Fiber Endface Inspection Tool Operates With 1 Button Press
FOCIS Flex3, AFL’s latest fiber-endface-inspection system, allows technicians to conduct inspection and analysis without slowing down the job. “A single button press autofocuses, captures, and centers the endface image, applies pass/fail criteria, and logs results,” the company says. “No guesswork and no manual steps required,” AFL adds.
The 3.5-inch, 320x480-resolution touchscreen makes contamination easily visible.
The inspection scope pairs with AFL’s FlexScan OTDR or with a smart device, to combine inspection and OTDR test data into a single report. FOCIS Flex3 is a fully contained, untethered tool that analyzes endfaces based on IEC, IPC, AT&T, and user-defined criteria. It stores 10,000 images, and can transfer data through Bluetooth or micro-USB.
“Interchangeable adapter tips cover the full spectrum including single-fiber and multifiber patch cords and bulkhead-mounted connectors with PC and APC polished endfaces,” AFL points out, adding, “One tool handles the job, whatever form it takes.”
The company says typical applications for FOCIS Flex3 include connector inspection on patch cords and in bulkhead adapters during optical network installation, troubleshooting, and maintenance.
When FOCIS Flex3 was introduced along with AFL’s FlowScout Quad OLTS, the company’s director of product and marketing Arun Jain commented, “Our goal is to remove complexity from fiber inspection and testing. With smartphone-like usability and operations, both products simplify how technicians inspect and test fiber networks in the field. By eliminating manual steps and enabling pass/fail validation, they help teams complete jobs faster while ensuring that the standards required for today’s high-performance networks are met.”