TIA

DOCUMENT
OFSTP-14
Optical Power Loss Measurements of
Installed Multimode Fiber Cable Plant
TIA-526-14-A
(Revision of EIA/TIA-526-14)

ANSI APPROVAL WITHDRAWN AUGUST 2003

AUGUST 1998

TELECOMMUNICATIONS INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION

The Telecommunications Industry Association

represents the communications sector of

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TINEIA-526-14A
OFSTP-14A
OPTICAL POWER LOSS MEASUREMENTS OF INSTALLED
MULTIMODE FIBERCABLE PLANT
Contents

Introduction...........................................................................................

Applicable Documents..........................................................................

Apparatus ............................................................................................. 2

Sampling And Specimens,

...................................................................

.4

Procedure ............................................................................................

.4

Calculations orInterpretationof Results ..............................................

.?

Documentation.....................................................................................

.8

Specification Information ......................................................................

Light Source Characteristics

................................................................

TABLES

Table 1.
FIGURES

Figure I. Reference Power MeasurementFor Method A....................................5

Figure 2.

Reference Power Measurement For Method

E3 ....................................

Figure 3.

Reference Power Measurement For Method

C ....................................

Figure 4.

Cable Plant MeasurementFor Methods A, B and C............................

ANNEX A

Annex A

Coupled Power Ratio Measurement

for Fiber Optic Sources..............I

Table A. 1 Light Source Categorization by CPR Value,

850 nrn wavelength........ 1
Table A.2 Light Source Categorization by CPR Value, 1300 nm wavelength ...... I
i

TINEIA-526-14A

ANNEX 6
Annex B

Recommendations on the Use of this Document.................................

Figure 3.1 Cable Plant Measured Valuesfor Methods A, B and C .......................

.I

APPENDIX
Appendix X Coupled Power Ratio Measurement for Fiber Optic Sources
...............I
Figure X.1 Loss Versus CPR for aModallySensitiveDevice ........................

TIAfEIA-526-14A

OFSTP-14A
OPTICAL POWER LOSS MEASUREMENTS OF INSTALLED
MULTIMODE FIBER CABLE PLANT

(From TIA Standards ProposalNo. 2981, formulated underthe cognizance of

TIA FO-2.2, Subcommittee on Local Area Networks.)
This OFSTP is part of the series of test procedures included within Recommended
Standard TlNEIA-526.
This OFSTP was originally published
in EIA/TlA-526-14 as OFSTP-14.
1.

INTRODUCTION

1.I

Intent

This document establishes preferred measurement principles and practices to assure

the optical loss performance of installed cable plant can
that meaningful data describing
be obtained. It is not intendedfor component testing, nor does it define those elements
of an installation that must be measured. Establishment
of requirements for installation,
maintenance, repair or conformance testing left
is to the specifier ofthis test method.

This procedure can be used to measure the optical loss between any two passivelyconnected points, including end terminations, of a multimode optical fiber cable plant.
The optical fiber cable plant, as the term is used here, may consist
of optical fiber
other passive components,
cables, connectors, mounting panels, jumper cables, and
butmaynotincludeactivecomponents.Anexample
of the cable plant could be a
portion of anLED-basedlocalareanetwork.Thiscouldinclude
optical switches or
couplers, but would exclude gain elements
in the connected path.

TINEIA-526-14A
1.3 Safety

All tests performed on optical fiber communication systems that use a laser or LED in a
test set shall be carried out with safety precautionsin accordance withANSI 2136.2.
2.

APPLICABLE DOCUMENTS

The following documents forma part of thisOFSTP to the extent specified herein:

ANSI 2136.2

American
National
Standard
for the safe use
of optical
fiber communication systems utilizing laser
diode and
LED sources

FOTP-77 (EIA/TlA-455-77)

Procedures to Qualify a Higher-Order Mode Filter for

Measurements on Single-Mode OpticalFiber5

FOTP-I 71 (EIA/TIA-455-171) Attenuation bySubstitution Measurement -- for ShortLength Multimode Graded-lndex and~ i n g l ~ - ~ ~ d e
Optical FiberCable Assemblies

Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling

Standard

TINEIA-568-A

3.

