What is BS EN 61300-3-4 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components about?
BS EN 61300 is a series on fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components. Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components do not require electrical-to-optical or optical-to-electrical conversion during their operation. BS EN 61300-3-4 describes the various methods available to measure the attenuation of optical components. BS EN 61300-3-4 is not, however, applicable to dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) components, for which IEC 61300-3-29 should be used.
Who is BS EN 61300-3-4 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components for?
BS EN 61300-3-4 on fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components is useful for:
- Telecommunication component manufacturers
- Telecommunication equipment manufacturers
- Design engineers
- Quality control personnel
Why should you use BS EN 61300-3-4 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components?
Fibre optic interconnecting devices and passive components are now widely used by people as a promising solution for modern access to telecommunication networks. Attenuation is intended to give a value for the decrease of useful power, expressed in decibels, resulting from the insertion of a device under test (DUT), within a length of optical fibre cable. The term insertion loss is sometimes used in place of attenuation. The device under test may have more than two optical ports. However, since an attenuation measurement is made across only two ports, the device under test in BS EN 61300-3-4 is described as having two ports.
Eight different devices under test configurations are described. The differences between these configurations are primarily in the terminations of the optical ports. Terminations may consist of bare fibre, a connector plug, or a receptacle. The reference method for measuring attenuation is with an optical power meter. Optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR) measurements are presented as an alternative method. Three variations in the measurement of attenuation with a power meter are presented. The reference and alternative methods to be used for each device under test configuration are defined in BS EN 61300-3-4. Different test configurations and methods will result in different accuracies of the attenuation being measured. In cases of dispute, the reference test method should be used. Using BS EN 61300-3-4 describe the various methods available to measure the attenuation of optical components.
What’s changed since the last update?
BS EN 61300-3-4:2013 supersedes BS EN 61300-3-4:2001. BS EN 61300-3-4:2013 includes some technical changes with respect to BS EN 61300-3-4:2001. These include:
- Revision of source conditions, launch conditions and power meter parameters
- Addition of safety recommendations
- Removal of launch condition details for multimode fibres, now referenced in EN 61300-1
