We all know that fiber optic patch cords are widely used equipment connection accessories in the field of optical communications. It can connect a variety of network equipment and devices with fiber interfaces, such as optical modules, adapter panels, distribution boxes, wavelength division multiplexers and solutions. Multiplexers, fiber optic transceivers, etc. Next, ETU-LINK will introduce the maintenance guide for fiber patch cords.

Clean the fiber patch cords in time

The contamination of the connector of the fiber patch cords is an important cause of network failure. The fiber end face of the connector is contaminated by dust, which will result in poor optical signal transmission quality. Generally, the main location for cleaning the optical fiber is at the connector ports at both ends. There are two main cleaning methods, one is dry cleaning, and the other is wet cleaning. Commonly used dry cleaning tools include cassette-type fiber optic cleaning boxes and one-touch cleaning pens, and wet cleaning tools include dust-free wipes and cleaning sticks.

Store fiber jumpers correctly

No matter whether the optical fiber patch cords is in use or not, do not bend or stretch it excessively. Some damages caused by bending are visible to the naked eye, however, the loss in some cases may not be easily judged, such as micro-deformation of optical fiber caused by ultra-low temperature, millimeter-level displacement caused by defects in buffers or jackets, poor installation, or other factor. Since such damage cannot be found directly, it is often overlooked and may cause bigger problems in the long run. To avoid further losses, we should pay attention to the following points:

（1）Do not bend the fiber patch cords beyond its minimum bending radius, especially in the narrow space of high-density fiber wiring.

（2）Use appropriate tools to redesign the fiber patch cords path to protect the cables from damage, such as horizontal cable management racks.

（3）Do not hit the fiber connector, otherwise the end face may be worn away, and the fragments will pierce the skin. Therefore, it is recommended to put a dust cap on the patch cords at any time.

（4）If you need equipment to detect and identify faults, such as damage and full attenuation inside the fiber patch cords, you can use an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) and a fiber microscope.

The above is the daily cleaning and maintenance items and storage precautions of optical fiber introduced by ETU-LINK. We hope these tips can help you deploy a safer and more stable optical fiber wiring system and bring you higher benefits.