Abstract: An optical fiber network may be provided in a building or set of buildings that can be used with any type of services, regardless of whether those services are provided as electrical signals or as optical signals. To accomplish this, a service aggregation gateway may be provided that receives electrical and/or optical service signals and converts the incoming electrical signals to optical signals. Also, a way for conventional electronic devices in the building to communicate with the optical fiber network is provided. In addition, units for allowing such communication between electronic devices and the optical network may be modularized such that they are interchangeable. In addition, keyed optical fiber ferrule/connector pairs are described.

Abstract: An optical fiber network may be provided in a building or set of buildings that can be used with any type of services, regardless of whether those services are provided as electrical signals or as optical signals. To accomplish this, a service aggregation gateway may be provided that receives electrical and/or optical service signals and converts the incoming electrical signals to optical signals. Also, a way for conventional electronic devices in the building to communicate with the optical fiber network is provided. In addition, units for allowing such communication between electronic devices and the optical network may be modularized such that they are interchangeable. In addition, keyed optical fiber ferrule/connector pairs are described.

Abstract: An optical fiber network may be provided in a building or set of buildings that can be used with any type of services, regardless of whether those services are provided as electrical signals or as optical signals. To accomplish this, a service aggregation gateway may be provided that receives electrical and/or optical service signals and converts the incoming electrical signals to optical signals. Also, a way for conventional electronic devices in the building to communicate with the optical fiber network is provided. In addition, units for allowing such communication between electronic devices and the optical network may be modularized such that they are interchangeable. In addition, keyed optical fiber ferrule/connector pairs are described.

Abstract: A method and system for installing fiber optic cable in a building is provided. The fiber optic cable includes a pre-installed ferrule configured to connect to an outlet frame at a destination location. Each fiber optic cable may further be stored in a fiber dispensing reel. A conduit may be installed between a source and destination location and used to direct a cable and attached ferrule to the destination location. A fiber blowing device may use pressurized air to convey the ferrule and cable through the conduit. The conduit may be attached to an optical distribution frame configured to store and organize the fiber optic cables and/or reels. A conduit may extend into and/or through the frame using a grommeted opening in the walls of the frame. The source end of a fiber optic cable may be attached to a service connection through a connection panel of the frame.

Abstract: An optical fiber network may be provided in a building or set of buildings that can be used with any type of services, regardless of whether those services are provided as electrical signals or as optical signals. To accomplish this, a service aggregation gateway may be provided that receives electrical and/or optical service signals and converts the incoming electrical signals to optical signals. Also, a way for conventional electronic devices in the building to communicate with the optical fiber network is provided. In addition, units for allowing such communication between electronic devices and the optical network may be modularized such that they are interchangeable. In addition, keyed optical fiber ferrule/connector pairs are described.

Abstract: A system and apparatus for storing and organization optical fibers and fiber dispensing reels are provided. The storage system may include a housing having multiple mandrels configured to receive one or more fiber dispensing reels. The mandrels may further be configured to allow stacking of multiple dispensing reels on a single mandrel. The storage system may further include one or more sets of openings located in one or more sidewalls of the housing. The openings may allow a conduit to be connected to the storage system to facilitate installation. Further, each opening may include a grommet to secure the conduits using friction. A top cover of the housing may be removable to allow easier access to the interior of the storage system. A front panel of the housing may include connectors and/or adaptors for attaching service connections.

Abstract: A system for the bidirectional application of a dispersion compensating module in a regional system includes a dispersion compensating module configured to receive a first optical signal traveling along a first path and a second optical signal traveling along a second path, wherein the dispersion compensating module provides dispersion compensation to the first optical signal and the second optical signal. The system also includes a first circulator in optical communication with the dispersion compensating module and the first path, wherein the first circulator delivers the first optical signal to the dispersion compensating module. The system further includes a second circulator in optical communication with the dispersion compensating module and the second path, wherein the second circulator delivers the second optical signal to the dispersion compensating module.

