Norland Centroc1000. Operating Manual Ver

Transcription

1 1 Norland Centroc1000 Operating Manual Ver Ferrule Concentricity/Eccentricity Measurement Ferrule Cylindricity Measurement Insertion Loss Assessment Ferrule Tuning Means Visual Examination Norland Products Incorporated Phone: Fax: Route 130 Building 100, Cranbury NJ USA

2 2!! CAUTION: DON T touch the ferrules with bare hands at any times. To load a ferrule into the machine, you MUST either wear silicon gloves, or utilize a pair of clear tweezers (supplied).!! CAUTION: DON T RUN Centroc1000 if you haven t placed a ferrule into the front loading fixture of the machine. Clicking ALIGN FERRUEL or RUN TEST without the physical presence of an actual testing ferrule, or a dummy ferrule, may damage the driving belt of Centroc1000!! 2

3 3 INDEX Section No. Section Name Page 1. Introduction 4 2. General Description 4 3. Equipment Setup 5 4. Software Setup 6 5. Centroc1000 Main Screen Menus File Menu Tools Menu Display Menu Options Menu About Menu: Measuring Eccentricity Visual Examination Changing Mounting Fixtures Changing Driving Belt Service Information Specifications Appendixes Tuning Criteria for reference connectors Insertion Loss Assessment 38 3

4 4 1. Introduction The Centroc1000 unit, for noncontact measuring of ferrule endface geometry, is part of Norland Product s range of measuring equipment for Optical Cable Assembly shops. The unit complies with: IEC ISO 2538 IEC IEC IEC General description The Centroc1000 is a special designed auto-focusing microscope with a precision chuck for mm or for mm fiber optic ferrules. In Order to achieve maximum accuracy the magnification in model 1000 is 900 X on a 17 monitor. 4

5 5 3. Equipment Setup Connect the "Centroc1000" and the PC using the cable supplied (9-pin female to Centroc1000 and 9-pin male to the frame grabber card interface at the PC). The Centroc1000 uses the USB interface for motor and lighting control. Connect the USB cable to Centroc1000 and insert the other end into one of the USB ports. If plugging into that port for the first time, the following setup procedure may be required. Connect monitor, mouse, printer and keyboard to the PC. Connect the Printer and the Personal Computer to AC- power mains. Verify the computer monitor Screen Area is set to 1024x768 with Colors set to True Color (24 bit) 5

6 6 4. Software Setup The Centroc1000 system comes with any required software already installed onto its associated computer. The Centroc1000 application is designed to operate under Windows 2000 Pro or Windows XP Pro. The minimum requirement for PC: Intel P III 800 MHz. In the event the Centroc1000 software needs to be reinstalled, it must be installed in the following order: 4.1 Euresys drivers for the Picolo frame-grabber. 4.2 Centroc1000 measurement application. If updating just the Centroc1000 application, only step 2 need be performed. Check for any new versions on the Norland Products web-site Euresys drivers for Picolo frame-grabber Installation from the Euresys CD: a. Place the CD, and select INSTALL to install the software 6

7 7 b. Select Run-time and select evision and Multicam for Picolo and Click Next c. Click NEXT on the following screen 7

8 8 d. Select Easy Grab, Drivers, ActiveX and Click NEXT on the following screen. e. Leave the default and click NEXT on the following screen 8

9 9 f. After successful installation the click OK on the following message and click QUIT from the initial installation screen to close the screen. 4.2 Centroc1000 Software Installation Installation from the Centroc1000 CD: a. Insert the CD to install the software. Click Next to the following display 9

10 10 b. Choose I accept and click Next c. Enter the Customer Information (or accept the default) and click Next. 10

11 11 d. Click Next to start the installation e. Click Finish to complete the installation Configuring the Centroc1000 USB Interface: a. Plug in the USB cable: Plug in one end of the USB cable to the Centroc1000 instrument and its other end into one of the computer s USB ports. Once the cable is plugged in, the following message will be appear at the bottom of the screen. 11

12 12 b. Install the new USB driver ELEKTOR: The following screen prompts the user to install the new drivers. Choose Install the software automatically and click Next. System is now searching for the pertinent drivers: Click Next after it has found the files. 12

13 13 Click Continue Anyway Click Finish to complete. Display of the following message shall indicate that the installation has been successful. 13

