COE Installation Quality Bulletin
Installation Quality Bulletin Number: 10-02
To: All Installation Suppliers / Central Office Operations
Representatives / Design Engineering Representatives / Quality
Managers / Field Engineering Representatives / AMC
Representatives
Date: Monday, March 29, 2010
From: QWEST Installation Quality Assurance
Subject:
Fiber Optic Cable Visual Assessment, Pre & Post-Install
Testing, Troubleshooting & Data Capture Process
Action Required:
NO:
YES:

Description of Bulletin:
The purpose of this Bulletin is to illustrate the correct sequence of steps needed by QTI
Technicians (and Service Suppliers) to visually inspect, document and assess critical cable length
and set up the following fiber optic test equipment for the measurement and data capture of 72fiber IFC cable specification characteristics relative to “Insertion Loss” (IL) at the 1550
nanoMeter signal level.
Fiber Opic Cable “Out-Of-Carton” Visual Review, Length Verification and
Job Log Documenting:
1. Upon receipt of all job-associated fiber optic cable from the Pack-n-Hold to the job location, the Service
Supplier is instructed to IMMEDIATELY open each shipping container and visually inspect each
cable for any suspect damage or mishandling that may have resulted from shipping/handling .
This visual inspection consists of examining both the fiber optic cable sheathing/jacket for any nicks
and cuts and to ensuring that the fiber optic connectors (housed within the packin g sock) have not
been disturbed. When completed, the Service Supplier should then enter a Job Log note, that
accurately records the cable’s received condition.
NOTE: If the Service Supplier suspects that damage to any received fiber optic cable has occu rred, they
should then proceed directly to the “Test Equipment Calibration Set-up“ content listed below and begin
to perform an in-the-carton subunit sample test of each suspected cable to ensure cable characteristic
integrity.
2. Upon completion of the visual review step listed above, the Service Supplier is then requested to
perform a cable length verification by cross-matching information listed on the following sources to
ensure consistency and accuracy:
a. Field Engineer’s Site Survey
b. Design Engineering Bill of Material (BOM) entry
c. Manufacturer’s Packing/Specification Sheet
The Service Supplier should note the cable length status (especially any length discrepancies from any
of the above sources) via a Job Log notation. This function should be performed upon receipt of the
cable from the Pack-n-Hold to minimize any potential situation of placing the intended job completion
date in jeopardy. If the uncrated cable appears to be sound and undamaged, it should then be
run in and secured and should not be tested UNTIL it is cleaned and both ends are terminated.
The measurement of insertion loss characteristics of fiber optic cable is also demonstrated in the
companion NTD training video entitled, “Fiber Optic Cable Testing For QTI” which can be
accessed at this embedded link:
QTI Fiber Optic Cable Testing .
Table A
FIber Optic Cable Testing Components
Part
Number
Qwest
PID
EXFO
FLS-300
2328146
Description
Qty
EXFO Optical Light Source
1310/1550nM
1
Illustration
Table A (Con’t.)
FIber Optic Cable Testing Components
Part
Number
Qwest
PID
Description
Qty
EXFO
FPM-302X
2193995
EXFO Optical Power Meter
1
(Refer to the
Note below
Figure 1 and
refer also to
Table C)
1000164932
3 Meter Fiber Optic Cable “Test
Jumper”
2
(Refer to the
Note below
Figure 1 and
refer also to
Table C)
1000164932
3 Meter Fiber Optic Cable “Test
Jumper”
2
(Refer to the
Note below
Figure 1 and
refer also to
Table B)
250 6758
Fiber Optic Cable “F/C” Bulkhead
Connector (1000
1
VFI-2
8281956
AFL/NOYES Visual Fiber Identifier
1
VOS3-00-0905
1000007411
AFL/NOYES VS 300 Safe Video
Microscope
1
Illustration
Table A (Con’t.)