APPAWTUS

3.1

Light Sources

3.1.I
The light sources shall conform to the spectra) characteristics of the following
3.1-3, unless otherwise specifiedin
table and the modal launch conditions of Section
the Detail Specification or other referencing document:

Table 1. Light Source Characteristics

TINElA-526-14A
3.1.2
Thelightsourcesmaycontain internal lenses, pigtails and mode conditioners,
provided they meet the modal launch conditions
of 3.1.3.

3.1.3
Themodallaunchconditionsfrom
the lightsourceshall be characterized as
one of Categories I through 5 following the procedure in AnnexA. If not otherwise
specified in a referencing document, light sources from Category Ishall be used, and
noted in thetestreportperSection7.1.3.Category
I sourcesresult in thehighest
measured cable plantloss and the most conservative test value.
Note: Overfilled launch conditions may
result in attenuation values that exceed the
maximum calculatedloss. This is due to manufacturers specifying
attenuation with a controlledEMD launch.
3.1.4
This test method does not specify precision
or accuracy requirements for the
of the lightsourcedirectlycontributes
to
testequipment.However,thestability
measurementvariability.Useafightsourcethatissufficientlystable
to meetthe
desired measurement precision.
3.2

Optical Power Measurement

Equipment

Use equipment capable of measuring relative or absolute optical power (such as an

optical power meter) and thatis independent of the modal distribution. This test method
does not specify precision or accuracy requirements for this equipment; therefore, the
user is responsible for determining whether the equipment temperature stability and
is desired.
optical power linearityis consistent with the accuracy and precision that
NOTE: Non-linearity between
the measured and incident optical power will introduce
measurement error. Also, equipment with internal waveguides may exhibit
measurement variability with varying modal conditions.
3.3

Jumpers
Test

The test jumper fibers shall have core diameter and numerical aperture nominally equal
to those of the cable plant being measured. The jumpers shall be Ito 5 meters (3.3 to
16.4 ft) long,andshallcontainfibers
with coatingsthatremovecladdinglight.
Terminations shall be compatible with the
light source and cable plant.
3.4

Miscellaneous
Equipment

To interface test jumpers with the cable plant, appropriate adapters may be required.
as reagent grade isopropyl alcohol, cotton
Materials to clean the connections (such
swabs,andcleancompressedair)may
also be required.Equipmenttoinspect
connectors for damage may be helpful.

TINEIA-526-14A
4,

SAMPLING AND SPECIMENS

The specifier shall describe, with appropriate documentation, which elements are
to be
measured. See Annex B.
NOTE: Generally, the description will be one of the following cases: all cable
segments, or a set of segments configured into point-to-point runs (through
jumpers, patch panels, junction boxes, adapters,
etc.).
5.

PROCEDURE

Measure the optical loss of the cable plant according to one of the following methods
(For guidancein selecting a method, See Annex3):
Method A - Two jumper reference (see
5.2)
Method 6 - One jumper reference (see5.3)
Method C Three jumper reference (see
5.4)

5.1 Precautions

all connectionsandadaptersat

5.1.1
To achieve consistentresults,clean
optical test points prior to measurement.

5.1.2
Unlessotherwisespecified in theDetailSpecification,perform
procedures atthe wavelengths specified in3.1 .I.
5.1.3
Unless
otherwise
specified
in
measurements bi-directionally.

the following

the Detail
Specification,
perform

5.1.4
All optical powermeasurementsshallberecordedtoonesignificantdigit
the decimal place (e.9. -14.3 dBm, 10.1 mW).
5.1.5
Reestablish thereferenceasnecessary.Situationswhichmightindicatea
need to reestablish the
reference
include
opticat
power
changes,
temperature
fluctuations, a move to a different location, and jumperladapter replacement due
degradation.

