5 ms·
People have to be careful when splicing fiber when every dB of loss is important, but modern fusion splicers make it pretty easy. For just running between hous
by jauer 6y ago
People have to be careful when splicing fiber when every dB of loss is important, but modern fusion splicers make it pretty easy.
For just running between houses, I've seen links working over fiber that was cleaved with linesmens pliers before a crimp on connector was added.
- gruez 6y agoSo I searched up "fusion splicers" and apparently there are machines that automatically align the fiber and fuses them together, with only ~0.02db of loss. Does a human doing it manually with a microscope get significantly better results?
- jcrawfordor 6y agoFusion splicers are very expensive, under $10k is the cheap end. ISPs own them of course for field work but home installs are often done by small independent contractors (one-person companies are common) without the budget. The situation has improved a lot over the last few years, but historically fusion splicing was such a delicate process with sensitive equipment that ISP crews would pull around an air-conditioned trailer just to house the splicer and its operator. Actually these trailers are still the norm, but the machines have also come down in price and up in flexibility so they aren't so necessary any more (but I'm sure it still really helps productivity to have your tools on hand and not be dripping sweat on the workspace if you do this all day...). But in any case I find it more likely the installer was using an inspection probe/microscope to verify a field assembly connector than actually splicing. Most field assembly methods don't require a microscope but it's common to use a specialized type of microscope to check the correctness and quality of the face of the connector before use, to avoid future callbacks, which said independent contractor will be penalized for.
- jauer 6y agoExpensive if you need to be competitive with higher volume. Old fusion splicers can be inexpensive. Tradeoff is they take longer to to do alignment and are much heavier than modern splicers. I got a FSM-30S for sub $3k on eBay years ago. $350 for calibration. I see listings now for under $500. Paid for itself very quickly vs. hiring out as a little ISP. Wasn't hard to learn from YouTube videos and material from Fiber Optic Association.
- iptrans 6y agoFYI, brand new fusion splicers can be had for under a grand.
- iptrans 6y agoFusion splicers are cheap. You can get a brand new fusion splicer for under a grand. Fusion splicing hasn’t been a delicate process for at least twenty years and trailers are used only because they provide better working conditions.
- jauer 6y agoPer-splice costs of crimps are higher, but startup cost can be lower. Tools for crimp are generally $1k or so and splicers used to be $10k+ (though now you can find new ones for sub 3k and used for lower than that). A mechanical splice can cost $10 in material while a fusion splice might cost $0.05. Consumables for a fusion splice is just a metal rod for heat shrink tube that goes over the fiber, then a metal rod next to it, and another heat shrink tube to hold it all together. I haven't seen someone use a microscope to inspect a splice, but it is common to inspect the connector face because dust can significantly impact the link. Fusion splicers are amazing pieces of technology. I used used to use one from the late 90s that would identify the core (super small, usually what you see as "fiber" is the cladding around the core), position them to face each other, warn if the cleave wasn't parallel, arc weld it together, detect any bubbles or imperfections in the weld and alert. Decent video of the splice process on the splicer I used to use (though missing fiber prep): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4eRhF2oaqA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4eRhF2oaqA
- iptrans 6y agoCrimp tools from brand name vendors are wildly overpriced. You can get a mechanical splice kit for very little money from one of the online fiber stores. In fact, for less than a grand you can get a brand new core alignment fusion splicer. A mechanical splice isn’t $10, it’s more like $1 in bulk. As for consumables, fusion splicers also need new electrodes and calibration from time to time, but these are minor expenses.
- iptrans 6y agoNope, a human with or without a microscope isn’t going to do it better than a fully automated fusion splicer.
- baybal2 6y agoI don't think people people should even bother with splicing in under 1km fibre runs if mechanical gel splice is 1000 times faster. A bigger issue for single mode on short runs if ensuring transmitters are not too powerful. This is why you often have to intentionally attenuate single mode runs.