14 14 5. Centroc1000 Main Screen Upon activating the application, the following main screen will show up. Menubar Image: Menu bar: Align Ferrule: Live image from the camera. Collection of pull-down menus of various program functions and options.!! CAUTION: DON T touch the ferrules with bare hands at any times. To load a ferrule into the machine, you MUST either wear silicon gloves, or utilize a pair of clear tweezers (supplied).!! CAUTION: STOP!! DON T move forward to running the machine if you haven t actually placed a ferrule into the unit. Clicking ALIGN FERRUEL or RUN TEST without the physical presence of a real ferrule, at least a dummy ferrule, may damage the driving belt of Centroc1000!! After inserting a ferrule, click this button to bring its end face fully into the fixture before starting a measurement. 14

15 15!! CAUTION: To ensure every ferrule is well aligned and brought into focus in the machine, click Align Ferrule at least once before RUN TEST on each new ferrule!! Run Test: Eject: Focus: Click this button to calculate the eccentricity or concentricity for the ferrule. Ferrule rotates automatically. While rotating, several measurements are taken at each rotation point. The points along with eccentricity values are displayed on a separate Results window. Before clicking Run test make sure to click the Align Ferrule button first. Use this option to remove the ferrule from the mount. Click to activate focusing. CAUTION: DON T perform focusing on a ferrule until it has been aligned in the unit. See Align Ferrule above. NOTE: A refocusing is normally NOT required unless (a) a new batch of samples are to be tested; or (b) a new work shift has just started and the machine has been just boot up. Tuning On/Off: Back light: Status of Tuning the ferrule for marking is displayed. Tuning On for a measurement means rotate the ferrule, so the end ferrule eccentricity or concentricity is aligned at 12 o clock position at the end of the measurement. Tuning On is required for the ferrules, which need marking. Tuning Off for normal measurement. To select Tuning On or Off, use the Perform tuning at the end of measurement option from Options/Menu from tool bar. Click + or - buttons to adjust the level of illumination. 15

16 16 6. Menus 6.1. File Menu Exit: To close the application Tools Menu Change Mount On/Off This option, when selected, will activate an Image circle template and onscreen instructions that assist the user in changing the mounting fixture. (See Section 7.Changing Mount Fixtures) Inspection Mode On/Off Choose this option to increase illumination on the connector endface. When selected, use additional set of buttons ( +/- ) to make smaller increases or decreases to the illumination level as needed. 6.3 Display Menu 16

17 Statistics When selected, a separate form with statistical report of the results history is displayed (see figure below). At top left in the above figure, a table lists the results from all stored measurements. Statistical displays from a subset of those measurements are at top center as well as the two bottom displays. The amount of measurements used in the statistical displays can be selected by the operator (by entering how many of the last measurements into the top center box). From the graph at top right, an estimation of a particular ferrule s worst-case insertion loss can be made using the its eccentricity result. See the Theory Section in Appendix A for more information. a. File Menu File Menu from the Statistics display contains choices of Data, Print, & Exit. i. Data: On choosing Data the following options are shown Clear List: To clear results from the form. Restore Last list: To restore last cleared results. 17

18 18 ii. Print: On choosing Print the following options are shown Print Form: Print the current form. Print all records: Print all the stored results from the database. iii. Print (sort): This option will show Data Record Selection to print only data from a particular date range or with a particular Product ID. Print: After choosing the Date or Product ID click Print to print the data. Exit: Click to Exit from this form. 18

