ATTENUATION

Attenuation is defined as the loss of optical power over a set distance, a fibre with lower attenuation will allow more power to reach a receiver than fibre with higher attenuation. Attenuation may be categorized as intrinsic or extrinsic.

INTRINSIC ATTENUATION
It is loss due to inherent or within the fibre. Intrinsic attenuation may occur as (I) (II) Absorption - Natural Impurities in the glass absorb light energy. Scattering - Light rays travelling in the core reflect from small imperfections into a new pathway that may be lost through the cladding. (1) Absorption - Natural Impurities in the Glass Absorb Light Energy.

Light Ray

Or (2) Scattering - Light Rays Travelling in the Core Reflect from small Imperfections into a New Pathway that may be Lost through the cladding.

Light is lost

Light Ray

EXTRINSIC ATTENUATION
It is loss due to external sources. Extrinsic attenuation may occur as (I) Macrobending - The fibre is sharply bent so that the light travelling down the fibre cannot make the turn & is lost in the cladding.

Micro bend

Micro bend

Micro bend

Fig. Loss and Bends

(II) Microbending - Microbending or small bends in the fibre caused by crushing contraction etc. These bends may not be visible with the naked eye. Attenuation is measured in decibels (dB). A dB represents the comparison between the transmitted and received power in a system.

OFC Test Measuring Instruments

1.0 Main Tests on OFC Cable Loss. Splice Loss. Connector Loss. Fibre Length. Continuity of Fiber. Fault Localizations/Break Fault 2.0 Main Instruments Required Calibrated Light Source. Optical Power Meter. Optical Attenuator. Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR).