JPH06123677A - Measuring method of connection loss of optical connecter - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To provide a connection loss-measuring method wherein the measuring of the connection loss is easily and efficiently performed and it is not necessary to break the connecter after measuring. CONSTITUTION:An optical fiber 2 to be optically connected to a light source 1 is inserted into a fiber inserting hole 4 of a master connecter 3 and an optical fiber 6 to be optically connected to a power meter 5 is inserted into a fiber inserting hole 8 of an optical connecter 7 to be measured. Mating faces 9, 10 of the respective connecter 3, 7 confront each other via matching film 11 so that the optical fibers 2, 6 respectively inserted into the connecter 3, 7 are optically connected with each other. In this optically connecting condition, an optical power from the light source 1 can be measured by means of the power meter 5 and in the condition wherein the optical connecter 7 to be measured is not connected to the master connecter 3, the other optical power is measured. From the difference between the optical powers, a connection loss of the optical connecter 7 to be measured is measured.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for measuring a connection loss of an optical connector used for connecting optical fibers or switching connections.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art There are various types of optical connectors,
One of them is an optical multi-core connector (4
I have 20. This connector 20 has four fiber insertion holes 22 formed on its facing surface (mating surface) 21, and positioning holes 23 for connecting to other connectors are formed on both left and right sides thereof. And this connector 20
Is made to face a connector having the same shape as that of the connector, and guide pins 24 are inserted into the positioning holes 23 of both connectors to connect both connectors, and the four fibers exposed on the mating surface 21 are butted against each other. Optical connection is made.

Conventionally, the connection loss when the optical connector shown in FIG. 2 is connected to an optical transmission line is measured as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. That is, in measurement, as shown in FIG. 3, the master connector 31 is attached to one end of the optical fiber cord 32, and the connector 33 attached to the other end of the optical fiber cord 32 is connected to the LED light source 34. It connects with the connector 36 connected to the wire 35. The master connector 31 is connected to the power meter 3
7, the optical power value P ₀ output from the LED light source 34 and input to the optical power meter 37 at that time is measured by the optical power meter 37.

Next, the master connector 31 shown in FIG. 3 is removed from the power meter 37, and the connector for measurement 42 connected to one end of another optical fiber cord 41 as shown in FIG.
Is connected to the master connector 31, and the connector 43 connected to the other end of the optical fiber cord 41 is connected to the power meter 37. At that time, the optical power output from the LED light source 34 and input to the optical power meter 37. The value P ₁ is measured by the optical power meter 37. The difference between the optical power value P ₁ and the previously measured optical power value P ₀ is defined as the connection loss when the connector 42 to be measured is connected.

[0005]

The above measuring method has the following problems. Since the optical fiber of the optical fiber cord 41 is adhered and fixed to the connector to be measured 42 with an adhesive, the connector 42 must be destroyed in order to remove the optical fiber from the connector to be measured 42 after the measurement of the connection loss. ), The connector used for inspection cannot be used and is wasted. Strictly speaking, the characteristics of each connector are different, so it is desirable to measure the connection loss of all connectors (100% inspection), but since the connectors used for inspection cannot be shipped because they are destroyed, conventionally only sampling inspection is possible. could not. To fix the fiber to the connector 42 to be measured, an adhesive is applied, the adhesive is heated and cured, and the mating surface 21 (FIG. 2) of the connector 42 to be measured where the fiber is exposed is polished. Therefore, the work is troublesome, and the cost is high, which is uneconomical.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for measuring a connection loss of a connector, which can easily and efficiently measure a connection loss of an optical connector and which does not require the connector to be destroyed after the measurement.

[0007]

As shown in FIG. 1, an optical fiber 2 optically coupled to a light source 1 is connected to a fiber insertion hole 4 of a master connector 3 according to a method of measuring a connection loss of an optical connector of the present invention.
Optical fiber 6 which is inserted into the optical fiber and is optically coupled to the power meter 5.
Into the fiber insertion hole 8 of the optical connector for measurement 7,
The optical fibers 3 and 6 inserted in the respective connectors 3 and 7 are optically coupled by abutting the mating surfaces 9 and 10 of both connectors 3 and 7 via a matching film 11, and the power meter is in the optically coupled state. 5, the optical power from the light source 1 measured by the power meter 5 and the optical power from the light source 1 measured by the power meter 5 in a state where the master connector 3 is not connected to the optical connector for measurement 7 The connection loss of No. 7 is measured.

[0008]

In the optical connector connection loss measuring method of the present invention,
The optical fiber 2 that is optically coupled to the light source 1 also includes the power meter 5
The optical fiber 6 optically coupled with the master connector 3,
The optical fibers 2 and 6 can be removed without destroying the master connector 3 and the measured optical connector 7 after the measurement, because they are only inserted into the measured optical connector 7 and are not bonded with an adhesive. That is, the destructive inspection can be performed.

Moreover, the mating surfaces 9, 10 of both connectors 3, 7 are butted against each other through the matching film 11 having a large area, and the optical fibers 3, 6 inserted in both connectors 3, 7 are optically coupled. Therefore, the optical axes of both optical fibers 3 and 6 can be easily and reliably aligned, and the connection loss of the connector can be easily measured.

[0010]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the method for measuring the connection loss of an optical connector according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. Reference numeral 3 in FIG. 1 is a master connector, and 7 is an optical connector for measurement, both of which are the same. When the master connector 3 is shipped as a product, the connection loss is measured as the optical connector 7 to be measured, but in FIG. 3, the connection loss is not measured for convenience of description.

