Abstract: A method of controlling an optical fiber splicing machine utilizes a power control mode to control the amount of power delivered to fuse the fibers. In the power control mode, the attenuation is measured while the fusing process is occurring. A rate of attenuation loss is predicted from the measured attenuation values by using an estimator. If the rate of attenuation loss indicates that a threshold insertion loss will be crossed before the next attenuation measurement, the splicing machine is stopped prior to the next attenuation measurement. If the desired attenuation is not achieved, an energy control mode is utilized which controls the amount of energy delivered to fuse the fibers. After delivering this energy, the method measures the attenuation. If not within desired values, the energy mode is repeated. At each iteration the splicing control function utilized by the energy control mode may be reprogrammed. A PID control formula may be used to determine the arc current for each iteration.

Abstract: A method of controlling an optical fiber splicing machine utilizes a power control mode to control the amount of power delivered to fuse the fibers. In the power control mode, the attenuation is measured while the fusing process is occurring. The power control mode shuts down the splicer when the measured insertion loss is less than or equal to the target insertion loss value plus a margin value. The margin value accounts for the transient attenuation difference value indicative of the changing attenuation as the splice cools. If the desired attenuation is not achieved, an energy control mode is utilized which controls the amount of energy delivered to fuse the fibers. After delivering this energy, the method measures the attenuation. If not within desired values, the energy mode is repeated. At each iteration the splicing control function utilized by the energy control mode may be reprogrammed. With these techniques, optical fibers may be spliced having a controlled attenuation to within +/−0.

Abstract: A method of controlling an optical fiber splicing machine utilizes an optimized power control mode to control the amount of power delivered to fuse the fibers. The attenuation is measured while the fusing process is occurring and a final jump value is calculated. The final jump value is indicative of the transient attenuation difference that occurs as the splice cools. The optimized power control mode shuts down the splicer when the measured insertion loss is less than or equal to the difference between the estimated final jump value and the desired attenuation. The final jump value may also be recalculated as further data are gathered during the splicing process. If the desired attenuation is not achieved, an optimized energy control mode is utilized which determines optimal energy settings and controls the amount of energy delivered to fuse the fibers. After delivering this energy, the method measures the attenuation. If not within desired values, the optimized energy mode is repeated.

Abstract: The invention was originally developed to determine the strain-relief capability of a fusion splice protector as well as the compressive stress imparted to a fusion splice by the splice protector. The invention also permits performance and comparative analyses of splice protectors as well as any package in which the optical fiber is at least partially disposed. To those ends a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is axially arranged relative to the package such that a free or reference section of the FBG protrudes from the package while a shielded section lies within the package. Broadband light is supplied to the FBG which reflects certain wavelengths that are measured by an optical spectrum analyzer. The FBG reflected spectra will be split into two peaks as the reference and shielded sections experience different amounts or types of stress thereby providing a powerful analysis tool.

Abstract: The invention was originally developed to determine the strain-relief capability of a fusion splice protector as well as the compressive stress imparted to a fusion splice by the splice protector. The invention also permits performance and comparative analyses of splice protectors as well as any package in which the optical fiber is at least partially disposed. To those ends a fiber Bragg grating (FBG) is axially arranged relative to the package such that a free or reference section of the FBG protrudes from the package while a shielded section lies within the package. Broadband light is supplied to the FBG which reflects certain wavelengths that are measured by an optical spectrum analyzer. The FBG reflected spectra will be split into two peaks as the reference and shielded sections experience different amounts or types of stress thereby providing a powerful analysis tool.

Abstract: A hybrid surface mount component inspection system which includes both vision and infrared inspection techniques to determine the presence of surface mount components on a printed wiring board, and the quality of solder joints of surface mount components on printed wiring boards by using data level sensor fusion to combine data from two infrared sensors to obtain emissivity independent thermal signatures of solder joints, and using feature level sensor fusion with active perception to assemble and process inspection information from any number of sensors to determine characteristic feature sets of different defect classes to classify solder defects.