wiredinUSA February 2014

INDEX

Fully automated fiber inspection EXFO Inc, a supplier of test and service assurance solutions for wireline and wireless network operators and equipment manufacturers, has released the FIP-430B fully automated fiber inspection probe to its range. The new portable FIP-430B USB inspection probe, which is compatible with any PC or laptop,all of EXFO’s FTBEcosystemplatforms and the newly launched MaxTester 700B OTDR series, has been designed to simplify connector certification. Officials at EXFO explained that the FIP-430B integrates advanced automated features, such as a high performance, fiber image-centering system and onboard connector-end face pass/fail analysis based on IEC or custom standards to deliver accurate and consistent connector certification in seconds. The company claims that the probe’s image-centering function alone is capable of achieving time savings of up to 57 percent, and the automatic focus adjustment feature provides the critical “missing link” that enables the process to be 100 percent automated. “EXFO is the first to introduce an autofocus feature of this kind in a field inspection device. By automating the full test process, this innovation eliminates all complex and time-consuming operations, as well as the risk of human misinterpretation, making it easier for the end user to follow best practices,” said Étienne Gagnon, vice-president of EXFO’s physical-layer and wireless division.

Gagnon said that the autofocus facilitates identification of defects, and focus protection prevents reporting of false-positive results, leading to more accurate and consistent test results. Femtosecond laser writing TeraXion, a supplier of optoelectronic components and modules for the telecom, fiber laser and optical sensing markets, has announced the commercial introduction of femtosecond laser fiber Bragg grating (FBG) writing capabilities. High-performance femtosecond laser sources, through non-linear interaction with materials of ultrafast intense laser pulses, make possible the inscription of fiber Bragg gratings in a variety of glasses for differing wavelength range applications. TeraXion has demonstrated through- coating writing of FBG using the femtosecond laser writing technique in acrylate and polyimide-coated optical fibers. With the addition of this latest capability, TeraXion will develop new products such as very high-power fiber laser reflectors and optical sensors for extreme environments. These new products could be realized in new glass materials such as pure silica and chalcogenide (2 to 5um) optical fibers or planar waveguides. “This addition to our technology portfolio will allow us to extend our product offering for the high-power fiber laser and fiber optic sensing markets,” said Ghislain Lafrance, vice president business development.

wiredInUSA - February 2014

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