The Telecommunications Industry Association has created a new standard designed to establish uniform requirements for measuring the chromatic dispersion of optical fiber.

The standard is: fiber optic test procedure (FOTP)-175, IEC-60793-1-42 - Optical Fibers - Part 1-42: Measurement Methods and Test Procedures - Chromatic Dispersion, TIA-455-175-B.

The document was created by TIA FO-4.6 Subcommittee on Optical Fibers. It is a revision of TIA/EIA-455-175-A.

FOTP-175 establishes the requirements for measuring the chromatic dispersion of optical fiber, thereby assisting in the inspection of fibers and cables for commercial purposes.

The document describes four methods for measuring chromatic dispersion. These include:

* Method A - Phase shift,
* Method B - Spectral group delay in the time domain,
* Method C - Differential phase shift,
* Method D - Interferometry.

The methods are suitable for fiber or cable lengths greater than 1 kilometer. They may also be applied to shorter lengths, but accuracy and repeatability may be compromised. Method D is the preferred method for shorter piece fibers (1 meter to 10 meters).

The TIA is based in Arlington, VA. For more information visit www.tiaonline.org.