What Is Visual Fault Locator And

How To Use It
The Visual Fault Locator (VFL) is an essential tool for every
Fiber Optic Tool Kit, it is like the continuity tester. The VFL
is not one of the least expensive tools in your tool kit. It
will allow you to quickly identify breaks or macrobends in
the optical fiber, and identify a poor fusion splice in
multimode or single mode optical fiber.
The big difference between the VFL and the continuity
tester is the light source and optical output power of the
light source. The VFL typically uses a red (635-650nm)
laser light source. The optical output power of the laser is
typically 1mW or less. Because of the high optical output
power, you should never view the output of the VFL
directly.
The Visual Fault Locator is available in different shapes
and sizes. Some may look like a pen, others may be built
into an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR), and
some may look like a small test equipment box. There are
two types of VFLs: contact and non-contact. With a contact
VFL, the optical fiber under test will make contact with the
VFL. However, with a non-contact VFL the optical fiber

under test will not touch the VFL.

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3105
Unlike the continuity
tester, the VFL is not limited to testing multimode optical
fibers 2km or less in length. The VFL can be used to verify
continuity of multimode or single-mode optical fiber longer
than 2km. Due to attenuation of the 635650nm laser light
source by the optical fiber, macrobends may not be
detectable beyond 1km in multimode optical fiber and 500
meters in single-mode optical fiber. The same holds true
for finding breaks in the optical fiber through the jacket of
the fiber-optic cable.

How to use Visual Fault Locator

As with the continuity tester, the first thing you will need
to do is clean the connector endface and inspect it with a
microscope. If the endface finish is acceptable, the VFL
can be connected to a Fiber Connector should not be
viewed directly during this testing.
The VFL fills the core of the optical fiber with light from the
laser. The light from the laser escapes the optical fiber at a

break or macrobend. The light escaping from the optical

fiber will typically illuminate the buffer surrounding the
optical fiber. Macrobends are not always visible through
the jacket but are typically visible through the buffer.
Breaks may be visible through the jacket of the fiber optic
cable depending on jacket color, thickness, number of
optical fibers in the cable, and amount of strength
member.
The VFL and the OTDR work hand in hand with each other
when it comes to locating breaks in an optical fiber. The
OTDR can provide the operator with the distance the
break. The VFL allows the operator to see the break in the
optical fiber.
Fiber optic cables are not the only place where the optical
fiber may break. The optical fiber may break inside the
connector or connector ferrule. Unless the optical fiber is
broken at the endface of the connector, it is not visible
with a microscope.
Usually, students connect cables that look great when
viewed with the microscope but fail continuity testing.
When this happens, the hardest part is determining which
connector contains the break in the optical fiber. Without a

VFL in the classroom, students would have to cut the cable

in half and use the continuity tester to identify the bad
connection.
The VFL will often identify the bad termination or
connector.

Looking at the photograph, you can see VFL

illuminating the break in the optical fiber. The output of

the VFL is so powerful that it penetrates the ceramic
ferrule.
The visual fault locator can be used to test the continuity
of an optical fiber in the same manner. The first step when
using the continuity tester is to clean and visually inspect
the endface of the connector before inserting it into the
continuity tester. After the connector has been cleaned
and inspected, you need to verify that the continuity
tester is operating properly. Turn the continuity tester on
and verify that it is emitting light.
The visual fault locator also can be used to locate a
macrobend in an optical fiber. However, macrobends do
not allow nearly as much light to penetrate the buffer and
jacket as does as break in the optical fiber. Locating a
macrobend with the VFL may require darkening the room.
Macrobends and high loss fusion splices appear the same

on an OTDR trace. The VFL allows the identification of a

high-loss fusion splice.
This entry was posted in Visual Fault Locator and tagged
fiber connector, Fiber Optic Tool Kit, OTDR, Visual Fault
Locator on August 16, 2013 by fiber_solutions.
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