Jim Hayes

Electricians are aware of the danger of arc flash incidents. What you may not know is that there’s a way to sense arc flash and shut down the equipment extremely quickly using fiber optics. I had never heard about it until an...

Construction is always dangerous. Much of our concern is focused on the workers, such as the issue of high-powered fiber amplifiers discussed last month in “Something New to Worry About.” Damage to infrastructure is also a...

When making any kind of test, it is important to set test conditions to make measurements that are relevant and reproducible. In fiber optics, we test fiber optic cables, especially the installed cable plant, with a test...

Recently, I became aware of a new safety issue that may affect fiber installations and cut fiber optic cable repair. It was brought to my attention by a field technician who had been splicing broken long-haul outside plant...

Several years ago, when the Fiber Optic Association (FOA) began online certification testing using a service called ClassMarker, we began getting better data on the results of the exams. That allowed us to evaluate our...

I closed the January year-in-review column with, “Like I say every year, it’s always good to invest in training.” High-tech fields such as fiber optics are always changing, and you have to keep up with technology or risk...

In 2020, we learned that internet and broadband connectivity were necessities, not luxuries. In 2021, we learned we’re not prepared to make it universally available. The problem is not technology; old technology and new...

A few years ago, an instructor from the Fiber Optics Association complained to me about an ad from a fiber optic instrument company. He was indignant that it said, “Our OTDR Is Smarter Than You Are!” I understood his...

In Calibrating Fiber Optic Instruments, I discussed calibrating fiber optic power meters, which measure optical power. This article will discuss calibration in measuring optical loss, the most common measurement in fiber...

Last month, I described the long-time use of fiber optics by electrical utilities for communications and grid management. Now, let’s look at current events and see how this long history with fiber might solve the rural...

Optical power is to fiber optics like voltage is to the electrical field—it is the primary measurement unit and is fundamental to almost all other measurements. Optical power meters are used to measure transmitter output and...

Electrical utilities were among the first in the industry to adopt fiber optics, closely following the telephone companies, who were involved in developing the technology. Telcos saw fiber optics as the most cost-effective...