Abstract

The Bell System standard lightwave transmission system (designated FT3) employs ribbon-based cables containing relatively large numbers of fibers. Each ribbon contains 12 fibers and is factory terminated at both ends in silicon chip array connectors.¹ An automated optical loss measurement set has been developed for final factory testing of these cables which employs a non-destructive insertion loss measurement technique. The test can measure a 144-fiber cable in one hour to an accuracy of ±0.4 dB (2σ), and has been used successfully to measure cables shipped to several Bell System fiber optic installations. In comparison, manual 2-pt measurement techniques are unsuitable since they are destructive and require about 24 hours for a 144 fiber cable.