Certification of new cabling per IEEE, TIA/EIA, or ISO/IEC standards is necessary to ensure that the link will run the intended application. Complete fiber optic cabling certification includes two parts; Tier 1 or Basic Test Regimen and Tier 2 or Extended Test Regimen. Tier 1 fiber optic cabling certification is performed with a power meter and light source or optical loss test to measure the absolute loss of the link and compare it to the limits in the standard. Tier 2 fiber optic cabling certification and troubleshooting can be performed with an OTDR.
Certification of fiber optic links requires the right testing equipment, detailed knowledge of installation and application standards, and the ability to document your test results. The OTDR is a handheld fiber optic certification tester that quickly and easily certifies multi-mode and single-mode networks. One button measures fiber length and optical loss on two fibers at two wavelengths, computes the optical loss budget, compares the results to the selected industry standard and provides an instant PASS or FAIL indication.