19 Last Results This display shows a graphical representation of the concentricity or eccentricity measurements, as well as other measured or calculated quantities from the most recent scan. Note: Either Concentricity or Eccentricity values will be displayed depending on the Measurement Type, as configured by the Operator in Options/Menu before the measurements. There are three main parameters that have been displayed from the last measurement. They are, Concentricity /Fitted (or: Eccentricity/Fitted): The mean Concentricity, or Eccentricity, value of the ferrule obtained by means of a least-squared circular fitting to all rotation steps of the scan (µm). Ferrule Cylindricity: Assessed cylindricity of the ferrule. Ferrule Cylindricity is a measure of the deviation of the ferrule outside diameter (OD) from a perfect round cylinder (µm). End Angle: Angle of Concentricity, or Eccentricity, measured at the end point of the ferrule rotation, as illustrated by the RED dot on the screen. Note: When TUNING ON is selected in the option menu, this End Angle is always aligned to the 12:00 o clock position (or, zero degree position.) This Tuning option provides the means for the operator to add a mark on the ferrule at the orientation of the measured Concentricity/Eccentricity. Other less significant parameters are also displayed, for reference purpose. They are, Concentricity /Start: The first measured concentricity during scan. Concentricity /End: The last measured concentricity during scan. Maximum Concentricity: Maximum measured concentricity during scan. Minimum Concentricity: Minimum measured concentricity during scan. Calculated Insertion Loss: Assessed Insertion Loss based on fitted Concentricity/Eccentricity. Ferrule Type: Type of the ferrule as entered from the Options Menu. Product ID: ID of the sample as entered before the measurement. Operator: Operator s Name as entered in the Options Menu. Centroc 1000 model sn: Serial Number of the Centroc1000 machine. 19

20 20 Press [Print] to print the current screen. Press [Next] to return to the start screen to measure the next product. Press [Stats] to see statistical presentation of results. Press [Excel Viewer] to view the saved scan results in Microsoft Excel. The text file viewed can be selected or changed in the Options/Menu under Save Results to section. Excel Viewing the Text File 20

21 Options Menu Adjust the different parameters as required per connector specification and as desired by the operator. Nomenclature for the Options Menu: SerialNumber Picolo: Picolo frame grabber serial number from the Board. SerialNumber Centroc: Centroc1000 serial number 21

22 22 Calibration Factor: The magnification calibration factor entered at the factory for the unit. It should match the value marked on its rear panel. If there is any question about the correctness of this value or need to recalibrate, contact Norland Products Technical Support for assistance. Ferrule Type: Choose the appropriate selection for the sample being tested. Pass /Fail Criteria: Enter desired Min and Max limits for the average Eccentricity ( Ecc/Fitted ) or Concentricity depending on Measurement Type choice. At measurement completion the result will be compared against these limits and displayed on Red (Fail) or Green (Pass) background. Perform Tuning at the end of measurement: Select this option to rotate the ferrule at the end of the measurement, so the ferrule end Eccentricity or Concentricity is aligned at 12 o clock position. The status of Tuning is displayed on the main screen below the live image. Measurement Type: Depending on the measurement type chosen the scan results will be displayed on Results screen and Statistics screen as shown below. For Eccentricity Display: 22

23 23 For Concentricity Display: Show Maximum/Minimum: Maximum and Minimum Eccentricity values will only be shown on the Results screen if this option is checked. 23

24 24 Product ID: Information for Product ID a. Prompt For Input Select this option if it is desired to be prompted for a Product ID before each new measurement. At the time of measurement, the following prompt will be presented. After entering an ID (or accepting the value already there), click OK to continue with the measurement or Cancel to exit from the measurement. b. Auto Increment: Check this option if the ID number is to be incremented automatically for the next measurement. Save Results To: Choose/enter the ASCII text filename and location where measurement data will be stored. This file can be later imported into other programs like Microsoft Excel for additional processing and can be viewed through Results screen. Operator: Select this option if it is desired to include an Operator s Name among the displayed and stored results of a measurement. Defaults: Load the factory defined defaults. Note: Different defaults will be loaded depending on choice for Ferrule Type. Cancel: Apply: Close the form without saving any changes. Save any changes and close the form. 24

25 25 Note: It is possible to select and then save (using this Apply button) two completely different configurations of options; one for the SM and another for MM ferrule type choices. Then it is easy to switch from one configuration to the other simply by changing Ferrule Type selection. 25

26 About Menu: Click Help/About to show the software product information. 26

27 27 7. Measuring Eccentricity/Concentricity Go to the measurement screen (as pictured above). If the current display is the Statistics screen, click EXIT. If, instead, it is the Results screen, click NEXT. Set the required options in Options screen. Open the mounting fixture by lifting the lever to the left of the fixture. Place the ferrule into the mounting fixture s V-groove, let the lever down to hold the ferrule in place.!! CAUTION: DON T touch the ferrules with bare hands at any times. To load a ferrule into the machine, you MUST either wear silicon gloves, or utilize a pair of clear tweezers (supplied).!! CAUTION: STOP!! DON T proceed from this step forward if you haven t actually placed a ferrule into the machine. Clicking ALIGN FERRUEL or RUN TEST without the physical presence of a real ferrule, at least a dummy ferrule, may damage the driving belt of Centroc1000!! Click Align Ferrule before measuring.!! CAUTION: To ensure every ferrule is well aligned and brought into focus in the machine, click Align Ferrule at least once before RUN TEST on each new ferrule!! 27

