A light source unit generates an optical signal out of a bend-insensitive (“BI”) optical fiber that is compliant with a desired encircled flux (“EF”). The unit includes a light source to generate an optical light signal and a conventional multimode optical fiber coupled to receive the optical light signal from the light source at a first end. A modal conditioner is arranged to condition the optical light signal propagating along different modes of the conventional multimode fiber. A first bend-insensitive (BI) multimode optical fiber has an input end, the input end of the first BI multimode optical fiber being coupled at a second end of the conventional multimode optical fiber to receive the conditioned optical light signal from the conventional multimode fiber. The output from the first BI multimode optical fiber outputs an optical signal having the desired EF.

A method and apparatus for automatic determination of a fiber type of at least one optical fiber span used in a link of an optical network, the method comprising the steps of measuring a length of said optical fiber span; measuring a chromatic dispersion of said optical fiber span; determining a fiber dispersion profile of said optical fiber span on the basis of the measured length and the measured fiber chromatic dispersion; and determining a fiber category and/or a specific fiber type of said optical fiber span depending on the determined fiber dispersion profile.

A method, system, and computer program product for determining a core-to-ferrule offset of a ferrule for a fiber optic connector. A reference ferrule is physically aligned with a core imager by positioning the reference ferrule so that edges of the reference ferrule in a plurality of profile images are aligned with fiducial markers in the images. The reference ferrule is incrementally rotated about its longitudinal center access, a core image captured at each rotational angle, and a reference core-to-ferrule offset determined based on the core images. A test ferrule is physically aligned with the core imager by positioning the test ferrule so that edges of the test ferule are aligned with the edges of the reference ferrule in a plurality of profile images. The core-to-ferrule offset of the test ferrule is then determined based on an offset between the test and reference cores in a composite core image.

The present invention intends to provide an optical fiber cable sensing apparatus capable of measuring longitudinal directional distribution of curvature and torsion, without using a specially structured optical fiber sensor. This apparatus includes means for inputting data of longitudinal directional distribution of distortion (bending loss, polarization variation) measured for each optical fiber accommodated in an optical fiber cable to be measured and data indicating the position of each measurement object optical fiber on a cable cross section, means for calculating curvature vector κ of the optical fiber cable to be measured, at the same spot, based on the distortion (bending loss, polarization variation) of each optical fiber at the spot and the position of the optical fiber on the cable cross section, and means for calculating torsion τ of the optical fiber cable to be measured at the spot from the calculated curvature vector κ.

In an optical fiber monitoring system which detects physical disturbance or other parameters such as temperature or strain of a fiber where a monitor signal is transmitted along the optical fiber and analyzed to detect changes which are indicative of an event, a method is provided for periodically checking proper operation of the optical fiber monitoring system. :A fiber disturbance actuator periodically causes a pattern of disturbances of a portion of the fiber at a predetermined location thereon where the disturbance is characteristic of the event to be monitored. The monitor signal is analyzed to detect the pattern of changes and in the event that expected changes are not detected, a warning is issued that the intrusion detection system is not properly operating.

An optical fiber measurement device includes a light source, a light detector, a direction-changing member, and a tension-applying member. The light source emits light toward an optical fiber. The light detector receives the light that has propagated through the optical fiber. The optical fiber is hung on the direction-changing member. The direction-changing member changes an extending direction of the optical fiber to extend downward, the optical fiber being optically connected to the light source and the light detector at each of two end parts of the optical fiber. The tension-applying member applies a tension to the optical fiber hanging from the direction-changing member.

A system (100) for the identification of the formation of a burning droplet (9) of a material of a fiber optic cable (3) during cable burn testing comprises a data processing device (11) for processing respective image data of a plurality of image samples of an image stream. The data processing device (11) is configured to execute at least a processing step of preprocessing each of the recorded image samples of the image stream to generate a respective preprocessed image sample for each of the recorded image samples such that areas of the recorded image samples disturbing the identification of burning droplets (9) are masked out in the respective preprocessed image sample, and a step of identifying a burning droplet (9) in each of the preprocessed image samples by evaluating a pixel color property of a pixel of each preprocessed image sample.

An optical fiber pay-off system includes a draw spool around which an optical fiber is wound and defining a longitudinal axis; a pay-off arm movable parallel to the longitudinal axis and engaged with a pay-off portion of the optical fiber; a controller configured to receive first and second position signals and instructs the pay-off arm to selectively move in a first direction and in an opposite second direction; first and second proximity sensors mounted on the pay-off arm; a tilting support rotatably mounted on the pay-off arm. The system further includes an activation body fixed to the tilting support and extending between the first and second proximity sensors to be selectively detected by the sensors according to positions assumed by the tilting support. The system further includes first and second contacts fixed to the tilting support and defining an intermediate space in which the pay-off portion can move.

An example system for inspecting fiber optic cables includes: a fixture including a body configured to hold a plurality of fiber optic cables, the fixture including a front portion defining a plurality of apertures positioned adjacent to ends of the fiber optic cables; and an adapter including two or more pin members extending therefrom, the two or more pin members being configured to be positioned in two or more of the plurality of apertures in the fixture to hold the fixture relative to the adapter.

Distributed fiber optic sensors formed by covering the fibers with tubing are provided. The tubing including responsive materials formulated or configured to, responsive to exposure to one of a target chemical species and a target radiation particle, change a relative size and generate a localized effect on or in the optical fiber.