Fiber optic splitter contains multiple input and output ends. Whenever the light transmission in a network needs to be divided, fiber optic splitter can be implemented for the convenience of network interconnections. This article will help you to gain more knowledge of fiber splitter manufacturing, fiber splitter test, and fiber splitter applications.
How to Manufacture a Fiber Optic Splitter?
In all, there are five steps to manufacture a fiber optic splitter. Each step requires strict control and management of various parameters like environment, temperature, and detailed precision on assembly and equipment.
Step One: Components Preparation
Generally three components are needed. The PLC circuit chip is embedded on a piece of glass wafer, and each end of the glass wafer is polished to ensure highly precise flat surface and high purity. The v-grooves are then grinded onto a glass substrate. A single fiber or multiple ribbon fiber is assembled onto the glass substrate. This assembly is then polished.
Step Two: Alignment
After the preparation of the three components, they are set onto an aligner stage. The input and output fiber array is set on a goniometer stage to align with the PLC chip. Physical alignment between the fiber arrays and the chip is monitored through a continuous power level output from the fiber array.
Step Three: Cure
The assembly is then placed in a UV (ultraviolet) chamber where it will be fully cured at a controlled temperature.
Step Four: Packaging
The bare splitter is aligned and assembled into a metal housing where fiber boots are set on both ends of the assembly. And then a temperature cycling test is needed to ensure the final product condition.
Step Five: Optical Testing
In terms of testing, three important parameters such as insertion loss, uniformity and polarization dependent loss (PDL) are performed on the splitter to ensure compliance to the optical parameters of the manufactured splitter in accordance with the GR-1209 CORE specification.
How to Test the Quality of Fiber Optic Splitter?
The quality of a fiber optic splitter is mainly determined by five specifications, namely optical bandpass, insertion loss, return loss, uniformity, and directivity. The following part outlines how to test each specification.
The optical bandpass can be tested by connecting the optical splitter to an optical spectrum analyzer with a high-powered light source having a central wavelength of the required bandpass. The attenuation across the required bandpass shall meet the splitter requirements.
The insertion loss is tested by using a light source and power meter. The reference power level is obtained and each output port of the optical splitter is measured.
The return loss is tested by using a return loss meter. The input port of the splitter is connected to the return loss meter and all the output ports are connected to a non-reflective index matching gel.
The uniformity of the optical splitter can be determined by referring to the results from the insertion loss test to ensure that the difference between the highest loss and the lowest loss is within the acceptable uniformity value.
Directivity can be measured in a manner similar to the insertion loss test. However, the light source and power meter are connected to each of the input ports and two output ports.
How to Apply Fiber Optic Splitters In PON System?
Fiber optic splitters, enabling the signal on the optical fiber to be distributed between two or more optical fibers with different separation configurations (1×N or M×N), have been widely used in PON networks. FTTH is one of the common application scenarios. A typical FTTH architecture is: Optical Line Terminal (OLT) located in the central office; Optical Network Unit (ONU) situated at the user end; Optical Distribution Network (ODN) settled between the previous two. An optical splitter is often used in the ODN to help multiple end-users share a PON interface.
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