Cleaning Fiber Optic Connectors

1. Cleaning Fiber Optic Connectors All-Tech Communications, LLC

2. The myths' and excuses • I never clean & inspect the transmit cards • It takes to long to clean • I just blow the dirt off with my breath • My shirt has been effective for years • I like to use a lot of Alcohol (IPA) when I clean • No one wants to buy cleaning supplies • It is not my job to clean the connector I am plugging into. • I do not need to clean because it came clean from the manufacturer with a dust cap on it. All-Tech Communications, LLC

3. The myths' and excuses • This old network has worked fine for years without cleaning & inspecting. • My tech’s do what they want, I have no control of what they do. • My way is easier than your’s and doesn't take as long. All-Tech Communications, LLC

4. The reasons you should clean & inspect • Today's networks are more sensitive to ORL Problems • Poor quality of service being sold • Transmitter card damaged due to ORL • Down time and costly dispatches • Problems to network upgrades OC48 to OC192 & 40G ROADM networks. • Angry customers!!! All-Tech Communications, LLC

5. Just because you cleaned the connector doesn't mean it’s clean. WHY? • Inferior methods and products (Non Approved) • Not inspecting • Poor cleaning methods can actually damaged the connector. • Lack of training • Not cleaning & inspecting both connectors before mating. All-Tech Communications, LLC

6. Understanding Soils • Ionic Soils: • They are most typically represented by a finger print • An ionic soil could also be dried water caused by moisture from excess solvent such as IPA (Alcohol) • Non-Ionic Soils: • They are contaminants that bond • Examples are: Buffer Gel, Dust, Lubricants, oily soil, dust, hand lotion. • Contamination from “dust caps” • Moisture from excess solvent that has dust or oily residue • Soils can be generated by: • Touching the end face • Incorrectly cleaning the end face with too much solvent • Static Charge Accumulation from “dry cleaning” • Merely exposing an end face to open air! • Not using dust caps • Out gassing of plastic • Both Soil Types are present in OSP Operations All-Tech Communications, LLC

7. Connector Cleaning Methods • 99% Alcohol (IPA) and Kim-wipes • Cassette cleaners (Dry Cleaning) • Canned Air • “New Method” Combination Cleaning (wet dry) All-Tech Communications, LLC

8. 99% Alcohol (IPA) and Kim-wipes • Isopropyl Alcohol is hygroscopic • This means it “attracts moisture from the air”. • This attracted moisture can have contaminants • These contaminants are deposited on the end face, of the ferrules and can cause cross contamination of the connection All-Tech Communications, LLC

9. 99% Alcohol (IPA) and Kim-wipes • 99.9% IPA attracts moisture faster than lesser grades! • IPA continually seeks a 65% solvent/ 35% water equilibrium • IPA does not clean non-ionic soils: • Buffer-gel, grease, dusty oils and hand lotions are examples of non-ionic soils that are always present in Outside Plant applications. All-Tech Communications, LLC

10. 99% Alcohol (IPA) and Kim-wipes • Excessive alcohol was used on this connector resulting in slow drying time leaving contaminates on the end face of the connector. All-Tech Communications, LLC

11. Cassette cleaners (Dry Cleaning) • Cassette cleaning is easy to use. • Cassette dry cleaning only • It is difficult to remove severe contaminates using dry cleaning only All-Tech Communications, LLC

12. Canned Air or “Dusters” • Canned air is not effective in cleaning connectors. • Canned air blows dust and contaminants into the air contaminating other connections and components. • Can be useful for blowing dust out of an adapter without any connectors in it All-Tech Communications, LLC

13. Video Probes • Example of a Hand Held Video Inspection Probe All-Tech Communications, LLC

14. Video Probes PC Based Video Probe All-Tech Communications, LLC

15. Video Probes & Inspection Tools Bench Top Inspection Tool All-Tech Communications, LLC

16. Additional Notes and Precautions • DO NOT inspect end faces with hand held direct viewing microscope if the other end of the fiber is connected to an active laser source. This could cause serious eye damage or permanent impairment. All-Tech Communications, LLC

