The days of predominately copper structured wiring are long past. Technicians are installing a growing amount of fiber optic cable in surveillance, alarm and control systems. For example, surveillance systems are linked with single-mode fiber to ensure purer images and less data loss and interference than copper systems. Fiber cable also is being used in security surveillance systems that cover wide areas. A break in the fiber link on a fence perimeter can indicate a security breach.


“A virtual tsunami of fiber optic cabling in structured wiring continues to transform the work of integrated systems contractors,” said Frank Bisbee, editor of online magazine, Heard on the Street (www.wireville.com). “Side by side with low-voltage copper cabling, some industry observers expect fiber demand to increase more than 80 percent in the next five to seven years. Why fiber? Distance, speed and bandwidth are critical factors for project designers, and fiber provides all three.”


Training and the right tools are necessary for installers experienced with copper to develop expanded skill sets for fiber optic cabling.


Basic fiber tools, equipment and supplies include jacket stripper and fiber stripper (tools that perform both functions are available); Kevlar cutter; black workstation mat; tweezers; fiber scrap receptacle; cleaning wipes or swabs; curing oven or crimp tool, depending on connector type; scribe; lapping film; polishing disc; neoprene pad base for polishing; 200x power microscope; and visual fault finder or continuity tester. Tools are sold individually and packaged by function in kits appropriate to the several specialized fiber installation steps.


Fiber tool suppliers include Greenlee (www.greenleecommunications.com), Ideal Industries (www.idealind.com), Leviton (www.leviton.com), Panduit (www.panduit.com) and Ripley (www.ripley-tools.com).


For example, Panduit offers three standard kits: FCAMKIT for OptiCam prepolished cam connectors; FIELDKIT and FIELDKIT-G tool kits for field epoxy/polish connectors; and PCF-LCFTK for polymer-clad fiber crimp-on connectors.


Greenlee fiber kits are laser/OPM (mini fiber tools—single-mode); laser, LED and OPM (mini fiber tools—single-mode and multimode); LED and OPM (mini fiber tools—multimode); and Fusion Splice Contractor Kit (fusion splicer, cleaver, fiber stripper and extra battery).


Panduit product manager James Swigert said there are several options for terminating fiber optic cable, and each method requires a slightly different set of tools.


“A typical tool kit will include consumables such as wipes and cleaner as well as tools such as strippers and cleavers,” he said. “Cam connectors, such as our OptiCam, typically require a proprietary termination tool.


“Proper fiber handling and termination techniques are of great importance. Cleaving, the method of cutting the fiber strand to length, greatly affects the performance of the connector and the success of the termination.


“Putting too much tensile strain on a cable and bending around too tight of a corner during installation can cause a number of problems that would not be noticed until after a cable was terminated and tested. Installers should make themselves aware of the recommended bend radius and tensile specifications of the cable they are installing,” Swigert said.


A recent improvement that Swigert cited is the connector cradle for the OCTT OptiCam termination tool, which has been updated to improve the connector’s positioning in the tool, which provides more consistent terminations.


Greenlee Communications product manager Keith Foord said technicians must have the appropriate tools and the training to use them properly to install and commission fiber optic networks. Tools and instruments need to be easy to use so technicians understand their capabilities.


Foord cited recent improvements in several tool categories. Fusion splicers are easier to use than the older versions that required more training and adjustments.


“Splice-on connectors are being used to replace mechanical connectors; mechanical connectors are prone to failure, reliability issues and can cause high return loss and high insertion loss events, which will limit bandwidth,” he said. “Splice-on connectors introduce no insertion or return losses; thus, [they] are the choice of high bandwidth fiber networks. One-click fiber cleaning pens are available, which make cleaning of the ferrule and bulkhead easier and more effective than ever before.”


Foord said common errors when installing fiber include “not cleaning and inspecting fiber connections. More than 70 percent of all failures in fiber optic networks can be attributed to [that].


“[Problems come from] failure to clean and not performing ARC calibrations on fusion splicers. The operation of fusion splicers can be mastered quite quickly if the technician adheres to the training provided. This includes the cleaning and ARC calibrations of the fusion splicer. If this is not done, the splicer will not provide low-loss splices,” he said.“Connecting a flat polished connector to an angle polished connector. Permanent damage will occur to the connectors and the connectors will need to be replaced.


“Correctly installing fiber optic cable requires an entirely different set of skills than those used for copper cabling,” Foord said.“To install a fiber optic cable network or fiber segments of a larger system so that it performs to specifications requires skilled, trained technicians.” he said. “A single improperly made termination can cost the contracting company thousands of dollars. A fiber cable improperly stripped or an improperly cleaned fiber end can shut down an entire network. Some industry studies have ranked contaminated connectors and improper polishing of the ferrule as primary causes of network failure. The key to such failures is properly trained technicians.”


Suppliers and independent training sources offer different levels of training, including certified fiber optics installer and certified fiber optics technician programs.


Fiber optic work involves potential hazards not found with copper cabling, and safety procedures are an important part of safety training. Working safely with fiber will be the topic of a future Cool Tools report.