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Ribonnet Installation Instructions
Ribonnet Installation Instructions
System
DESCRIPTION
Copyright
Disclaimer
The contents of this document are subject to revision without notice due to
continued progress in methodology, design, and manufacturing. Ericsson
shall have no liability for any error or damages of any kind resulting from the
use of this document.
Contents
1 Introduction ............................................................................................5
1.1 Scope.......................................................................................................5
1.2 Target Group............................................................................................5
1.3 Prerequisites ............................................................................................5
1.4 Revision Information ................................................................................5
2 Overview .................................................................................................6
2.1 General Description of the Ribbonet® Air Blown Fiber System ...............6
2.2 Planning and Blowing a Route.................................................................7
2.3 Blowing Fiber through Curves and Bends ...............................................8
2.4 Blowing Fiber in Varying Topography ......................................................8
3 Prerequisites ..........................................................................................8
3.1 Equipment................................................................................................8
3.2 Tools ........................................................................................................9
3.3 Materials ................................................................................................10
3.4 Conditions ..............................................................................................12
3.4.1 Safety.....................................................................................................12
3.4.2 Before Going to Site...............................................................................13
3.4.3 Before Starting the Installation...............................................................13
1 Introduction
This document is a description of how to install Ericsson’s air blown fiber
(ABF) system. The Ericsson ABF system is designed for blowing multiple fiber
units into a microduct system.
ABF is mainly used in the drop network section in Fiber To The Home (FTTH),
FTT Building (FTTB), FTT Curb (FTTC), FTT Desk (FTTD) and similar
topologies.
1.1 Scope
This document gives an overview over the common methods for blowing
multiple air blown fiber units into a microduct system as well as key
procedures for the installation of microducts.
When appropriate, the document shall be used together with the general
instructions and descriptions below:
1.3 Prerequisites
In this document, it is assumed that the reader is familiar with concepts,
terminology, and abbreviations, concerning the Fiber Optic deployment.
2 Overview
Outdoor,
Direct Buried
Outdoor,
Installation
into Existing
Conduits
Indoor
Installations
The outer diameter of a microduct is nominally 5 mm and fiber units with one
to eight fibers are blown in. Typical maximum blowing distances are up to
1000 m. This supreme capacity makes the Ericsson ABF system the preferred
choice when installing splice-free drop sections of access networks. Additional
fiber units can easily be deployed in empty spare microducts.
3 Prerequisites
This section provides information on required equipment, tools, materials, and
conditions that apply to the installation procedure.
3.1 Equipment
In order to blow the fiber, the following equipment is needed:
3.2 Tools
The tools required for installation are shown in the following list:
3.3 Materials
The materials required for installation are shown in the following list:
3.4 Conditions
This section describes the conditions that must be fulfilled before any work is
started.
3.4.1 Safety
When planning the fiber blowing, the safety must be the primary concern.
Therefore, before going to the site, always check that the following safety
conditions are fulfilled:
• It is of vital importance that all local safety regulations are carefully and
thoroughly followed.
• Make sure to fence the working area, so that bystanders do not get in
the way.
• Working with high air pressure is very dangerous. Make sure to secure
all connections and hoses properly, since they can be lethal if not
properly secured.
• Open the air valves slowly, in order to slowly increase the pressure
until the desired pressure has been reached.
• When working along the roadside, make sure to follow regulations for
safety and closing off the traffic close to the work perimeter.
For further information on personal health and safety for Ericsson system
products, see also:
In order to conduct the fiber blowing safely and efficiently, ensure the following
before going to the site:
• The work instructions for the team, as well as a map with the planned
duct route, are available.
• On the map, the lengths between manholes, cabinets etc. and the
locations of existing duct joints are specified. It is of great value that the
checked and suggested places for setting up the equipment are
already marked out on the map.
• Check that the duct is not water filled, since water may be blown into
the customer property.
4 Installation Procedure
The installation procedure for the Ribbonet® air blown fiber system is
described in chronological order in this section.
After proper planning and site inspections, install the ducts according to the
installation environment, see:
Duct ends that are not to be used for blowing directly after installation must be
sealed to avoid water or dirt penetration into the microducts. For microduct
assemblies, Use the end caps by “rolling” over the rubber end cap over the
end as shown in figure 3. Use the right size for the duct to be sealed.
Note: Some types of single ducts must be made thicker by wrapping the end
with electrical tape before pulling the end cap over the duct end.
