Visual Optical Fibre Inspection
Visual optical fibre inspection equipment is used to examine fibre optic connector end faces for dirt, scratches or damage as well as checking for continuity and locating breaks.
Visual optical fibre inspection equipment lets installers examine a fibre connector end face before it goes into service, checking for dirt, scratches or damage that would cause a poor link. It is standard practice before mating any fibre connector.
What to look for
Inspection probes cover the full range of fibre in use on site, including OM1, OM3 and OM4 multimode and OS2 singlemode fibre. A video inspection probe such as the Trend Networks FiberMASTER shows the connector end face on a screen, making it easier to spot contamination than a handheld scope.
Inspection is one step in a fibre testing workflow. Pair it with OTDR testing to locate breaks along the fibre run, or move on to full Tier 1 fibre certification once the link is installed. Browse the wider range of fibre testers for other test equipment.
Visual Optical Fibre Inspection FAQs
What is a video inspection probe used for?
A video inspection probe such as the Trend Networks FiberMASTER lets you view a fibre connector end face on screen, checking for dirt, scratches or damage before the connector is mated. This avoids introducing a fault into an otherwise good fibre link.
Do these probes work with singlemode and multimode fibre?
Yes. This range covers OM1, OM3 and OM4 multimode fibre as well as OS2 singlemode fibre, so the same inspection probe can be used across mixed fibre installations on one site.
What should I check after inspection?
Once a connector end face has been inspected and cleaned, use OTDR testing to check the fibre run itself, or carry out full Tier 1 fibre certification once the link is complete.