Fiber Optic Cleaning Guidelines

Fiber Optic transmitters and receivers are extremely susceptible to contamination by particles of dirt or dust, which can obstruct the optic path and cause performance degradation. Good system performance requires clean optics and connector ferrules.

1.Use fiber patch cords (or connectors, if you terminate your own fiber) only from a reputable supplier; low-quality components can cause many hard-to-diagnose problems in an installation.

2.Dust caps are installed at Black Box to ensure factory-clean optical devices. These protective caps should not be removed until the moment of connecting the fiber cable to the device. Should it be necessary to disconnect the fiber device, reinstall the protective dust caps.

3.Store spare caps in a dust-free environment such as a sealed plastic bag or box so that when reinstalled they do not introduce any contamination to the optics.

4.If it is suspected that the optics have been contaminated, alternate between blasting with clean, dry, compressed air and flushing with methanol to remove particles of dirt.

Electrostatic Discharge Precautions

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) can cause damage to any product, add-in modules or stand alone units, containing electronic components. Always observe the following precautions when installing or handling these kinds of products

1.Do not remove unit from its protective packaging until ready to install.

2.Wear an ESD wrist grounding strap before handling any module or component. If the wrist strap is not available, maintain grounded contact with the system unit throughout any procedure requiring ESD protection.

3.Hold the units by the edges; do not touch the electronic components or gold connectors.

4.After removal, always place the boards on a grounded, static-free surface, ESD pad or in a proper ESD bag. Do not slide the modules or stand alone units over any surface.

WARNING! Integrated circuits and fiber optic components are extremely susceptible to electrostatic discharge damage. Do not handle these components directly unless you are a qualified service technician and use tools and techniques that conform to accepted industry practices.