5.2

the

the
in

to

METHOD A: Two Jumper

Reference

5.2.1
Connect test jumpers 1 and 2 between the light source and the optical power
meter,asshown in Figure 1. Recordtheopticalpower,
PI, whichis the reference
power measurement.

TINEIA-526-14A
TEST JUMPER 2

TEST JUMPER 1

n \ I

LIGHT

SOURCE

MEASUREMENT
EQUIPMENT

Figure I.Reference Power Measurement for MethodA

Separate the two jumpers at their point
of connection without disturbing their
attachment to the test equipment. Reattach test jumperIto one end of the cable plant
to be measured, and test jumper2 to the other end, as shown in Figure 2.
5.2.2

rl

TEST JUMPER 2

OPTICAL POWER

EQUIPMENT

Figure 2. Cable Plant Measurement for Methods A, 13 and C

Pa, which is the test power

Record
the
displayed
optical
power,
measurement.

5.2.3

5.3

METHOD B: One Jumper Reference

5.3.1
Connecttestjumper Ibetween the lightsourceand the optical power meter,
as shown in Figure 3. Record the displayed optical power, PI, which is the reference
power measurement.

MEASUREMENT

Figure 3. Reference Power Measurementfor Method B

5.3.2
Disconnecttestjumper 1 from the opticalpowermeterwithoutdisturbing
connection to the light source,and attach it to the cable plant input.
5.3.3
Attach test jumper 2 to theoutput(far)
power meter,as shown in Figure 2.
5.3.4
Record the displayed
optical
power,
measurement.

5.4

endof thecableplant,and

the
to the

P2, which is the 'test power

METHOD C: Three
Jumper
Reference

5.4.1
Connect test jumpers I,2, and 3 betweenthelightsourceand
the optical
power meter, as shown in Figure 4. Record
the displayed optical power, PI, which is
the reference power measurement.

TEST JUMPER 2

M E A ~ ~ E M ~ N T
EQUIPMENT

Figure 4. Reference Power Measurement for MethodC

5.4.2
Disconnectseparatetestjumper
3 withoutremoving the adapters from test
jumpers I and 2 at their point of connection. Ro not disturb the test jumpers at their
attachment to the test equipment.
5.4.3
Attach test jumper Ito the cable plant input and test jumper 2 to the output
(far) end of the cable plant as shown in Figure 2. Test jumper 3 is not used in the test
power measurement.

TINEIA-526-?4A
Pz, which is the test
power

5.4.4
Record
the
displayed
optical
power,
measurement.
6.

CALCULATIONS OR INTERPRETATION OF RESULTS

6.1

Calculation of results

Calculate the loss, L, for each measurement specified (at each wavelength,
direction, for each cable plant segment), as follows:

for each

for PI and P!; in thesam logatithmic units (e.g. dBm, dBp}

or
L = - IOlog10[ P2zIP.I J

dB
for PIand P2 inwatts.

6.2

Precision & Bias

No round-robintestinghasbeenconducted
to determine the level of
precision of this test. Precision can be improved by using test jumpers which meetthe
criteria for "reference" jumpers perEIAlflA-455-171.

6.2.I

6.2.2
Due to thelackofstandardreferencematerialsandreadings,
no definitive
statement can be made. The value determined by this test may differ from the loss
actually encountered in use due to the variability in components encountered
in the
field. See Annex B for a discussion of the effects of higher order mode content.
6.2.3
Theaccuracy of thistestmethoddependsuponproperselection
of the test
B for additional
methods containedhereinandotherfactors.RefertoAnnex
information,

TINEIA-526-14A
6.2.4
The use of light
sources
with
significantly
differing center
wavelengths
allowed in Section 3.1 ,Imay yield variations in the measured loss of the same span.
change
in measured
fiber
attenuation
at
different
source
This is due to the
wavelengths.
7.

