Know Your SYSTIMAX Loss Target Before You Fail!

February 7, 2018 / General, Installation and testing, Industrial Networks, Best Practices

We’ve covered fiber insertion loss in plenty of past blogs, so by now we hope that you know it’s the amount of signal loss that occurs as the signal travels along a cable link. We also hope you know that insertion loss is directly related to the length of the cable—the longer the cable, the greater the loss—and that any connection point along the way (connectors, splices, splitters, etc.) also adds to the loss.

But what you might not know is that despite the fact that calculating insertion should be straightforward, our research has shown that over a quarter of contractors reported having fiber test results rejected for testing against incorrectly set fiber limits. For one vendor’s customers, accurately predicting end-to-end insertion loss performance for a link just got easier.

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To help customers accurately establish loss targets for high-performance SYSTIMAX fiber links, CommScope developed an insertion loss calculatorwhere users simply enter the type of fiber, total link length and the number and types of connectors and splices to determine the low loss or ultra low loss limits.

Since loss is directly related to length, the length of the link is a key value in this calculation. The problem is that even if the fiber type and number of connections are the same, rarely are any two links the same exact length. So customers end up needing to calculate unique limits for every link, which can be time consuming and complex, not to mention increasing the chance of mistakes.

The good news is that optical loss testers like Fluke Networks CertiFiber® Pro automatically measure the length of the fiber when testing, offering a solution to the problem. Instead of having to calculate all the various link lengths, with CertiFiber Pro’s built-in SYSTIMAX link loss calculator, users simply select the fiber type and enter the number and type of connectors and splices. Then, each time a test is made, the tester automatically measures the length and generates the exact loss limit for that link, eliminating the need for multiple limits based on length.

And to make calculating loss even more efficient for CommScope’s customers, Fluke Networks’ LinkWare Live’s built-in version of the SYSTIMAX loss calculator enables loading an entire test plan for their low-loss and ultra-low-loss limits right into the tester. During testing, the CertiFiber Pro uses its length measurement result to calculate a precise limit for the link, which can be used for SYSTIMAX warranty purposes.

So if you’re a SYSTIMAX installer, now might be the time to consider the CertiFiber Pro. Through April 30, you can also register online and enter to win one at www.flukenetworks.com/commscope.