Abstract: Examples disclosed herein illustrate systems and methods to determine and evaluate the quality of mechanical splices of optical fibers using insertion loss estimation. In at least some of the disclosed systems and methods, an optical fiber termination system may include a reference fiber coupling a light source and a stub fiber of a fiber optic connector, a digital camera sensor and lens to capture images of scattered light emanating from a portion of the fiber optic connector and a portion of the reference fiber both in a field of view (FOV) of the digital camera sensor, and a processor. The processor may analyze digital images of scatter light emitted from at least a portion of the fiber optic connector and the reference fiber to estimate insertion loss at the fiber optic connector.

Abstract: A test apparatus has at least one optical source, a high-speed photodetector, a microcontroller or processor, and electrical circuitry to power and drive the optical source, high-speed photodetector, and microcontroller or processor. The apparatus measures the frequency response and optical path length of a multimode optical fiber under test, utilizes a reference VCSEL spatial spectral launch condition and modal-chromatic dispersion interaction data to estimate the channels total modal-chromatic bandwidth of the fiber under test, and computes and presents the estimated maximum data rate the fiber under test can support.

Abstract: Examples disclosed herein illustrate systems and methods to determine and evaluate the quality of mechanical splices of optical fibers using insertion loss estimation. In at least some of the disclosed systems and methods, an optical fiber termination system may include a reference fiber coupling a light source and a stub fiber of a fiber optic connector, a digital camera sensor and lens to capture images of scattered light emanating from a portion of the fiber optic connector and a portion of the reference fiber both in a field of view (FOV) of the digital camera sensor, and a processor. The processor may analyze digital images of scatter light emitted from at least a portion of the fiber optic connector and the reference fiber to estimate insertion loss at the fiber optic connector.

Abstract: Examples disclosed herein illustrate systems and methods to determine and evaluate the quality of mechanical splices of optical fibers using insertion loss estimation. In at least some of the disclosed systems and methods, an optical fiber termination system may include a reference fiber coupling a light source and a stub fiber of a fiber optic connector, a digital camera sensor and lens to capture images of scattered light emanating from a portion of the fiber optic connector and a portion of the reference fiber both in a field of view (FOV) of the digital camera sensor, and a processor. The processor may analyze digital images of scatter light emitted from at least a portion of the fiber optic connector and the reference fiber to estimate insertion loss at the fiber optic connector.

Abstract: Methods for estimating the Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB) of laser optimized Multimode Fiber (MMF) at a specified wavelength, ?S, based on the measured EMB at a first reference measurement wavelength, ?M. In these methods the Differential Mode Delay (DMD) of a MMF is measured and the Effective Modal Bandwidth (EMB) is computed at a first measurement wavelength. By extracting signal features such as centroids, peak power, pulse widths, and skews, as described in this disclosure, the EMB can be estimated at a second specified wavelength with different degrees of accuracy. The first method estimates the EMB at the second specified wavelength based on measurements at the reference wavelength. The second method predicts if the EMB at the second specified wavelength is equal or greater than a specified bandwidth limit.

Abstract: Examples disclosed herein illustrate systems and methods to determine and evaluate the quality of mechanical splices of optical fibers using insertion loss estimation. In at least some of the disclosed systems and methods, an optical fiber termination system may include a reference fiber coupling a light source and a stub fiber of a fiber optic connector, a digital camera sensor and lens to capture images of scattered light emanating from a portion of the fiber optic connector and a portion of the reference fiber both in a field of view (FOV) of the digital camera sensor, and a processor. The processor may analyze digital images of scatter light emitted from at least a portion of the fiber optic connector and the reference fiber to estimate insertion loss at the fiber optic connector.