DOCUMENTATION

7.1

Forallapplications,report

7.1.1

Testprocedure(OFSTP-I4A),andmethodused(A,

7.1.2

Loss measurementresults,withlocation,path,andwavelengthidentification.

7.1.3

Opticalsourcespectralwidthandcategory.

7.1.4

Date of test.

the followinginformation:
B or C).

7.2
For U. S. Militaryapplications,briefdescriptions
of the followinginformation
shall be reported for each test. For all other applications, the descriptions need not be
reported but shall be available upon request:
7.2.1

Test personnel.

7.2.2

Date of latestequipmentcalibration.

7.2.3

Description of equipmentused;manufacturerand

8.

SPECIFICATION
INFORMATION

model number.

Thefollowinginformationshallbespecified
in the documentthatinvokes
method. Refer to Annexes A & B for guidance.

this test

8.1 Test Procedure Number (OFSTP-14A)and the Method to be used {A, B or C).

8.2 Description ofthe elements of the cable plant to be measured.

8.3 Test wavelength(s) and spectral width(s),

if other than per 3.1 .I,
Table I.
8.4 Source Category per3.1.3 (if other than CategoryI)
8.5 Direction in which measurements are
to be made, if not bi-directional.

Apparatus

TINEIA-526-14A
ANNEX A
COUPLED POINER RAT10 MEASUREMENT FOR FIBEROPTIC SOURCES
(Mandatory Information)

A. 1

Intent

This Annex prescribes the procedure for determining the launch category
of a light
source by measuring its Coupled Power Ratio (CPR), as defined in A3. Annex A gives
background and applications information for the procedure.
A.2

of Section 3.1.

A.2.1

The
light
source

A.2.2

Powermetermeeting

the requirementsofSection3.2.

A.2.3
Twotestjumpers
I to 5 mlong with coatingsthatstripcladdinglight,
having connectors compatible with
the light source and power meter.
A.2.3.1
Testjumper 1 shallcontainmultimode
fiber of thesamenominalcore
diameterandnumericalapertureasthe
fiber ofthecableplant
to betested.
Connectors may be single-mode grade with ferrule diameters fitted to the fiber outside
diameter.
A.2.3.2
Test jumper 2 shall contain Class 1Va single-mode fiber for tests on
1300 nm light sources and from which is single-moded at 850 nm for tests on 850 nm
light sources. Suggested specifications are: MFD = 9.0 rt 1 pm for 1300 nm tests and
MFD = 5.0 k 0.5 pm for 850 nm tests.
A.2.3.3
Theconnectors on testjumpers1and
2 shallhave losses = 0.5 dB (@
850 nrnand1300nm),asmeasuredby
FOTP 171,Method D2 for multimodeand
Method D3 for singlemode. Connectors which inhibit fresnel reflections (e.g. Physical
Contact [PC] finish connectors) are preferable.
A.3

Procedure

Measure
the
power
coupled
from
the lightsourceunder
test into test
A.3.1
jumper in suchaway as to minimize
jumper 1, themultimodejumper.Deploythe
changes in deployment which could affect the modal power distribution and avoidbend
radii less than 50 mm. Leaving the multimodejumper stili connected to the light source,
connect the single-mode test jumper 2 to the output of the multimode jumper and
measure the power out of the single-mode jumper. The single-mode cable shall be
deployed with a high ordermode filter per FOTP-77. Typically a 30 mm diameter loop
is sufficient for these purposes.

In caseswheremechanicalinstabilitycausesvariations
0.5 dB betweensuccessive
power readings, reconnect the test jumpers to the light source 5 times and repeat both
readings 5 times, then average the results.
A.3.2
Calculate CPR asthedifference in dB (roundtothenearest
between the power levels out of test jumpers Iand 2.

0.1 dB)

A.3.3
Locate the value of CPR in theTable A.l orTable A.2as appropriate,
selecting the line for the fiber size under consideration.

