Fibre optic cable tester

[BIGEYE]

We have a long comms line between an outstation and our server. The comms
line is fibre optic.
Comms has been lost, how can I test the fibre optic cable. Is there a tester
available from RS components?
TIA

 

[Ian]

Blue Helix in the UK sell a visible light source for quickly testing the
continuity of a fibre

 

[Jimmie]

Haven't done this for a while, but at the time I was issued with very
epensive test kit with a little microscope to look at the cleaved ends and
an instertion loss tester transmitter/receiver pair. But that was only
because the customers had to be given test sheets listing the test result
for every link.

However, I never found one that was marginal - it either worked or it
didn't. That may have been because the longest link was only a few hundred
metres. Shining a torch down one end would probably have done just as
well.

I would suggest that, if you are worried, pick an end and chop it off and
reterminate. If that doesn't work, repeat with the other end. If that
doesn't work - the mice/rats have eaten the cable.

Would have had equipment down for a couple of days waiting for optical fiber
test eqipment to arrive. Test with with trusty pen light showed we had a bad
run of cable. Replaced it and had the equipment up and running before the
test equipment could be shipped in.