17. Combination Cleaning Products PX & MX clean both ionic & Non Ionic soils & breaks a static charge. All-Tech Communications, LLC

18. Combination Cleaning (wet dry) 2 1 All-Tech Communications, LLC

19. Cleaning Fiber Optic Connectors • The importance of cleaning fiber connectors All-Tech Communications, LLC

20. Combination Cleaning (wet dry) Before Cleaning Oil & Dust After Cleaning Wet Dry Method All-Tech Communications, LLC

21. Cross Contamination Clean Connector before being connected to dirty connector # 2 Dirty connector before being connected to clean connector # 1 Connector # 1 after being mated to dirty connector # 2 Connector # 1 Connector # 2 All-Tech Communications, LLC

22. Dry Cleaning Severe Soils End face of connector coated with a Sharpie, Permanent Marker Photo # 1 Connector cleaned with a reel cleaner dry method. Notice scratching caused by dragging contaminants across the connector Photo # 2 Same connector cleaned using the wet dry method using PX solvent. Photo # 3 Photo # 1 Photo # 2 Photo # 3 All-Tech Communications, LLC

23. Burnt Connector Burning will happen at power levels higher than a +15 dBm All-Tech Communications, LLC

24. Cleaning Connectors in a Bulkhead Adapter Dab 2.5mm Swab two times into PX sprayed on the QbE. DO NOT over saturate swab with PX or spray swab directly with PX. Firmly insert swab into adapter and rotate in same directions several times. Repeat using a dry swab. This is the wet dry method using swabs. All-Tech Communications, LLC

25. Bulkhead Adapter Cleaning • Inspect the adapter. • Select the proper sized swab. • Insert into adapter, cleaning out any debris inside. • If a solvent was necessary the adapter should be carefully cleaned and dried with another dry swab. • Use air to blow out any loosened particles. • Inspect the adapter. All-Tech Communications, LLC

26. Clean Alignment Sleeve on Adapter Lightly moisten the side of the 2.5 mm swab in PX. DO NOT Over Moisten All-Tech Communications, LLC

27. Clean Alignment Sleeve on Adapter Push the swab through the adapter turning in one direction. Pull the swab out turning in one direction, collar will trap and remove dirt. All-Tech Communications, LLC

28. Connector Insertion Loss & Connector Reflectance Insertion Loss (IL) Is the dB loss of a component such as the connection of two mating connectors. Insertion Loss is the difference between the power entering and leaving a device at a particular output wavelength. Reflectance Fresnel Reflections happen at discrete interfaces such as connector connections, adapters, and mechanical splices. Proper cleaning and the use of UPC and APC connectors will reduce Fresnel reflections. All-Tech Communications, LLC

29. Loss & ORL Testing All-Tech Communications, LLC

30. Additional Notes and Precautions • There are no short cuts to proper cleaning. Any attempts to skip over cleaning steps may cause permanent damage to connector end faces and will cause degradation of system performance. All-Tech Communications, LLC

31. Conclusion • Alcohol is not the best cleaning agent it can only clean ionic soils. • PX will clean ionic and non ionic soils and breaks a static charge. • Combination cleaning produces the best results. • Cleaning is one of the most important things you can do. • It is not clean unless both connectors have been inspected and cleaned. Inspect Clean Inspect Connect “ICIC method” • Improper cleaning will create an unstable network causing unnecessary dispatches and customer dissatisfaction. • The cost of network failures will far outweigh your initial cleaning expenses. All-Tech Communications, LLC

32. Any Questions? John Lastowka All-Tech Communications, LLC Suite 224 20A North West Blvd. Nashua, NH 03063 Office: 603-429-1982 Cell: 603-759-9174 Fax  603-429-1276 e-mail: jlastowka@atcllc.biz Web http://www.atcllc.biz Bob Menard All-Tech Communications Suite 224 20A North West Blvd Nashua NH 03063 Office  207-363-4334 Mobile 978-808-1477 Fax     603-429-1276 E Mail  bmenard@atcllc.biz Web http://www.atcllc.biz All-Tech Communications, LLC