Optical fibre manufacturers can quickly assess the geometry of any optical fibre with a new high-speed automated measuring system from Arden Photonics.
Designed for production and R&D environments, the FGC-G range delivers repeatable, operator-independent results in less than 10 seconds. The comprehensive measurement capability for end-face geometries includes core diameter, core non-circularity, cladding diameter, cladding non-circularity and core-to-cladding concentricity.
Two models are available. The FGC-GT is optimised for 125µm diameter fibres for applications in the development and manufacture of single and multimode telecom fibres. In addition, it can measure diameters up to 400µm, allowing specialty fibres to be measured.
Recently released, the FGC-GS can measure larger fibres up to 1mm in diameter, enabling a comprehensive range of specialty fibres, such as octagonal and dual-cladding types, to be evaluated. The ability to measure a wide range of fibre types and sizes with a single unit reduces both bench space and the necessary training, according to Arden.
The units have the latest software that makes it possible to measure fibres automatically, even multicore designs. The research friendly, flexible software offers a templates system that can be customised to allow the user to specify the type of fibre to be measured.
For cladding diameter and non-circularity measurements, the units operate in reflection mode. The use of clear end-face illumination provides precise, automatic focusing so that defects on the fibre circumference can be detected and eliminated from the fit, giving greater measurement accuracy. Transmission mode is used for core diameter and non-circularity measurements, with illumination provided by an array of nine LEDs, giving fully filled launch over a wide range of fibre types.
Both models are available now.