Video inspection probe speeds optical fibre inspection

Dirty optical fibre connectors typically account for at least 75% of failures found in the field. Today it is becoming mandatory for installers and maintenance crews to provide reports validating the fibre connector condition with pass/fail data and images as part of the close-out package.

Using VIP mode with an Anritsu-supported Visual Inspection Probe, field engineers and technicians are now able to perform visual inspections on fibre optic connectors and automatically conduct pass/fail testing according to the IEC 61300-3-35 standard.

This newly added capability combined with the existing standard measurements of the Site Master S820E or S331L allow users to complete the coaxial and optical testing needed to validate site installation with a single instrument.

In addition to measuring optical links typically found in RRH/BBU configurations, VIP mode can also be used to verify fiber connections commonly found in modern microwave backhaul radio systems.

Designed to make measuring optical links simple, VIP mode captures connector images digitally and shows them on the Site Master analyser’s large display.

Images can also be saved as a variety of common graphics files for later review or documentation of connector quality.

Users can generate pdf reports on the fibre optic connector inspection directly from the instrument to include in the close-out package, or they may simply export the image files and embed those into their close-out report.

VIP mode measurement files created with the Site Master S820E or S331L are fully compatible with Anritsu’s full portfolio of wireline optical testing products that offer similar functionality such as the MT1000A Network Master Pro.

VIP mode augments the cable and antenna analysis capability of the S820E and S331L analysers. The Microwave Site Master S820E family has frequency coverage of 1MHz to 8/14/ 20/30/40GHz. The S820E delivers benchtop microwave performance in a compact handheld package.

The S820E offers 110dB of dynamic range up to 40GHz. The Site Master S331L is an all-inclusive 1-port cable and antenna analyzer covering the 2 MHz to 4 GHz range, with an InstaCal module and power meter built in.

Optimised for field conditions, the S331L is a rugged, handheld cable and antenna analyser that is easy to use and has efficient sweep management capabilities.