Why inspect? Fiber connectors are a potential source of failure because the glass is exposed and can be subject to dirt or abrasion. In many cases, problems with connectors have proven to be the biggest source of failure in fiber optic networks. Contacts that are dirty can both transfer dirt and cause other contacts to wear when connected. In order to assess the quality of the fiber connections, it is therefore absolutely necessary to inspect.
A microscope is used to inspect a fiber connector, there are different types of analog, digital and “smart” microscopes. The advantage of a “smart” microscope is that it checks the contact in relation to predefined criteria or standards and, based on the criteria, verifies whether the contact is in accordance with the requirements.