CPR values in dB

Table A.l Light Source Categorization 4y CPR Value

850 nrn wavelength

CPR values in dB
Fiber Size

Category 1

Category 2

Category 3

Category 4

12-15.9
17-20.9
22-25.9

8-11.9
12-16.9
15-21.9

4-7.9
7-11.9
8-14.9

Ovefllled
50/125

62.5/125

, 100/140

16-20
21-25
26-30

Table A.2 Light Source Categorization by CPR Value

1300 nm wavelength

Category 5
1
Very Underfilled
0-3.9

0-6.9
0-7.9

TINEIA-526-14A
ANNEX B
RECO MENDATIONS ON THE USE OF THIS DOCUMENT
(Mandatory Information)

The term cable plant is used in OFSTP-14A in the broadest sense; there are other terms
for similar testingwithin the intended scopeof this document. This annex describes howto
invoke this document for a specific purpose.
6.1

Guidance for Specifjing Information.

Thefollowingparagraphsrefer
to the subclausenumbersinclause
document, SPECIFYING INFORMATION.
B,l .I

8 of the main

Test method to be used (8.1)

Either Method A, E3, or C must be specified in the document that invokes this test method.
The choice between methods is primarily a matter of how the optical
loss in the equipment
to
attachment jumpersor in the cable plant segment connection jumpers must be handled
adequatety represent the loss as it will be experienced by the transmission equipment.
Whichever method is chosen, it should be used consistently throughout an installation.
The differences among the three methods is in how the reference reading is taken, and
this affects how the results should be interpreted. FigureB.1 depicts the measured values
for thethree methods.

Figure B.l Cable Plant Measured Values for MethodsA, B and C

TINEIA-526-14A

loss in the measurementof the cable plant in

The Method A result includes one connection
addition to all losses contained within the cable plant. Method A is the
traditional insertion
loss measurement, and isconsistentwithFOTP-171Method
B, whichmeasuresfiber
attenuation plus one connection
loss in a jumper cable.
Method 6 result includes two connection losses in addition to all losses contained within
thecableplant.Method
B isappropriatewhenmeasuringcablesegments
with patch
panels on both ends. Method B is the applicable method for testing a multimode cable
plant adhering to ANSI/TIA/ElA-56&A, Commerciai Building Telecommunications Cabling
Standard.
TheMethod C resultincludesonlythelossescontainedwithin
the cable plant.This
method is useful when measuring cable segments not utilizing patch panels,
jumpers or
adapters. Method C is also appropriate when testing through
the system jumpers.
When individually tested cable segments are linked together to form a path between two
locations, it is desirable to calculate the end-to-end loss at the new link by summing the
individual loss valuesof the cable segments. Dependingon the test method utilized for the
individual cable segments (Method A, By or 6)and how the segments were joined (with
patch panels and jumpersor directly interconnected without jumpers),the sum of the loss
values may under or overestimate
the actual loss. Forspanswithoverestimatedloss,
subtract the tvpical insertion loss for the installed connector type (usually0.2 or 0.3 d6) for
links
overestimated.
For spans
with
each
connector
pair
that the sum of the
underestimated loss, add themaximum(guaranteed)insertion
loss for the installed
0.5 dB) far eachconnectorpairthat
the sum of the links
connectortype(usually
underestimated. Recall that Method A includes one connection pair losswith the losses in
the cable plant, Method B includes two and MethodC does not include any.
If the corrected summed losses are close to the maximum link loss forthe electronics, an
end to end test should be completed for the
new link.
13.1.2

Elements of thecableplantto

be measured (8.2)

The elements of the cable plant to be measured usually depend on whenthe cable plant is
tested.Theinitialinstallationofstructuredwiringsystems
is oftenperformedwithout
knowledge of the specifics of the optical transmission equipment, network configuration,or
even the wavelength that will ultimately be used. For new construction,usually each cable
segment is individually tested. This test could be invoked by language such as Measure
all cable plant segments perEIA/TlA-52644, Method X, Source CategoryY.
After the plant is installed, system integratorsmay configure a point-to-pointlink consisting
of multiple cable segments while installing the system electronics.
The integrator may test
through the cable segments, patch panels, jumpers and connectorsto determine the loss
that the electronics will see.Appropriatetestscouldbeinvoked
by language such as
Measure the followingspecifiedcableroutesbyEIA/TIA-526-14,
Method X, Source
Category Y, together with documentation describing those routes.

