As fiber optic connections become increasingly mainstream, the need to connect fiber optic cables to one another — or splicing — is also on the rise. In this guide, we cover the basics of fiber optic splicing, how to perform splicing using two different methods, and finally some best practices to perform good fiber splicing.
Many Federal Government agencies already require certification of a cable splicer or terminator (section 16000) and the requirement is usually referenced in various construction documents issued by the government, consulting engineers, general contractors, or a sub-contractors.
About The Fiber School The Fiber School is one of the largest, most diverse fiber optic training programs in the USA with over 70 courses in more than a dozen countries around the world. The Fiber School was established by the President of The Fiber Optic Marketplace, LLC Christopher LaBonge.
After completing this training and proving that you have a firm grasp of the skills, knowledge, and abilities required by the FOA, you are granted a fiber optic technician certification. Another way to pursue certification is to complete a “Work to Cert” program.
To qualify for the certification, two years field experience with fiber optic networks are required, including documented experience designing fiber optic networks. Training by manufacturers or vendors of cabling products will be recognized as part of the experience requirements.
Depending on the industry and the company, fiber optic engineers earn a good, stable salary with the median being around $55,000 a year. If you get in with a good company and the work is more complex and detailed, that figure will increase. There are tons of great benefits working with fiber.
Fiber Optics Technician (FOT) A Fiber Optics Technician has a full understanding of inside plant optical fiber, connector, and splice performance characteristics as described in TIA-568 and can use these performance characteristics to create a worst case power budget for a fiber optic cable plant.
A fiber splicing technician, or fiber lineman, is a lineman who specializes in installing and repairing fiber optic lines. In this career, you will be responsible for splicing new lines into the network grid, installing them above ground on poles or underground, and repairing existing lines.
The Amazon Web Services (AWS) Fiber Optic Fusion Splicing Certificate Course is a two-day training course on fiber optic installation and repair hosted in collaboration with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave.
Basic Qualifications For Fiber Optics Technicians Technical knowledge of communications networks. Troubleshooting and mechanical skills. Fundamental knowledge of computers and associated electronic systems. Skill with a variety of hand tools and power tools.
$54,026 per yearFiber Optic Splicers in America make an average salary of $54,026 per year or $26 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $84,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $34,000 per year.
If you're interested in pursuing a career in fiber optics, you might consider a fiber optics certification....Certification through educationFind an FOA-approved school. ... Prepare for training. ... Get certified. ... Consider earning a certificate.
3 yearsThe CFOT exam is a written exam consisting of 100 multiple choice, matching and true-false questions. The successful student must answer 70 questions correctly to pass. This certification is valid for 3 years, and then is the responsibility of the technician to renew in 3 year increments.
What Skills Does a Fiber Optics Technician Need? In this field, you'll use a combination of hard and soft skills. For instance, you'll need to be deft at handling fibers, which are encased in fine strands of glass and therefore, very fragile.
They set up networks, install cables and maintain them. In their role, they may have to be customer-facing at times but will also work to develop and help improve fibre optic performance by designing new equipment behind the scenes.
The Splicing Technician specializes in and terminating fiber optic cables to expand telecommunications networks into new areas or to replace existing lines. They also troubleshoot and perform maintenance to resolve signal problems.
The Amazon Web Services (AWS) Fiber Optic Fusion Splicing Certificate Course is a two-day training course on fiber optic installation and repair hosted in collaboration with Sumitomo Electric Lightwave. This course is intended for anyone who wants to enter the fiber optic industry and professionals who want to learn the fusion splicing skill.
Amazon announced a plan to help 29 million people around the world grow their tech skills with free cloud computing skills training by 2025. The AWS Fusion Splicing Certificate Course is part of that effort. Read the article »
While there’s another method of joining fibers known as termination or connectorization, splicing is usually the preferred way to join two fiber optic cables as it results in a lower light loss ( attenuation) and back reflection than connectorization.
So in essence, fiber optic splicing is a process used to join two separate fiber optic cables together. There are numerous use cases for fiber optic splicing. Through splicing, fiber optic technicians can extend the length of the fiber to make it long enough for use in a required cable run.
The cleaver is the most valuable tool you need to complete effective fiber optic splicing. For mechanical splicing, you must ensure the proper angle of end faces, otherwise, there’ll be excessive light escaping into the air gaps between the two fibers.
A mechanical splice is designed to hold two fiber cables in a way that allows light to pass through seamlessly, with a typical loss of around 0.3 dB or 10%.
A typical fusion splice has a tensile strength between 0.5 and 1.5 lbs and will not break during normal handling. Even so, it’s a good idea to provide protection from bending and pulling forces and ensure the fiber doesn’t break during routine use.
To ensure quality splicing, you must visually inspect the splices you made. You’ll likely find some flaws in the splices but as long as it does not affect the optical transmission of your cables, it’s all good.
Step #1 – Strip the fibers. Before you strip fibers, add a protective sleeve to the fiber. Then, as with mechanical splicing, strip the protective polymer coating around the optical fiber using a mechanical fiber stripper, until you reach the bare fiber cores.
To begin, the standard definition of splicing in optical fiber is the joining two fiber optic cables together. The other, more common, method of joining fibers is called termination or connectorization. Splicing is most commonly used in the field but has application in cable assembly houses. In field installations, splicing is a faster ...
Mechanical splicing uses a small, mechanical splice, about 6cm long and 1cm in diameter that permanently joins the two optical fibers.
In field installations, splicing is a faster and more efficient method and is used to restore fiber optic cables when a buried cable is accidentally severed.
The Fiber School is one of the largest, most diverse fiber optic training programs in the USA with over 70 courses in more than a dozen countries around the world. The Fiber School was established by the President of The Fiber Optic Marketplace, LLC Christopher LaBonge.
The Fiber School provides a number of completely online courses as well as online segments of courses. Learn at your own pace and minimize expenses with online training. Learn More.
The FOA is the international Fiber Optic Association. The FOA is the standard bearer when it comes to assessing and teaching best practices with fiber optics. There are two ways to become certified with the FOA. One way is to pursue training at an FOA approved school.
The FOA offers Industry-Based Certifications (IBC), which means that they are exam-based, administered and accredited by third parties, and developed by the private sector. IBCs have more validity than popular do-it-yourself education or online education because the standards are set by an authority and they are based in proven skill.
FiberPlus has been providing data communication services for a number of different markets through fiber optics since 1992.
Our comprehensive program allows individuals to demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities when splicing and terminating shielded electrical power cables.
Much has been written on the competency and the workmanship of individuals performing medium voltage cable splicing work.
Following approval of an application, the applicant is now a candidate who must first successfully complete a written core knowledge examination and then one performance (practical) examination in a splicing and terminating category selected by the candidate.
The National Cable Splicing Certification Board (NCSCB) is developing and establishing a personnel certification and re-certification program for candidates who successfully demonstrate their knowledge, skills, and abilities in the field of splicing and terminating shielded electrical power cables.
Many Federal Government agencies already require certification of a cable splicer or terminator (section 16000) and the requirement is usually referenced in various construction documents issued by the government, consulting engineers, general contractors, or a sub-contractors.