtually invisible to the naked eye. The naked eye can't tell the difference between a perfectly polished fiber optic connector and a fiber optic connector with the optical fiber shattered.
Fiber optic connectors can have poor performance for...
