Optical Fiber Connectors: An Interlaboratory Comparison of Measurements of Endface Geometry

Published

April 1, 1998

Author(s)

Timothy J. Drapela

Abstract

An interlaboratory measurement comparison, dealing with geometrical parameters of convex spherically polished optical fiber connector ferrule endfaces, was coordinated by NIST. Most measurements were optical, using interferometric microscopes; a few were mechanical, using stylus profilometers. For radius of curvature, there were small systematic offsets between some participants' data, but these were not much greater than random uncertainties. When protrusion/undercut was defined as the distance between the fiber endface and the apex of a sphere fitted to the ferrule endface, there were only slight systematic offsets between participants' data, smaller than typical random uncertainties. When protrusion/undercut was defined as the distance between data of participants using interferometers from three different manufacturers. Even if these data sets are adjusted to correct for the systematic effects the measurement spread is larger for the second definition than for the first. For apex offset, systematic offsets were much smaller than random uncertainties. Stylus measurements caused readily observable physical effects on the specimen endfaces.

Citation

Technical Note (NIST TN) - 1503

Report Number

1503

Issue

4

NIST Pub Series

Technical Note (NIST TN)

Pub Type

NIST Pubs

Keywords

apex offset, ferrule endface geometry, fiber connector ferrule, interferometric microscope, optical fiber, PC connector, protrusion/undercut, radius of curvature, stylus profilometer

Citation

Drapela, T. (1998), Optical Fiber Connectors: An Interlaboratory Comparison of Measurements of Endface Geometry, Technical Note (NIST TN), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD (Accessed May 18, 2024)