28 28 Click Run Test. The ferrule will rotate automatically. While rotating, several measurements are taken at each rotation point. The points along with eccentricity values are displayed on a separate Results window. See Last Results in section

29 29 8. Visual Examination Example of ferrule image on a Centroc1000 Length Measurement Planar dimensions on the ferrule such as ferrule diameter, adhesive ring thickness, and scratch width can be checked using the live Image and a mouse. By clicking the left mouse button at two points on the Image, the distance between those two points can be measured. Additional Tools A variety of additional tools can be found by clicking the right mouse button while the cursor is on the live Image. Features such as zooming, panning, and Image copying can be selected and used as part of the visual examination process. 29

30 30 9. Changing Mounting Fixtures This procedure should be followed when the mounting fixture needs to be changed for the testing of different ferrule geometries, for example, from 1.25mm diameter to 2.50mm diameter ferrules. Pull down Change Mount menu. Remove front main-panel. Remove holding-down spring from driving-lever assembly. Using one hand, lift left-end handle of driving-lever assembly upwards till it stops, and hold the handle at that position. Using M3 Hex Key, replace v-groove mount by new mount. Release driving-lever assembly. Replace holding-down spring on driving-lever assembly. Insert a testing ferrule of appropriate size into v-groove mount, and click Align Ferrule. If needed, perform manual focusing of ferrule image by turning front-bottom knob. If needed, perform manual centering of ferrule image by turning micrometers at both sides behind v-groove mount. Replace front main-panel, and press Close to resume measurements. 30

31 31 Mounting heads and Driving Belts 31

32 Changing Driving Belt CAUTION: Belt has to be changed with a pair of clean tweezers (supplied). Touching of the belts by bare hands is prohibited at all times. This procedure should be followed when the synthetic rubber driving belt at the front end of the machine is worn out and needs to be changed. NOTE: Observations of skidding or otherwise jumping around of the ferrule or the belt itself are normally indications of a worn out belt. Remove front main-panel. Remove holding-down spring from driving-lever assembly. Using one hand, lift left-end handle of driving-lever assembly upwards till it stops, and hold the handle at that position. Replace driving belt by a new belt. Release driving-lever assembly. Replace holding-down spring on driving-lever assembly. Insert a testing ferrule of appropriate size into v-groove mount, and click Align Ferrule several times. (NOTE: Click Align Ferrule 3 ~ 4 times shall help aligning the new belt well inside the grooves of the driving pulleys.) If needed, perform manual focusing of ferrule image by turning front-bottom knob. If needed, perform manual centering of ferrule image by turning micrometers at both sides behind v-groove mount. Replace front main-panel, and resume measurements. 32

33 Service Information Item Description Accessories Std Fixture for 1.25mm ferrules (LC and MU connectors) Std Fixture for 1.60mm ferrules (supports M29504/4 and M29504/5 connectors) Std Fixture for 2.00mm ferrules (supports M29504/14 and M29504/15 connectors) Std Fixture for 2.50mm ferrules (supports SC and FC connectors)

34 Specifications Power Requirements Supported Fiber Types Temperature Humidity Wavelength (LED) Measurement Uncertainty (STD) Minimum PC Requirements Operating system Standards/Reference IEC IEC IEC IEC ISO V DC (supplied by the PC via the Frame Grabber connector) Suitable for most SM and MM fiber connector ferrules (Supports Maximum fiber diameter up to 140µm) C Operating 5-55 C Storage RH Maximum 90%; no condensation λ 475 nm 0.1 µm (Eccentricity), 0.2 µm (Concentricity) Intel P4 or AMD Athlon Preferably +2 GHz. 1 free PCI slot for Picolo frame-grabber. Windows 2000 or XP Pro 34

