By Ben Hamlich, Director of Technical and Product Innovation, trueCABLE RCDD, FOI
An item often overlooked by people new to installation. fiber optic cable Running is clean. Fiber optic cleaning Cleaning fiber optic cables is essential to optimal fiber optic performance. Fiber optic cables are highly susceptible to objects that block light – especially at the end of that run. In fact, this is the number one cause of fiber optic installation failure or poor performance. Dirt, oil, fingerprints, or a combination of these on the end face of the fiber can ruin your day. Worse, if one of these dirty end faces is connected to a female connector or a piece of active optical equipment, it can actually permanently damage the end face of the other fiber connection and even damage the optical transceiver to which the fiber is connected. This can become a costly problem if it is not properly inspected and cleaned to ensure cleanliness.
In this blog we will cover:
What does a clean fiber end look like compared to a dirty end?
How does pollution usually occur?
How to clean fiber optic connectors
How to clean fiber cable
Different methods used to clean the ends of optical fibers
What does pollution look like?
Yes, that’s a fingerprint on the left. A clean end face on the right. This is on an OM4 MMF (50 micron core multimode fiber).
The most common contaminants found on the ends of the fiber are fingerprints and ordinary dust. Both can block the transmission of light. Now, you may be wondering, “How can this happen?” Consider that the core of a single-mode fiber optic cable is 9 microns thick (you need a microscope to see it) and a piece of dust or even a fingerprint can easily block it.
Single mode fiber (SMF) core. 9 microns. Imagine the fingerprint contamination shown above on the top of it.
How does pollution usually occur?
Contamination of the fiber optic connector terminals and end face can occur for various reasons:
Contamination resulting from the manufacturing process in the factory during production, testing, or packaging.
Cross contamination from one component to another
dust in the air
lint from clothes
human skin cells
careless dealing
Of course, one should never assume that the connector end or end interface is clean, even with a new product straight from the bag. The simple act of connecting and disconnecting fiber optic connectors can also introduce contamination. Fiber optic connectors have end caps and sometimes rubber plugs as well to prevent contaminants from entering them.
Protective covers installed (left). Covers removed (right).
advice:
Keep any protective covers on until you start cleaning or plugging them in!
Always use a “tap cleaner” intended for the job immediately after removing any protective covers from both mating connections but before connecting them.
Clean connections before and during testing procedures.
Store and carry fiber optic connectors in the original packaging or container to minimize contamination.
Different methods used to clean the ends of optical fibers
There are various fiber optic cleaning kits that include the fiber optic cleaning tools needed to get the job done. Fiber optic cleaning supplies often include a mixture of isopropyl alcohol (IPA) or other approved solvents for cleaning fiber optic connectors and end faces. Pre-moistened wipes or cleaning pads saturated with cleaning fluids. Lint-free cleaning sticks or swabs specifically designed for fiber optic connectors. Lint-free cleaning wipes or cloths for cleaning connector and adapter housings.
Some methods for cleaning fiber optic terminals and end interfaces are safer than others. Common methods are:
dry patches or spots
wet swabs or spots
How to use wet and dry pad
Specialized cleaners activated by mechanical thrust (Fiber cleaning pen)
It is not recommended to use a dry or wet swab, as problems may occur. A dry swab alone may scratch the end face of your fiber connector, and will often generate a static charge. which will attract pollutants Immediately after wiping, the wet material alone can seep into the connector ring and cause cross-contamination. The two most effective methods commonly used are wet-to-dry pad (for heavily soiled finish surfaces) and dedicated mechanical cleaners that are activated by push-pull.
NB: Do not use isopropyl alcohol (IPA). any percentage To clean the fibers. These chemicals may not be pure enough to do the job due to buffering agents.
The wet and dry pad technique is to apply a small amount of fiber optic cleaning solution to one side of a lint-free pad (also designed for this task). Wipe from wet to dry in one motion. Do not make circular “8” patterns.
Pass from wet area to dry area (left to right in this picture)
Advantages of the wet/dry method described above:
Effective in removing tough dirt from finished surfaces (difficult-to-remove oils)
Reduced risk of cross-contamination
Reduced risk of static build-up on the outer end of the fiber
Disadvantages of wet/dry method:
Requires multiple components (special cleaning cloths and approved solvents). Less portable.
Requires a stable work surface to move from wet to dry.
Does not handle barrier connectors/connectors.
The second method is highly recommended and can be used to clean bulkhead connectors/comparators as well as fiber patch connectors (male jack).
Advantages of mechanical “click” cleaning pens:
Portable and versatile. Ability to reach tight areas such as high density patch panels as well as clean connector terminals.
Each activation results in a clean surface. It is not possible to accidentally reuse a dirty wipe during this process.
It’s hard to accidentally damage your contacts (unless you’re careless).
Dry. Contains no solvents. The special fiber strip will not transfer static charge, and the cleaner body is anti-static.
Cleaning a connector (left). Cleaning a port on a secure connection board (right).
Disadvantages of mechanical “click” cleaning pens:
Not as cost effective as the wet and dry cleaning method. Good for 800 activations (usually) before disposing of and replacing with a brand new pen.
Requires up to two pens, one for 2.50mm connectors and one for 1.25mm connectors, depending on what you need to clean. You often only need one type, but both may be needed in cases where older fiber optic installations are receiving incremental upgrades or if you are installing fiber optic cable for a living.
Less effective for removing tough oil contamination
How to clean fiber optic cable
In order to clean a fiber optic cable, we use a slightly different method than that used for connectors. This method usually requires the wet method and the fiber is cleaned and prepared for mechanical connection or fusion splicing. Before cutting the cable, it is important to clean the bare fiber strand to ensure that there is no dirt or dust on the fiber strand before cutting it and connecting it for mechanical connection or fusion splicing.
A good fiber optic cleaning system is to have both a wet-to-dry cleaning system and a pen cleaning system. Purchase both methods and carry them in your fiber optic tool kit. Most of the time, a mechanically activated pen cleaner is more than adequate and allows for a quick cleaning of connectors and connections before anything is actually connected. For oils or grease left on the end face by fingerprints, the wet-to-dry cleaning method is often the only solution.
Well, that’s all! Now you know why it’s important to keep your front end clean and how to do it with the least amount of hassle. With that, we’ll say…
Happy socializing!
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