As transmission speed and capacity increase, it is necessary to review all potential contamination points and sources. One of these is the test and inspection equipment itself. These instruments have various "ports" that connection the fiber assembly for test and inspection. Ports are not protected and can become "soil points" of cross contamination. This work studies cross contamination and suggests ways and means to effectively assure that the test gear is not a "part of the problem."

There are many facets to a fiber optic design and installation. One of them is precision cleaning the connector "end face." Another is precision cleaning prior to the fusion splice operation. It once was where the fusion splicer was a monstrous device and the procedure of joining two bare fibers (barely the size of a human hair) was somewhere between "magic" and "craft" and efficacy of the instrument. In these times, much as end face cleaning, fusion splicing reality exceeds what was once thought theoretical only a few years ago. In these times there are various units some with like features...

This Third Edition has new graphics and test results. The study considers all popular fiber optic cleaning tools. These include IBC, Sticklers, FerruleMate, CleTop, and QbE products. The work is not intended to draw a conclusion: this is up to the reader. There are "winners and losers" but it's also important to remember that this evaluation is a baseline for your decisions. You will be shown how to use any product and have it work better. There is an important section on IEC Standards and how these ten year documents are outpaced by technology. There are recommendations on how to create your...