35 Appendixes 13.1 Tuning The worst insertion loss in a production population resulting from the core-to-core misalignment between any two mating patchcords, that have been randomly selected from the population, can be reduced significantly via a tuning process of all patchcords in the population. When a single mode fiber is operating at 1310nm wavelength, the insertion loss of a connector measured against an ideally concentric reference connector (i.e.; with zero eccentricity) is illustrated in the figure below. (NOTE: More insertion loss charts of other fiber types can be found in Appendix 13.3.) INSERTION LOSS OF SM Insertion Loss (db)) Eccentricity (um) CASE I: Un-tuned Connectors When a connector is not tuned, its angle of eccentricity can be anywhere within +/- 180 of its key orientation. The worst case core-to-core offset distance between any two randomly picked patches from a large connector population can be estimated by adding the two highest eccentricities in the population (See Graph Illustration Below, CASE 1: UNTUNED CONNECTORS). For example, when the maximum eccentricity (Ecc) of an untuned population is 0.90um, the maximum possible core-to-core offset distance between two random connectors is: OFFSET = =1.80 µm 35

36 36 Then, the maximum possible insertion loss between two randomly chosen connectors from the given untuned population, in accordance with the Insertion Loss (IL) chart above, is: IL = 0.66 db CASE II: Tuned Connectors When a group of connectors are all tuned, the eccentricity orientation of all the connectors are all aligned within a small fan area within the vicinity of the key position. For example, when the maximum eccentricity in a population is 0.90um and the connectors are all tuned to within +/-30 around the key position, the maximum possible core-to-core offset distance between any two randomly selected connectors in the tuned population, is (See Graph Illustrations Below, CASE 2: TUNED CONNECTORS): OFFSET = 0.90 µm (FACT: THIS VALUE IS 1/2 OF THAT IN CASE I). Subsequently, the maximum possible insertion loss between the two randomly selected connectors in the tuned population, in accordance with the Insertion Loss (IL) chart above, is: IL = 0.17 db (FACT: THIS VALUE IS 1/4 OF THAT IN CASE I). FACT: The Maximum Insertion Loss between any two randomly selected fiber connectors in a tuned population has been reduced to one-quarter (1/4) of the Maximum Insertion Loss in an corresponding untuned population. 36

37 Criteria for reference connectors A connector is suitable for reference purposes if the requirements for reference products as presented in the relevant specification or related IEC documents are met. For the case of a user having their own purchasing specification, use the criteria for reference components from this document. If no specification for reference is given, a reference can be selected from the table below. The maximum allowable eccentricity for a batch of connectors is dependent not only on the connector under test, but also on the reference connector used. Example: If the Loss Specification is 0.20 db according to IEC method 7 (first column in table), then the maximum allowed (total) eccentricity as 0.95 µm. This is the sum of the maximum eccentricity of the connector under test and the maximum eccentricity of the reference connector (from the table). This example shows that a reference connector should be selected with an eccentricity value as low as possible. Careful selection of a reference connector with the lowest possible value for eccentricity results in best yield (more connectors that will be considered to have acceptable eccentricity) in the final loss measurement. Loss against concentric reference connector. (IEC method 7) Maximum loss in the field 2% Single Mode Connectors. Maximum Eccentricity Reference connector Maximum eccentricity of connector under test 0.10 db 0.40 db 0.10 µm 0.58 µm 0.20 db 0.77 db 0.20 µm 0.75 µm 0.30 db 1.16 db 0.20 µm 0.98 µm 0.40 db 1.75 db 0.25 µm 1.11 µm 0.50 db 2.10 db 0.30 µm 1.24 µm 37

