Cable Assembly
Cable assemblies are judged in production, not in a lab demo. This application focuses on production-grade verification of insertion loss, return loss/backreflection, and polarity (fiber mapping)—from simplex and duplex jumpers to high-density multifiber assemblies such as MPO/MTP—using stable measurement methods, controlled launch conditions, and automation-ready switching to keep results consistent across operators, shifts, and sites. The objective is straightforward: fast pass/fail decisions with traceable records that reduce rework and protect downstream system performance.
Explore Application Solutions
Cable assembly testing is metrology under time constraints
In cable assembly, the technical challenge is not “measuring loss.” It is measuring loss and reflection in a way that stays repeatable under high throughput, while also proving correct fiber mapping/polarity for multifiber products. That means controlling the full chain: launch condition, reference method, reconnections, operator steps, and data traceability—not just the instrument headline spec.
Santec’s approach is built around production realities. We have been manufacturing fiber optic cable assembly test equipment since 2002, and the platform is designed to scale from benchtop stations to automated cells with switching, barcode workflows, and database-backed logging.
What a cable assembly test must prove
1) Insertion Loss (IL)
Optical Return Loss Meter
The RLM 100 is ideal for production and lab environments. The redesigned integrating sphere detector can measure RL loss on dense 72-channel MTP/MPO and duplex LC connectors with a single connection.
IL is the fastest signal-quality gate, but it’s also where production variability shows up first: endface condition, polishing quality, ferrule alignment, and connector mating effects. For multi-wavelength requirements, production testing often needs two wavelengths without doubling operator time—e.g., dual-wavelength IL only measurements can be completed in under one second on an ILM-100 configuration.
2) Return Loss / Backreflection (RL/BR)
Reflections are a system problem: they can degrade link margin, create noise penalties in sensitive links, and trigger transceiver instability in reflection-sensitive architectures. In production, RL measurement must remain robust even when DUTs are short, connector types vary, and parasitic reflections would normally distort results.
As data rates increase, so does the requirement to measure RL on all cable assemblies. It has become industry standard across most applications that all cables need to be tested for IL and RL. The RLM-100 is OTDR based and twice as fast as other premium test solutions while maintaining the same accuracy. With other key features like user self-calibration, it’s no wonder the RLM has become adopted globally as the standard in cable assembly IL/RL Testing.
For more customized applications where wavelength and fiber types may vary, or passive components such as fiber array units, the Backreflection meter, BRM-100, is an alternative OCWR solution. With extremely stable optics and customizability, we have the best instrument designed for every application.