Abstract: A technique is provided for automatic optimization of a splice loss estimator of a fiber splicer (1), where the splice loss estimator is adapted, in a splice loss estimation procedure, to estimate the splice losses (Lti) of splices (i) of optical fibers as produced by the fiber splicer from images taken of the optical fibers at the splicing thereof, and the splice loss estimation procedure includes the use of splice loss estimation parameters (Pj). The estimator estimates splice losses based on information (Cij) obtained from the images and the estimation parameters. Further, the splice losses are measured by means of a measurement instrument (3). The estimated (Lti) and measured (LMi) splice losses, and the information obtained from the images are uploaded (71) into an off-line computer (5) and the key estimation parameters are automatically optimized by the selection of any solution within the Bellcore accuracy criteria (75), whereafter the optimized estimation parameters are downloaded (81) to the splicer.

Abstract: A technique is provided for automatic optimization of a splice loss estimator of a fiber splicer (1), where the splice loss estimator is adapted, in a splice loss estimation procedure, to estimate the splice losses (Lti) of splices (i) of optical fibers as produced by the fiber splicer from images taken of the optical fibers at the splicing thereof, and the splice loss estimation procedure includes the use of splice loss estimation parameters (Pj). The estimator estimates splice losses based on information (Cij) obtained from the images and the estimation parameters. Further, the splice losses are measured by means of a measurement instrument (3). The estimated (Lti) and measured (LMi) splice losses, and the information obtained from the images are uploaded (71) into an off-line computer (5) and the key estimation parameters are automatically optimized by the selection of any solution within the Bellcore accuracy criteria (75), whereafter the optimized estimation parameters are downloaded (81) to the splicer.

Abstract: A compact fiber rotator has a guiding and support device (2) which comprises suction channels (17) formed in the angle of two blocks (3, 5), and a rotation device (32) which is attachable to the guide device (2) and comprises a house (33), a rotating toothed wheel part (37), a platform (31) attached thereto and an electric step motor (43). The fiber (1) is secured on the platform (31) by means of a standard fiber retainer (61) which is retained at the platform (31) by means of magnets (29), the rotating part (37) being located between the support (2) and the retainer (61). The suction channels (17) of the support device can be provided with a suitably low negative pressure, so that the fiber which is to be rotated and welded can be retained satisfactorily but still may be rotated against smooth surfaces of the angle of the blocks (3, 5).

Abstract: In joining an optical fiber containing twin cores to a corresponding optical fiber of standard type having a single core and having the same outer diameter, so that a core in the twin-core fiber is aligned with the core in the standard fiber, a conventional automatic splicing machine for optical fibers is used. The twin-core fiber is placed with its cores for instance located in a vertical plane. Then the fibers are spliced in a conventional manner with an alignment of the outer surfaces of the fiber ends and during the splicing procedure or from the finished splice the lateral offset of for instance the upper core of the twin-core fiber and the single core is determined. This can be carried out by capturing an image of the fiber splice in a heated state, when the splice is performed by fusion-welding. The determined offset value then gives the offset, which is to exist between the outer surfaces of the fiber ends for providing the correct alignment of the fiber cores.

Abstract: When splicing optical fibers of different kinds to each other by means of arc welding, a matching of the mode field diameters of the fibers is desired. This is accomplished by prolonging (period 55) the heating after making the splice (period 53). During the prolonged heating the hot-fiber indices of the two fiber ends are continuously determined. Either one of these indices or some suitable quantity derived therefrom is all the time compared to a threshold value and when it is reached the heating is stopped. The threshold value has been determined in a preceding stage using test fiber pieces of the same kind in a splicing operation with prolonged heating. Then, in such a threshold level determining stage in addition to the hot-fiber indices, the transmission of light is constantly measured during the heating and when it has its maximum value the corresponding hot-fiber indices are stored and used for deriving the threshold value. This method of matching mode field diameters is simple and takes a short time.

Abstract: For determining an optimal fusion current to be used in welding the ends of two optical fibers to each other the intensity of light emitted from the fibers is measured when heating the fibers by means of currents between welding electrodes. These currents are selected to be significantly lower than the range, in which the optimal fusion current can be expected to be located. From the relation of the measured light intensity values and the different set currents a functional relationship is obtained, which is used for extrapolating to find the current which produces a higher light intensity value, which is the desired one during the actual welding. This is based on the assumption that the light intensity emitted from the fibers is dependent on the current used when heating the fibers in the electric arc between the welding electrodes.

Abstract: Optical fiber attenuators are produced by splicing two fiber ends by melt-fusioning. The fiber ends are initially placed with a large lateral offset and the heating of the spliced portion is continued during a long time period to completely align the fiber ends, in particular the cores (3) and claddings (2) thereof, and to make material of the fibers cores (3) diffuse (23) into the neighbouring regions of the fiber claddings. By properly choosing the extended time for prolonged heating attenuators can be produced with a good repeatability. The prolonged heating period is significantly shortened by the use of a large initial offset.