38 Insertion Loss Assessment In a fiber optic network, the center-to-center alignment between the outside diameters of two mating ferrules are normally very finely maintained at the joint section between two fiber optic connectors, by means of the well established precision coupling mechanism of a spring-loaded split sleeve (see Figure below). However, perfect eccentricity between two mating ferrules DOES NOT always promise perfect concentric mating between two transmitting fiber optic cores, due to the often non-perfect eccentric offset from the center of the ferrule Outside Diameter (OD) to the center of the core for each individual patchcord. In the field, the power Insertion Loss (IL), while the optical signal is transmitted from one fiber core to another fiber, is heavily dependent upon the precision of the ferrule-to-core eccentricities of both individual patchcords obtained from the manufacturing process. Alignment sleeve Ferrules In this Manual, Eccentricity of a patchcord is defined as the offset distance from the center of the ferrule outside diameter to the center of the fiber optics core, and is measured in micrometers (µm). And Concentricity, also measured in micrometers, is defined as two times the Eccentricity. For simplicity, we shall exploit letter E to denote the Eccentricity of the fibers in all formulas involved in this section. The insertion loss (IL) formulas provided in this section are all measured between a testing fiber, whose ferrule-to-core eccentricity is E(um), and an ideal reference fiber, whose eccentricity is defined as, ideally, 0(um). When Should I Apply the Maximum Eccentricity or the Maximum Concentricity to Calculate the Maximum Insertion Loss? In field applications, the worst case insertion loss obtained between two randomly selected fibers from a tuned connector population can be very different than that from a non-tuned connector population (see section 12.1 for detailed merit of the tuning). We shall utilize symbol E max to delineate the maximum value of the measured eccentricities in a given population. In a tuned connector population, the eccentricities of all connectors are tuned to within +/-30 angular range (or smaller) from the key position. The resulting 38

39 39 maximum core-to-core offset between any two mating fibers in the population is always less than, or equal to, E max. Thus, the maximum possible insertion loss between any two randomly selected connectors from the population can be computed by substituting directly E max in places of symbol E in the formulas. In a non-tuned connector population, however, the worst case core-to-core mismatch between two randomly selected patches can be as large as two times of the actually measured maximum eccentricity in the population. Therefore, in computing the maximum insertion loss between two randomly selected connectors from the population, one has to substitute two-times of the Maximum Eccentricity (2E max ), or referred to as Maximum Concentricity, in places of symbol E in the formulas INSERTION LOSS BETWEEN TWO SINGLE-MODE FIBERS: When a single-mode fiber is used for 1310nm wavelength transmission, the insertion loss (IL) formula is (ModeFieldDiameter=9.2um; Based on a Gaussian Beam Profile Model): IL (db) = *E² When a single-mode fiber is used for 1550nm wavelength transmission, the insertion loss (IL) formula is (ModeFieldDiameter=10.4um; Based on a Gaussian Beam Profile Model): IL (db) = *E² INSERTION LOSS OF SM FIBERS Insertion Loss (db)) Eccentricity (um) SM@1310nm SM@1550nm 39

40 INSERTION LOSS BETWEEN TWO 50um/125um MULTI-MODE FIBERS: When the 50/125 fibers are SI (Step Index), the insertion loss (IL) formula is (Based on a Cylindrical Uniformly Distributed Beam Profile Model): IL (db) = ABS{10* LOG 10 ( *E)} (NOTE: LOG 10 denotes base-10 Logarithm Operation; same below.) When the 50/125 fibers are GI (Graded Index), the insertion loss (IL) formula is (Based on a Downward-Opening Parabolic Beam Profile Model): IL (db) = *E² INSERTION LOSS OF MM-50/125 FIBERS Insertion Loss (db)) Eccentricity (um) MM/SI 50/125 MM/GI 50/125 40

41 INSERTION LOSS BETWEEN TWO 62.5um/125um MULTI-MODE FIBERS: When the 62.5/125 fibers are SI (Step Index), the insertion loss (IL) formula is (Based on a Cylindrical Uniformly Distributed Beam Profile Model): IL (db) = ABS{10* LOG 10 ( *E)} When the 62.5/125 fibers are GI (Graded Index), the insertion loss (IL) formula is (Based on a Downward-Opening Parabolic Beam Profile Model): IL (db) = *E² INSERTION LOSS OF MM-62.5/125 FIBERS Insertion Loss (db)) Eccentricity (um) MM/SI 62.5/125 MM/GI 62.5/125 41

42 INSERTION LOSS BETWEEN TWO 100um/140um MULTI-MODE FIBERS: When the 100/140 fibers are SI (Step Index), the insertion loss (IL) formula is (Based on a Cylindrical Uniformly Distributed Beam Profile Model): IL (db) = ABS{10* LOG 10 ( *E)} When the 100/140 fibers are GI (Graded Index), the insertion loss (IL) formula is (Based on a Downward-Opening Parabolic Beam Profile Model): IL (db) = *E² INSERTION LOSS OF MM-100/140 FIBERS Insertion Loss (db)) Eccentricity (um) MM/SI 100/140 MM/GI 100/140 ************ We continuously upgrade software and documentation. Check on for the latest versions. 42