Procedures To Be Followed In Fibre Optic Cable Installation

By Deanne Shepard


Fibre optic cable consists of bundles of extremely pure glass threads that is used to transmit data modulated onto beam of light waves. The cable can be easily damaged if it is improperly handled or installed. Special care is therefore required during fibre optic cable installation to ensure reliable operation.

The process of installing the wires in different types of environments adhere to certain procedures that one must adopt to ensure not only better handling, efficient operation and placement, but also proper maintenance in future. These guidelines should be carefully followed to the letter. Make sure to get the right advise on which one to have in case you are in the city of Vancouver, BC.

The first thing you need to do is conduct a thorough site survey prior to optic fibre placement. This tries to find out if prevailing conditions on the site require some attention. Probable risks such as high level of temperatures or difficulty in handling machinery should be noted and necessary plans undertaken. Moreover, regulations relating to constructions should be considered. In case of queries regarding the same, they should be addressed by the highest authority.

Before any process is done, a complete design of process must be undertaken. This entails various activities some of which include defining criteria for deployment and basing on the communication paths required, deciding on the hardware requirements and fibre lengths. A full list of all the requirements should also be prepared in advance.

Devise a fibre optic pulling technique. This should communicate the considerations identified while conducting site study by the deployment team. This includes the logistics of cable let-off/pulling equipment, the location of intermediate access points, splice locations and the specific responsibilities of each member of the deployment team.

Right guidelines should be adhered to. Due to sensitivity of it to moisture, its end needs to be covered always in either end cap or heavy tape. Attending to its indentations must be a norm during a pull since extra or difficult pulls, back feeding or center-pull techniques may be used.

The wires minimum bend radius should not be topped. When doing the placement, it is of essence not to bend to a radius that is beyond its original radius value. Immediately after its installation, and removal of the pulling tension, it cannot be bent to a radius other than the original radius that was defined. The cable is allowed to undergo alterations provided there is no desecration of the lowest bend radius limitations.

During any phase of deployment, the wires highest recommended load should never be topped. Since each one exhibits a defined strength rating, once installation is completed, the remaining tension should never exceed this value.

It is always a common exercise to ensure you leave an extra cable at both the start and end of the optic wire run. In addition to this, an extra cable should be placed at strategic points to ensure smooth and reliable operation.

Finally, doing documentation of your procedural steps in an ordered and simplified manner is encouraged. It helps give assurance of properly deployment and in case of any elevation and future troubleshooting, there will always be a point of reference.




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