FIber Optic Cable Testing Components
Part
Number
Qwest
PID
Description
Qty
FCPI-00-0910
2494377
Fiber Optic Cable Cleaning Kit
1
N200
1000068250
Fiber Optic Cable Cleaning
Cartridge Refill Tape
Illustration
Test Equipment Calibration Set-up:
3. Obtain the required equipment (or suitable Qwest-approved* equivalent) illustrated in TABLE A above.
Prior to the equipment interconnection, it is helpful to review the Qwest Fiber Connection Cleaning
Standards Policy relative to fiber optic cable connectable surfaces which states, “Any surface of fiber
optic cable connectivity that is connectable to another point within that fiber optic cable circuit
route, must be cleaned with a Qwest-approved fiber optic cleaning mechanism prior to the
mating (interconnection) of those connectable surfaces.”
4. After cleaning all fiber optic connectable contact surfaces, Interconnect the EXFO FLS-300 Light
Source and EXFO FPM-300 Power Meter units using the “reference test” jumpers and the appropriate
bulkhead connector (Refer also to TABLE B) per Figure 1.
Test Equipment Interconnection Configuration
Figure 1
*NOTE: Q west-approved test equipment and adjunct interconnection apparatus for fiber optic cable
testing can vary depending upon connector style/type and by specific manufacturer equipment model.
5. Press the EXFO FLS-300 Light Source ON button
6. Now press the “Lambda” button
nanoMeters).
; the display should read “NONE.”
until the display reads “1550” (this is read as 1550
7. Press the EXFO FPM-300 Power Meter ON button
; and then depress the “Lambda” button
until the display reads “1550” in the upper right hand corner.
IMPORTANT: If the 1550nm wavelength was not already selected from the “Favorites” menu at some
previous time, the FPM will not toggle to 1550 when the Lambda button is pressed. This may be especially
true when turning on an FPM for the first time out of the box. If this occurs, it may be wise to refer to the
FPM manual on selecting wavelengths from the Favorites menu if the 1550nm wavelength does not
appear as one of the options when the Lambda button is pressed. There may be other 15xxnm
wavelengths in the toggle menu but the only one that should be selected is the 1550 nM setting.
8. The display of the EXFO FPM-300 Power Meter may be reading some artibtrary value at this point so
to “zero” it out; depress the “Reference” button
display window.
until “0.00” appears in the lower center of the
At this point, both meters are considered “calibrated” and the technician/Service Supplier is now ready to
perform “Insertion Loss” cable testing.
Fiber Optic Cable “Insertion Loss” Test Equipment Set-up:
1. Obtain the shipping container that is housing the 72-Fiber IFC selected for test, open it and
immediately remove the paper copies of the “Multiple Fiber Cable Assembly Performance Sheet”
included from the cable manufacturer (Refer to Figure 2). These sheets will need to be faxed to the
Design Engineer listed on the face sheet of the Design Work Package (DWP). The technician/
Service Supplier will have to hand-write the BVAPP, Design Engineer’s name and fax number
on the form.
Manufacturer’s Multiple Fiber Cable Assembly Performance Sheet
Figure 2
2. Unclip the tie-wrap securing the 72-IFC cable to the shipping container.
3. Gently begin to remove one end of the socked cable from the shipping container and support it in a
manner whereby the sock can be carefully unsleeved (and retained for re-packing for the cable running
process upon completion of the cable testing). Avoid using a power knife or scissors when unsleeving
the sock to prevent inadvertent damge to the 900µ fibers.
4. To remove the sock, locate the exposed ripcord end and gently (but firmly) pull it back exposing the
packaged 900µ fibers. Support the cable and be careful not to fray the end of the sock during this step.
5. With the sock unsleeved, the next step is to remove the foam tubing encircling the cable. Remove the
tape and surrounding the tubing and pull the fibers through the pre-cut slit in the foam tubing.
