A Uniquely Designed Live Fiber Identifier: EXFO’s LFD-300B FiberFinder 

For major singlemode fibers, insertion loss is a function of the bending angle (see Figure 1). Although the angles differ, the behavior remains the same.

The LFD-300B FiberFinder brings a unique approach: the power loss is monitored as the angle is changed. Therefore, the angle is automatically optimized for each fiber type and each singlemode wavelength. This results in clear-cut advantages:

• Maximum loss of 1 dB guaranteed for most singlemode telecom fibers (most jacket types) and any wavelength
• No damage to the fiber: bending is always minimal, and the fiber is released when no power is detected
• Traffic detection and direction identification
• In-line, non-disruptive power estimation
• Safe to be used in long-haul applications and on high-payload fibers—contrary to traditional live fiber detectors
• Optimized for 900 μm, 1.6 mm and 3 mm jackets; no need to replace the headpiece

Ambient Light Offset

EXFO’s LFD-300B performs an ambient light offset prior to fiber bending, which makes it less sensitive to ambient light. A push-down cap can also be placed on the head-end to block intense ambient light.

Industry First: the FiberFinder Functionality

For detecting dark/live fibers or identifying a particular dark fiber using a pulse light (270 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz), traditional LFD functionalities do the trick. However, they cannot pinpoint a specific live fiber—especially with doubtful labeling and poor record-keeping—and help you ensure you disconnect the right one.

In addition, disconnecting the wrong fiber causes downtime, a costly consequence that can easily be avoided. For instance, at US$10,000 per hour and per wavelength, downtime can cost up to US$160,000 per hour for a 16-channel 10 Gbit/s WDM system.

Combined with the TG-300B, a non-intrusive, non-disruptive clip-on signature generator that is based on FiberFinder technology, EXFO’s LFD-300B addresses this need with guaranteed low loss. Installed at the transmitter site, the TG-300B adds a typical 0.25 dB signature to the live signal by applying a soft low-frequency modulation pressure to the fiber. This signature is then detected at the other end by the LFD-300B, in mere seconds.