The master connector 3 and the optical connector 7 to be measured are polished separately so that the mating surfaces 9 and 10 are smooth, and the opposing fiber insertion holes 4 of both connectors 3 and 7 are polished. With the matching film 11 interposed between the guide pins 24 and the connector 3,
The connector 3 is inserted into the positioning hole 23 of the connector 7, and the connectors 3 and 7 are connected and positioned.

In that state, as shown in FIG. 1, each connector 3,
7 is set in the measuring holder 50 (FIG. 1), and in that state, the connector 51 to be measured is moved in the optical axis direction by the spring 51 so that no gap is created between the matching film 11 and the connectors 3 and 7. Apply a load. A load is also applied to the connector 7 by a spring 52 in the direction orthogonal to the optical axis direction.

As the matching film 11, for example, a material having the same refractive index as that of the optical fibers 2 and 6 is suitable, and a polymer thin film, for example, a polycarbonate thin film having a thickness of about 10 μm is suitable.

Next, the LED light source 1 and the optical power meter 5
The fiber handling holes 53 and 54 of the single-core fibers 2 and 6 respectively connected to the respective fibers 2 and 6 are picked up, and the master connector 3 and the fiber insertion holes 4 and 8 of the measured connector 7 are picked up. The optical fibers 2 and 6 are pushed into the matching film 11 until they abut against the matching film 11, and the fibers 2 and 6 are butted with an appropriate load to measure the optical output level of the optical power meter 5.

The single-core fibers 2 and 6 are pulled out from the respective fiber insertion holes 4 and 8 of the master connector 3 and the connector 7 to be measured and inserted into the other fiber insertion holes 4 and 8 so that all the fiber insertion holes 4 and 8 and the above-mentioned operation is performed for all the fiber insertion holes 4 and 8 to measure the connection loss of all the fiber insertion holes 22.

Also, the connection loss is usually measured when the connector 7 to be measured is on the front side and when the connector 7 is on the reverse side. Therefore, it is desirable to form a window or a recess for distinguishing between the front and back sides of the connector 7 to be measured so that the front and back sides can be easily discriminated.

The above-described series of loss measuring operations can be automated by attaching an automatic machine. Further, when the connectors 3 and 7 are plastic molded products, not only the loss measurement work can be automated, but also molding, finishing, end face polishing, and loss measurement can be fully automated in succession.

In FIG. 1, the fibers 2 and 6 on the light source 1 side and the optical power meter 5 side are both single-core fibers, but it is possible to use a multi-core tape fiber for either or both of the fibers 2 and 6. By doing so, it is not necessary to insert and remove the single core fibers 2 and 6 into and from the respective fiber insertion holes 4 and 8 of the master connector 3 and the connector 7 to be measured. Moreover, the mechanism of the actuator for inserting and removing can be simplified, and the connection loss of the connector can be measured efficiently.

[0019]

The optical connector connection loss measuring method of the present invention has the following effects. The mating surfaces 9, 1 of the opposing connectors 3, 7
Since the matching film 11 is interposed between the 0s, the fibers 2 and 6 of the opposing connectors 3 and 7 are optically coupled via the matching film 11. Therefore, the connection loss of the connector can be measured without fixing the fibers 2 and 6 to the fiber insertion holes 4 and 8 with an adhesive agent, and the nondestructive inspection can be performed. Since non-destructive inspection is possible, it is possible to perform 100% inspection of the connector, and it is possible to guarantee high quality of the connector. Since the matching film 11 is interposed between the opposing mating surfaces 9 and 10, the insertion depth of the fibers 2 and 6 inserted into the fiber insertion holes 4 and 8 of the connectors 3 and 7 can be made constant, The optical coupling between the two fibers 2 and 6 is ensured, and the measurement of the connection loss is stable. Since it is unnecessary to fix the fibers 2 and 6 to the fiber insertion holes 4 and 8 and to polish the mating surfaces 9 and 10, it is easy to measure the loss. It is possible to automate loss measurement and also fully automate the process of connector molding → finishing → end face polishing → loss measurement.
It is possible to measure more efficiently.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a connection loss measuring method for an optical connector according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of a connector in a method for measuring a connection loss of an optical connector of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an explanatory view of a conventional connection loss measuring method for an optical connector.

FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram of a conventional connection loss measuring method for an optical connector.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 is a light source 2 is an optical fiber 3 is a master connector 4, 8 is a fiber insertion hole 5 is a power meter 6 is an optical fiber 7 is an optical connector for measurement 9, 10 is a mating surface 11 is a matching film

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. An optical fiber 2 optically coupled with a light source 1 is inserted into a fiber insertion hole 4 of a master connector 3, and an optical fiber 6 optically coupled with a power meter 5 is inserted into a fiber insertion hole 8 of a measured optical connector 7. Insert into both connectors 3, 7
The optical fibers 2 and 6 inserted in the respective connectors 3 and 7 are optically coupled by abutting the mating surfaces 9 and 10 of the optical fiber through the matching film 11, and the optical fibers 2 and 6 are measured by the power meter 5 in the optically coupled state. Optical connector 7 to be measured from the difference between the optical power from the light source 1 and the optical power from the light source 1 measured by the power meter 5 without connecting the optical connector 7 to be measured to the master connector 3.
A connection loss measuring method for an optical connector, wherein the connection loss is measured.