6. Once completed, repeat Steps 2 – 5 for the opposite end of the cable.
Fiber Optic Cable “Insertion Loss” Test Equipment Set-up (Con’t.):
1. Disconnect the FC/UPC– FC/UPC bulkhead connector from one of the test jumpers of the previouslycompleted test calibration process (Refer back to Figure 1). Add a second FC/UPC– FC/UPC
bulkhead connector to the disconnected test jumper after first cleaning both connectable surfaces.
NOTE: Be sure to ONLY disconnect the bulkhead connector and not the opposite test jumper ends
connected to both the EXFO FLS-300 Light Source and EXFO FPM-300 Power Meter as depicted in
Figure 3a,b. Doing so will negate the previous test set calibration.
2. Remove the plastic bag covering one of the cable subunits to expose the 900µ fiber barrel connector
tips. Keep the 900µ fibers as straight as possible as micro bends can impact test results.
3. Select the first subunit barrel connector (blue), clean it and then connect it to the FLS-300 Light
Source. Find the same colored subunit barrel connector on the opposite end and clean and mate it to
the jumper connected to the FPM-300 Power Meter to begin testing.
Do NOT disconnect jumpers
Equipment Interconnection Configuration for Fiber Optic Cable Under Test
Figure 3a
Equipment Interconnection Configuration for Fiber Optic Cable Under Test
Figure 3b
Fiber Optic Cable “Insertion Loss” Test Equipment Set-up (Cont’):
4. Press the EXFO FLS-300 Light Source ON button
; the display should read “NONE.”
5. Press the EXFO FPM-300 Power Meter ON button
; the display should read “EXFO.”
6. Press the “Lambda” button on the EXFO FLS-300 Light Source
“1550.”
7. Press the EXFO FPM-300 Power Meter ON button
until the display reads
; and then depress the “Lambda” button
until the display reads “1550” in the upper right hand corner.
8. On the EXFO FPM-300 Power Meter, set the unit of measurement to “dB“ by pressing the “dBm/Wdb”
button
until “dB” appears to the right of the power value.
NOTE: An acceptable reading should measure between + 0.5dB of the insertion loss value
measured and recorded by the cable manufacturer for that specific 900µ fiber (refer back to the sheet
specified in Figure 2). If you obtain an erroneous reading, don’t immediately assume you have a
bad fiber. Test a couple of additional fibers to ensure it’s not the equipment calibration that’s the
issue. If additional erroneous readings are obtained, be sure to re-clean all mating surfaces.
Using the AFL/NOYES VS 300 Safe Video Microscope:
1. At times it may be necessary to visually inspect a suspect fiber connector for dirt and contamination.
This is accomplished by using the microscope shown in Figure 4 below.
NOTE: Before using the AFL/NOYES VS 300 Safe Video Microscope be sure to “P OWER OFF”
the EXFO FPM-300 Power Meter prior to scoping the fiber connector.
2. When scoping, make sure that one technician supports the fiber ends to avoid inadvertent damage to
the cable. The small clear dot in the center of the scope display is the 900 µ fiber. Per the diagram
illustrated in Figure 5 below, determine the condition of the scoped fibers accordingly.
3. Upon completion of the scoping process, clean the connector surface and retest the fiber to see if the
condition has improved.
Test
AFL/NOYES VS 300 Safe Video Microscope
Figure 4
Clean
connect
or
Dirty
Severely Contaminated Permanently Damaged
connector
connec
Display of Cleanliness Levels of Fiber Optic Cables
tor
Figure 5
Troubleshooting Fiber Optic Cable (Optical Loss):
It may be necessary to troubleshoot a fiber optic cable if it experiences excessive attenuation or has
difficulty in passing light. Bending radius violations and cable stress due macro/micro lacing impingement
along the cable route can cause “perturbations” in the fiber geometry both at the microscopic and
macroscopic levels. These phenomena are referred to as macrobending and microbending (Refer to
Figure 6). The technician/Service supplier should examine all lacing points along the cable route to
ensure that no excessive force during lacing (or bending) was used to change the cable’s operating
characteristics.