Abstract: In determining the angular rotational position of axial asymmetries of bodies like optical PM-fibers such a body or fiber is illuminated during rotations thereof to different angular positions around its longitudinal axis. For different angular positions the difference is then determined between light, which has passed through the fiber end and in its position corresponds to the central part of the fiber, and light, which has passed through the fiber end and in its position corresponds to the region of the fiber located immediately outside the central part. These differences, considered as a function of the rotation angle, constitute a curve that is analyzed for finding the regions thereof having the steepest descent or increase, such as a valley region. Only these regions are then used for determining the position of the optical asymmetries. Thus the fiber can be rotated during only this interval determining the curve more accurately by using more densely spaced measurement points within the interval.

Abstract: For measuring and controlling the temperature of a splice portion between two optical fiber (1, 1') ends, during the splicing process when the material of the ends is heated to be fusioned, the time-dependency of the surface tension effect for viscous liquids is utilized. Then the fiber (1, 1') ends are placed for splicing with a relatively large lateral offset in the retainers (39) of a fiber splicer and are spliced by the heat of an electric arc generated between the welding electrodes (43). The heating of the fiber ends is continued, whereby the offset of the fiber ends will gradually decrease due to the surface tension. The offset is then measured at different times during the continued heating and from these determined values and the times when they were measured the temperature of the heated fiber end portions is determined. This temperature value may then be compared to a predetermined set value for control of the heating of the splice region.

Abstract: A compact fiber rotator has a guiding and support Device (2) which comprises suction channels (17) formed in the angle of two blocks (3, 5), and a rotation device (32) which is attachable to the guide device (2) and comprises a house (33), a rotating toothed wheel part (37), a platform (31) attached thereto and an electric step motor (43). The fiber (1) is secured on the platform (31) by means of a standard fiber retainer (61) which is retained at the platform (31) by means of magnets (29), the rotating part (37) being located between the support (2) and the retainer (61). The suction channels (17) of the support device can be provided with a suitably low negative pressure, so that the fiber which is to be rotated and welded can be retained satisfactorily but still may be rotated against smooth surfaces of the angle of the blocks (3, 5).

Abstract: In the determination of the angular rotational position of an axial asymmetry, such as of optically inhomogeneous regions, in an optically transparent body, e.g. stress concentration zones of optical PM-fibers, where the body is located in arbitrary angular start positions, the body is illuminated during rotations thereof to different angular positions around its longitudinal axis. For different angular positions the difference is then determined between light, which has passed through the fiber end and in its position corresponds to the central part of the fiber, and light, which has passed through the fiber end and in its position corresponds to the region of the fiber located immediately outside the central part. These differences, considered as a function of the rotation angle, constitute a curve having a shape typical of the considered body.

Abstract: In splicing two optical fibers in the common way, the end surfaces of the fibers are placed opposite each other and then the fiber ends are melt-fusioned using an electric arc generated between two electrodes. In order to obtain a predetermined lateral displacement of the outer surfaces of the fibers, the fiber ends are placed in positions with a displacement exceeding the desired displacement before the fusion melting. During fusion welding, an electric current of a large intensity is passed between the electrodes, and the first-set lateral displacement will decrease due to surface tension. After the fusion melting, the electric arc is continued at a reduced intensity which also produces a lower temperature in the region at the splice of the fiber ends. At this stage, the outer surfaces of the fiber ends are observed, which then become more and more aligned with each other (that is, the lateral displacement decreases) due to the surface tension.

Abstract: In the determination of the angular offset between axial asymmetries, in particular between optically inhomogeneous regions in optically transparent bodies, such as stress concentration zones of optical PM-fibers or fiber cores of optical twin core fibers, located in arbitrary angular start positions, the ends of the fibers are illuminated during rotations thereof to different angular positions around their longitudinal axes. For different angular positions the difference is then determined between light, which has passed through the fiber end and in its position corresponds to the central part of the fiber, and light, which has passed through the fiber end and in its position corresponds to the region of the fiber located immediately outside the central part. These differences, considered as functions of the rotation angle, constitute curves for the fiber ends.