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While shopping for optical fiber tools you’ll often come across acronyms and slang industry terms. Not to worry, we’re here to help!

Below is an assembly of the most commonly used terms in the fiber installer business.

Splicer Kits:  Used to join (fuse) the fiber and also provide a loss measurement of the splice, typically between 0.0 and .02 db.

OTDR’s:   Optical Time Domain Reflectometers come in three basic versions.

• Full size OTDR’s, the highest performance with a full complement of features like data storage and printers.
  
  
• mini-OTDR’s provide the same type of measurements as a full OTDR, but with fewer features to trim the size and cost.
  
  
• Metro-OTDR (fault finder) use the OTDR technique, but are greatly simplified to just provide the distance to a fault, making the instrument even more affordable and easier to use.

BRT’s or ORL's:  Back Reflection Test-set or Optical Return Loss meters measure the ratio between the optical power into a component or system to its reflected optical power (back reflection), in units of dB. 

• ORL's measure actual insertion loss, making a lower number ideal. 
  
  
• BRT's display return loss, so the higher the number the better.

 
Polishers:  Precision cleaning for low loss fiber ends.

 
Multipack:  Precision fiber splice preparation kit that incorporates strip, clean, and cleave capabilities for consistent splicing.

 
Talk Sets:   Verify, with a crystal clear connection, communication with technicians at the other end of the fiber.

Light Sources:   Chosen for compatibility with the type of fiber in use (singlemode or multimode with the proper core diameter) and the wavelength desired for performing the test. Light sources are also necessary to be used as a signal source for an optical loss measurement on dark fiber.

Power Meters: Calibrated to read in linear units (milliwatts, microwatts and nanowatts) and/or dB referenced to one milliwatt or one microwatt optical power. The best meters offer a relative dB scale for laboratory loss measurements.

Attenuators:   Precision adjustment of the level of signal in fiber.

Visual Fault Locators:   Cable breaks, bending losses caused by kinks in the fiber, bad splices etc. can be quickly detected using the visible 650nm light source.

Fiberscope:  Hand held microscope with a universal adapter to inspect connectors more closely.

LEC - Local Exchange Carrier.
US West, SBC (Southwestern Bell & PacBell), Ameritech, Bell Atlantic (now includes Nynex) and Bell South. Ma Bell is a common term.  Regional Bell Operating Companies or RBOCs is another.

CLEC or CAP – Regional Competitive Local Exchange Carrier or Competitive Access Provider.

CO - Central Office. Located at the Local Exchange Carrier. Usually an electronic switch.

PBX - Private Branch eXchange

DEMARC or POP - Demarcation point or Point-of-Presence.
Where the Local Exchange Carrier's responsibility for circuits ends and the customer's begins. In other words a termination point for all circuits on a customer's premises or outbound to an inter-exchange carrier.

IXC - Inter-eXchange Carrier.
Examples of IXC’s are AT&T, Sprint, MCI, Worldcom and others.

full-duplex - independent, simultaneous two-way transmission in both directions.

synchronous - both the sender and receiver are synchronized with a clock so receiver knows exactly where new characters begin.

asynchronous - data is transmitted one character at a time, with intervals of varying lengths between transmittals. Start and stop bits at the beginning and end of each character control the transmission.

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