Excessive Macro/Micro Bending and Lacing Impingement Stress of Fiber Optic Cables
Figure 6
The AFL/NOYES VFI-2 Visual Fiber Identifer:
1. The VFI-2 is a visible red laser source designed to troubleshoot faults on fiber optic cables. Light
generated by this unit will escape from sharp bends and breaks in jacketed or bare fibers, as well as
poorly-mated connectors. It can identify faults in fiber optic jumper cables, distribution frames, patch
panels, and splice trays.
2. Other applications for the VFI-2 include end-to-end continuity checks, identifying connectors in patch
panels and fibers during splicing operations. The universal connector interface provides fast op eration
with many connector styles without changing an adapter.
AFL/NOYES VFI-2 Visual Fiber Identifier and Examples of Illuminated Micro Bending
Figure 7
Fiber Optic Cable Insertion Loss “IL” Test Data Capture:
1. Once the technician/Service Supplier is ready to commence with performing the insertion loss testing
and data capture process, he/she will need the Manufacturer’s Multiple Fiber Cable Assembly
Performance Sheet (Refer back to Figure 2). The IL tests will be performed in two phases; 1) upon
cable receipt and unpacking and 2) upon completion of the cable running and securing phase.
2. In addition, the technician/Service Supplier will also need the recently-drafted TP 77350 Iss. O
Chapter 14 electronic forms job packet (specifically the worksheet tab entitled, “RG 47-0158 Fiber
Test Record”).
3. To perform the test data capture, the technician/Service Supplier will measure each 900µ fiber in
each subunit of the 72-fiber IFC and record it on the respective data entry field that
compliments the RG 47-0158. These entries will be compared to the manufacturer’s data for
analysis.
NOTE: Since the purpose of this test is to only compare the insertion loss (IL) at the 1550 nM level,
the technician/Service Supplier will refer specifically to ONLY that table data on the manufacturer’s
sheet (Refer to Figures 8). The other manufacturer measurements that are also included on the
packed specification sheets (e.g.; IL @ 1310nM, Return Loss (RL @ 1310nM, RL @ 1550nM, Radius
of Curvature, Apex Offset, etc.) are not required here, but will still be faxed to the Design Engineer.
An acceptable reading should measure between + 0.5dB.of the maximum insertion loss value
established by the manufacturer.
Comparison of Manufacturer’s Multiple Fiber Cable Assembly Performance Sheet and
TP 77350 Iss. O (DRAFT) RG 47-0158
Figure 8
NOTE:The readings that are shown in
bold red have exceeded the maximum acceptable insertion loss
threshold at the 1550 nM level allowable to be considered a “good fiber” (+ 0.5dB) and need to be reported to
the Design Engineer for further instruction and disposition.
Table B
Types of FIber Optic Cable Adapter/Connectors
Qwest
PID
Adapter/Connector Type
250 6758
FC
250 6774
SC
807 0714
D4
251 7409
LC
Illustration
Table C
FIber Optic Cable 3-0 Meter Test Jumpers
Qwest
PID
Connector Type
1000164927
FC/UPC – SC/APC
1000164928
SC/UPC – SC/UPC
1000164931
FC/UPC – D4
1000164932
FC/UPC– FC/UPC
1000164933
FC/UPC– LC/UPC
1000164934
FC/UPC– SC/UPC
Acknowledgments to the following for their contributions to the content of this Bulletin:
NTD
Mike Cox
Mike Galligan
J.R. Stanley
Mark Tin
AMC
Erica Stockford
Qwest Installation Quality Assurance
Jeff Bostow
612-798-2460 mailto: jbostow@qwest.com
QTI
FIBER TECH SUP’T
Raul Coronado
Dennis McKay
Paul Foss
Chad Hager (former QTI Supv.)
Mark A. (“Stavi”) Schmidt