TIAIEIA-526-14A
B.I.3

Light
source
characteristics

(8.3)

If no light source characteristics are specified, the values

of 3.1.1 , Table 1 apply. Any
information specified overrides these values. Changes are discouraged in the interest of
standardization. This provision is not intended
to accommodate non-conforming test sets.
Some situations may justify different light source specifications:
6.1.3.1
If the
nominal
wavelength
of the
transmission
equipment
is known,
multiwavelength testing can be eliminatedby specifying measurement at the transmission
equipment wavelength, evenif it is identicalto one of the default values.
B.1.3.2
If the
transmission
equipment
is
known
to have
a
significantly
different
nominal center wavelength or spectral width, or a different type of optical source than the
default conditions (such as an edge-emitting LED), an appropriately modified light source
could be specified.
B.1.3.3
If testingisintended to simulateextremeconditions, the sourcespecifications
need to be carefully considered. Multiple sources with characteristics at different extremes
may be required.
6.1.4

Measurement
directions

(8.5)

Bi-directionaltestingisadefaultrequirementofthisdocument
as it is the most
conservative.Depending on thesizeandcomplexityofthecableplantand
if OTDR
testing is required,
the
specifier
may
delete
the
requirement
for
bi-directional
measurements. The ANSI/TIA/EIA-568A,
Commercial
Building
Telecommunications
Cabling Standard specifies aone direction test.

B.2

Accuracy
Considerations

The total cable plant loss measured by this test method may differ from that predicted by
the sum of the individual component losses. It is typical of multimode optical components
that some modes are more highly attenuated
than others. The launched modal power and
spectraldistributions of theemitterinteractwiththemodalandspectralattenuation
characteristics of the cable plant andthe modal coupling and spectral detection efficiencies
of the receiver to producetheactual loss. Variabilitycaused by these factors may be
of the system
reduced, but not eliminated,bytestingthecableplantwithasample
transmitter, since there is variation
of launchedmodalpowerandspectraldistributions
within and among device types, and variation
of modal coupling and spectral detection
efficiencies within and among receiver types. However, the error is seldom large enough
to justify the cost and complexity of the specifications and design engineering required to
reduce it. Therefore, this documentdefaults to opticalsourcecharacteristicsthatare
expected to slightly overestimate actual loss, but allows modification if more appropriate
measurement conditions are known the
to specifier.

TINEIA-526-14A
Of greatest importance is the proper application of the methods, which was addressed in
E
l
. Otherreasonableprecautionshavebeenaddressed
by the procedure, such as
cleaning connections prior to test. Component consistency, fiber geometry variations, and
equipment stability also play important roles, but are beyond
the scope of this documentto
control.
Transient loss, which is caused by preferential loss of light in the higher order modes, has
been considered in these procedures, because the system itself is subject to a transient
loss. Thedefault light sourcehasbeendefined
to make the injected opticalpower
distribution as representative of typical system equipment
aspossible.However,errors
may still exist when predicting the
loss of concatenated cable segments from a summation
of the measured values due to multiple inclusionthe
of transient.