When duct assemblies are installed in the ducting within a property, the pulling
power and the minimum bending radius have to be considered. Ducts
assemblies can be pulled inside PE-ducts or VP-ducts. Ducts can also be
secured against walls and beams with brackets or binders, on top or beneath
cable racks.
Ensure that:
• The bending radius complies with the specification for the cable or duct
assembly
• The start and finish of the run are at a comfortable working height
Flame resistant micro and multi ducts for use indoors are produced in various
versions for different applications, see table 2. Make sure to use the proper
type of duct required according to the application and local regulations in your
area.
• The multiducts shall be kept apart from other cable as far as possible
• Sharp bends in the cable run must be avoided. Observe the minimum
bend radius!
It is preferable to install in a riser from the top feeding the multiduct downward
into the connection cabinet. If the depth of the riser is more than 300 meters, a
loop must be made to relieve the load. The radius of the loop is to be greater
than the minimum allowed bending radius; this is done to support the fibers.
4.2.5 In Culverts
Duct assemblies can be drawn into culverts if allowance is made for the risk of
fire, gas leakage and explosion, abnormal temperatures and the presence of
material containing asbestos. The duct assembly should be placed either on a
rack or in a main duct, which is secured to a wall.
Ducts run in stairwells use channels which can only be open with special tools.
Horizontal channels in stairwells are secured to the wall high up near the
ceiling. Elevator shafts may be used but only on condition that the local
inspector responsible for the safety of the lift has been contacted and
approves the installation.
There are several types of channels which can be used to protect the
microduct or duct assembly. The type chosen should be selected to
harmonize with the premises and the environment. Some open channels are
fixed with clips and can be used for microducts (minimum bending radius 35
mm). This channel can be cut either with a knife or with scissors. The
installation should begin in a corner, to allow for the restricted bending radius.
If the channel is installed in an environment where there is a risk of damage
an additional larger channel can be installed around it to afford extra
protection.
A B C
Each specific case requires the best material. In certain premises the
installation may need more planning than in others to achieve a satisfactory
result. There is a variety of ducts, channels and fixing materials to choose
from and it is often necessary to contact the local supplier.
For fire safety, open ends of unused ducts in indoor environments shall be
sealed by using fire resistant electrical tape only.
An entry hole through the outer wall has to be made at the right place and in
the right way. If the hole is to be made below ground level it should be angled
in such a way that subsequent penetration by water is impeded, see Figure 5.
The entry hole should be so positioned so that the incoming cable can be
turned upward and anchored to a wall. The maximum allowed installation load
and the minimum bending radius of the cable have to be considered.
Where the duct is above ground level it has to be protected by a pipe, outer
duct or a connecting box.
The entry hole has to be sealed effectively to prevent water entering the
building. A simple way to seal the hole is to use cement or suitable filler.
Figure 7 Sealing the entry hole. Note that MTC is a brand name for a sealing
compound; there are alternatives on the market.
An approved fireproof sealant for cables, plastic ducting and ducts assemblies
should be used. Always follow the manufacturer's installation instructions.
4.4.1 Mounting
• Push the microduct connector firmly and make sure that the microduct
is fully inserted into the connector, see picture 1a and 1b. It is very
important that the duct is inserted into the connector until it stops and
cannot be pushed anymore.
• Hold the connector and pull the duct to ensure that the connector grips
the duct.
OK NOT OK
• Look trough the connector and ensure that the connector is in position
“open” so that the fiber can pass trough the connector.
• When the fiber is blown in, return to the connector and turn the nut on
the connector to seal around the blown fiber, see picture 2. The
connector nut should be turned until it cannot be turned anymore. Do
not use pliers.
Open
To close gas
sealing, turn nut
after fiber Close
installation
The duct connectors must be covered by wrapping with the fire protective
tape. Either each individual connector shall be wrapped as shown in picture 3,
or the complete section of a dismantled duct covering all duct connectors as
shown in figure 9.
Note: To facilitate repair or fault location, two layers of tape shall be used to
cover the duct joint. The first layer shall be wrapped with the sticky side
upwards and the second layer with the sticky side downwards. If the tape has
to be removed, it can easily be cut with scissors.
The blowing tool is fed with dry compressed air and equipped with a counter,
showing actual installation distance, as well as a safety clutch on the feeding
wheel to avoid fiber damage during installation.
• Handling of tool
• Blowing of fiber
Reference List
Ericsson Documents