The simplest visual test of a fiber optic cable network is the fiber optic continuity tester or the fiber optic continuity checker. You need to test your fiber optic devices to make sure that they function without a glitch. This means that a fiber optic cable needs to be continuous either within the fiber cable itself, or in the fiber connectors, if they exist. This is done through injecting some visual light into one fiber end and checking the light coming out from the other end of the fiber.

A fiber optic continuity tester and a laser visual fault locator are the two types of fiber optic continuity tester available. These two have their own distinct differences, but the most significant difference is their light source. A fiber optic continuity tester uses a red or green LED light, while a laser visual fault locator uses red semiconductor laser.

The plus of using a laser visual fault locator is its powerful laser light which can give more information than the LED light of the fiber optic continuity tester. when connected with the fiber link, the laser light can uncover the problems with connectors, breaks in the fiber near connectors, and some bend radius violations.

On the other hand, the LED light can only confirm that light can travel through the fiber link. If the light is not detectable at the other end, then the fiber is unusable and requires additional testing and repair. There is no other information that can be obtained using this test. However, a fiber optic continuity tester has a lot of applications.

One of its applications is testing fiber on a reel before pulling it to ensure it hasn’t been damaged during shipment. You can discover visible signs of damage such as cracked or broken heels through the test. Another application is checking fiber patch cables at patch panels. To be sure that every connection is the right two fibers, make use of the fiber optic continuity tester. The third application is making sure that proper fibers are connected to the transmitter and receiver.

A fiber optic continuity tester comes with different features that support fiber mode compatibility, fiber connectors, and fiber distance. Several fiber continuity testers only support multimode fiber while others support both single mode and multimode fibers. Equally, majority of the fiber continuity testers have adapters available for testing 2.5mm connectors such as ST, SC, and FC, and 1.25mm connectors like LC, MU and special types. Finally, most fiber continuity testers have enough LED light power to support 2km on multimode fibers.

Thus, make use of a fiber optic continuity tester when you need to test your fiber optic cables. It’s the safest and easiest test to find fiber optic cable runs, as opposed to the laser visual fault locator. When the fiber optic cable link doesn’t have problems, its transceiver module or gigabit converter will also function efficiently.