TINEIA-526-14.A
APPENDIX X
ATiO MEASUREMENT FORFIBER OPTIC SOURCES
COUPLED POWER R
(Nonmandatory Information)

x.I

Introduction

This Appendix gives background information on the test described

in Annex A. The
reasons for quantifying the launch characteristics are given,
along with notes on
applying the results.
x.2

Background

x.2.1
It haslongbeenknownthatthemodaldistributionlaunchedinto
multimode fiber can vary widely when different light sources
are used. Those differing
launches, combined with the Differential Mode Attenuation (DMA) inherent
in most
multimode components can commonly cause
on the order of 1 dB ofdiscrepancy when
of the same cable plant.
different light sources are used to measure the attenuation
This can occur even when using
two similar light sources (bothSLEDS). Larger
discrepancies occur when comparing
a SLED to an ELED or laser.
x.2.2
Someknowledge of launchedmodaldistribution
will improve the ability to:

is desirable,because it

avoiddiscrepancies in attenuationbetweentestequipmentwhose
modal distribution differs from that
of the system transmitter,

relateamanufacturer'scomponent loss specification to whattheuser

measures with his light source,

manufacture
more
consistent
light
sources.

X.2.3
It ispossibletocharacterizethemodaldistributionlaunchedbya
light
source by measuring its near field and calculating
the Modal Power Distribution(MPD).
This test istoo difficult for manufacturing or field use.
It is not yet standardized and the
so as to allow direct comparison
of two light sources.
results are not easily quantified

The test describedin Annex A is a simplified versionof the MPD test and is easy to
apply*
X.2.4
Forabasicunderstandingofwhy
the test in AnnexAworks,consider
an
overfilled graded index fiber. The near field will
be parabolic in shape and a certain
percentage of the power will be in the lowest order modesnear the center of the core.
In an underfilled fiber, the near field is steeperthan parabolic and a higher percentage
of the total poweris in the same low order modes.
1

TINEIA-526-14-A
The power out of the multimode fiber in the CPR test represents all modes launched
into it by the light source. The single-mode fiber captures only
the lowest order modes.
The difference in coupled power between the multimode and single-mode fibers (the
CPR) provides a simplified measure of the launched MPD. In the case of an underfill,
the single-mode fiber captures a greater percentage of the light exiting the multimode
fiber.Theresultisasmallernumerical
CPR valuefor
the overfillcase.The
measurement is easily made and
gives quantitative, repeatable results.
x.3

Confirmation

X.3.1
Figure X.1 shows the results of an
industry
Round
Robin
in
which
6
participants measured the attenuation of a modally sensitive 3 dB splitter made with
62.5 pm fiberusingmanydifferentlightsources.Theattenuationvalueswerethen
correlated to the CPR of the light sources. Each data point represents a different light
source.

The light sources consisted of a variety of SLEDS, some with internal pigtails or mode
filters, as well as optical bench overfill sources. The LEDs are representative of LEDs
used in attenuation test sets and optical data transmitters.
FigureX.1showsagoodcorrelationbetweentheCPR
of lightsourcesandthe
attenuationtheymeasure,Thesamebehaviorhasbeenobservedconsistently
for
other fiber components and concatenations with significant DMA.

x.4

Categories
Of

Light Sources

The continuum of CPR values in Figure X.1 have been quantified into the categories
given in Annex A. The upper CPR bound for Category I approximates the CPR of a
fully and uniformly filled fiber. Generally, CPR values higherthan category Iindicates a
special source, offset launch, source misalignment, or a source defect.
x.5

Applications

X.5.1
TheCPRtestcan
be used to checkthealignmentandlaunchconsistency
of light sources. It can also be used to select a test light source which has similar
launch characteristicsto the eventual system transmitter, thereby ensuring
that the test
attenuation results on the cable plant agree with the attenuation that will be seen bythe
system transmitter.

X.5.2
A significantdifference in CPR,suchasbetweenaCategory1and
a
Category2 light source,results in asystematicdifference in measuredattenuation
when using thosetwo light sources. The size of this difference dependson the DMA of
the cable plant measured aswell the CPR difference. For a low loss or low DMA cable
plant, this differencewill be masked by measurement repeatability errors.
Figure X.1 is an example of how attenuation varies with CPR for a particular device
which is sensitiveto modal content.

TINEIA-526-14A

4.5

3.5
4 t

II

- '

0.5

II

o j
0

IO

20

30

cPR(d6)
Figure X.1 Loss Versus CPR for a Modally Sensitive Device

40