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Course Description

Certified Fiber Optic Technician – is the FOA certification for general fiber optics applications. CFOTs have appropriate knowledge, skills and abilities in fiber optics that can be applied to almost any job – design, installation, operation – for almost any application – outside plant, premises, manufacturing, etc.

Course Objectives

To explain and/or demonstrate the following:

• Types of Fiber and Cables
• Fiber and Cable construction best practices
• Information Transmission
• Light Propagation through Fiber
• Singlemode and multimode applications
• Types of patchcords and connectors
• Numerical Aperture
• Attenuation
• Bandwidth
• Joining Fibers with Connectors & Splices
• Cleaving and proper fiber handling and preparation
• Fiber Microscopic Inspection
• Types of Connectors and Splices
• Fiber Optic Test Equipment
• Types of applications for fiber optics

Terminal Objectives

Students DEMONSTRATE their ability to:

• Prepare Fiber Optic Cables for termination
• Troubleshoot (Test) & Document Fiber Optic Systems
• Terminate Connectors, Fusion and Mechanical Splices within Industry specifications during practical Labs
• Complete and pass the Certified Fiber Optic Technician Examination (CFOT)

The Student will have the ability to go back to the job and do this work.

Subjects Covered

• History Of Fiber Optics, Fiber Optics And Industry Fiber Optics And The Electrical/ Instrumentation, Telecom, Military and Hydro Utility Industry
• Basic System Introduction, Information Transmission -Fm, Am, Pulse Coded Modulation (Pcm)analog And Digital Signals
• Digital System Basics
• Information Carrying Capacity, Bandwidth, Bps, Baud Rate -Pcm And Time, Frequency & Wavelength Division Multiplexing
• The Decibel, Optical Power Loss, Loss Budget
• Advantages Of Fiber Optics, Wide Bandwidth, The Laser Source -Transmission Rates, System Speeds
• Dispersion Shifted Single Mode Fiber, Loss Of Information, -Repeater Spacing, Fiber Security (Tempest), Nuclear Hardness, Weight And Size Comparisons
• Wavelength , Frequency & Electromagnetic Spectrum, Light Particle Waves, Led, Laser Light Sources, Colours Of Light
• Light Rays, Reflection, Refraction, Prism, Fresnel Reflections -Index Of Refraction, Common Indices, Angles Of Light Transmission
• Optical Fiber Parts, Characteristics Of Light Propagation -Fiber Sizing Core And Cladding Diameters North America & Europe
• Fiber Classifications, Modes, Overfilled, Under Filled Fibers, Modal Dispersion -Refractive Index Profiles, Step And Graded Index Fiber, Single Mode Fiber
• Spectral Width, Light Scattering, Optical Energy Absorption -Heat Generation, Micro Bends
• Fiber Tensile Strength, Bend Radius, Fiber & Laser Safety -Cable Packaging, Parts Of The Cable, Strength Members
• Simplex, Duplex Cables, Multifiber Cables -Plastic Optical Fibers (Pof), Undercarpet Cables -Outdoor Cables, Ribbon Cables, Installation Methods for ADSS and OPGW Cables
• Cable Lengths, Cable Specifications, Tolerances, -Colour Coding, Installation And Static Loading, Hybrid Cables
• Connectors, Splices, Manual Methods, Loss Requirements -Intrinsic & Extrinsic Losses, Scribing, Crimping -Lapping Fiber, Fusion Splicing, Fiber InspectionThe Optical Time Domain Reflectrometer, Immediate System Restoration -System Costing
• Plastic Optical Fiber for Data and Lighting Applications – Side and End Lighting
• Optical Sensors For Speed, Level, Flow, Displacement, Pressure, Liquid Type, Temperature, Counting, Position, Etc. Typical Industrial Applications
• Optical fiber for industrial controls
• Maintenance and Restoration of Fiber Optic Systems

Lab Practice

Lab 1. Cable Prep- Stripping Cladding, Armour & Buffer Materials, Safe Cable Handling.

Lab 2. Installing connectors: pigtails, SOC or field installable connectors to industry specifications.

Lab 3. Proper fiber handling, cleaning and cleaving

Lab 4. Use of fusion splicer and splicing fiber optic cables.

Lab 5. Microscopic (Hand and Videoscope) Fiber Inspection and test methods.

Lab 6. Using VFL to locate problems

Lab 7. Measuring Loss (Loss Analyses) With A Light Source and Power Meter (OLTS).

Lab 8. Using OTDR to identify cable length and identify connectors/splices, macro bends and reflective issues