EXFO launches fastest fibre inspection scope for optical connectors

Technologies and Products

Test, monitoring and analytics vendor EXFO Inc. has introduced a new fibre inspection scope designed to vastly improve multi-fibre connector testing in data centres and other telecoms networks.

The ability to quickly and easily inspect connectors has never been more important as operators transition to 5G mobility and 400/800 Gbps networking. Research has shown that the #1 cause of network failures is contaminated connectors, and 80% of network operators reported having connector issues. With multi-fibre connectors, a single connector failure can cause major outages. Multi-fibre links typically used to carry high-speed traffic are particularly sensitive to bad connectors.

“Our goal in designing the FIP-500 was to solve pain points in increasingly high-speed networks. Connectors are the weakest point, especially in dense and high-speed traffic scenarios, where a dirty connector can lead to serious network problems. Yet, fast multi-fibre push on (MPO) connector testing has never been effective,” said Stephane Chabot, EXFO’s vice president of test and measurement (pictured). “Without the right tools, it can be understandably tempting to skip the inspection step, and then ‘plug and pray.’ Technicians need fast, accurate and convenient fibre endface testing for the many hundreds of thousands of multi-fibre connectors embedded in networks worldwide.”

Exfo says the FIP-500 is the fastest solution on the market, with a high level of automation and best-in-class optical design delivering reliable and repeatable results every time. While built with MPO testing in mind, the FIP-500 supports both single and multi-fibre connector testing.

For more information, visit www.exfo.com