It’s expected that installing optical fiber cables would require different tools than copper communications cables or electrical cables. How familiar are you with some of the specialized tools used in fiber optics?
Created by: Jim Hayes
1. The metallic armor in armored outside plant cable can usually be cut with a common tool, a _______.
A. Hawkbill lineman’s knife
B. Tubing cutter
C. Electrical cable cutter
D. Coaxial cable cutter
2. Cutting aramid fiber strength members in a cable requires _______
A. Lineman’s knife
B. Regular scissors
C. Kevlar scissors
D. Fiber cable cutters
3. The three different types of fiber strippers are generally known as “Miller,” “No-Nik” and “Micro-Strip.”
A. True
B. False
4. All fiber optic strippers need to be chosen for compatibility to the _______.
A. Fiber diameter
B. Primary buffer diameter
C. Tight buffer coating diameter
D. All of the above
5. Fiber optic strippers actually strip the _______ from the fiber.
A. Core
B. Cladding
C. Buffer coating
D. Diameter
6. Fiber optic fusion splicing machines join fibers with a(n) _______.
A. Gaseous plasma
B. Gas flame
C. Electric arc
D. Atomic fusion
7. To get good splices—either fusion or mechanical—the most important parameter is to have _______.
A. Perfect cleave angle
B. Correct fiber alignment
C. Exact fiber length and pressure
8. The best cleaver for preparing fibers for splicing is a _______.
A. Handheld “stapler”-type cleaver
B. Carbide or diamond scribe
C. Rotary cleaver such as those included with fusion splicers
D. Any of these works equally well
9. If you need to access only a few fibers from a large fiber count cable for a drop, you can use a midspan access tool and avoid having to cut and splice all the fibers.
10. Whenever a tech works with fiber optic connectors, they need a special _______ and _______ to ensure the connectors are in good condition. (Choose two)
A. Inspection microscope
B. Cleaning kit
C. Polishing kit
D. Interferometer
