100+ Guidelines for Pre Terminated Fiber Optic Cable Installation

1
101 Guidelines For Pre Terminated Fiber Optic
Cable Installation
2
Introduction

• Pre Terminated cabling solutions are ideally
  suited for data center environments where the
  cable routes are well defined and where the time
  for deployment, ease of installation, network
  reliability and manageability are paramount.
• The manufacturer should also provide 100 testing
  in a quality-controlled environment before the
  cabling is shipped out to the work-site. Make
  sure the pre terminated copper or optical fiber
  purchased through a manufacturer uses components
  that have been tested and verified by a third
  party to exceed TIA and IEEE standards.
• When selecting pre terminated cable assemblies,
  be sure to use a reliable provider that can offer
  services such as guaranteed cabling performance,
  design assistance, certified contractor training,
  and the ability to support large quantities of
  assemblies in the required delivery window.

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Guidelines

1. Never directly pull on the fiber itself. Fiber
   optic cables have Kevlar aramid yarn or a
   fiberglass rod as their strength member. You
   should pull on the fiber cable strength members
   only!
2. Never exceed the maximum pulling load rating. On
   long runs, use proper lubricants and make sure
   they are compatible with the cable jacket. On
   really long runs, pull from the middle out to
   both ends. If possible, use an automated puller
   with tension control or at least a breakaway
   pulling eye. Know and observe the maximum
   recommended load rating of the cable.
3. Never exceed the cable bend radius. Fiber is
   stronger than steel when you pull it straight,
   but it breaks easily when bent too tightly. These
   will harm the fibers, maybe immediately, maybe
   not for a few years, but you will harm them and
   the cable must be removed and thrown away!
4. Always roll the cable off the spool instead of
   spinning it off the spool end. This will put a
   twist in the cable for every turn on the spool!
   Never twist the fiber cable. Putting a twist in
   the cable can stress the fibers too
5. Make sure your fiber cable is long enough for the
   run. Fiber splicing make things complicated and
   expensive. And it needs special protection. Try
   to make it in one pull.
6. Indoor cables can be installed directly, but you
   might consider putting them inside innerduct.
   Innerduct provides a good way to identify fiber
   optic cable and protect it from damage, generally
   a result of someone cutting it by mistake! You
   can get the innerduct with pulling tape already
   installed.
7. Plan the Installation. Create a detailed, written
   plan of installation. You can eliminate 95 of
   the problems installers can encounter by simply
   creating this plan. The plan should include
   equipment and supplies, fiber cable
   specification, location of equipment, testing
   requirements, data forms for testing, personnel
   experience level and assignment, installation
   methods, identification of potential problem
   areas, safety issues, etc.
8. Pull, do not push cables. Pushing can result in
   violation of the bend radius.
9. Monitor the supply reel. Monitoring the supply
   reel during installation is necessary to prevent
   violation of minimum bend radius

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Continue...

1. Communicate along the path of installation. When
   installing long runs, communicate and monitor
   along the path of the installation. Fiber cables
   can and do jump from unmonitored pulleys. The
   minimum crew should have one person monitoring
   the pulling equipment, one monitoring the supply
   reel, and one coordinating all involved in the
   installation.
2. Use proper tools and techniques. A vehicle for
   pulling the cable is not a proper tool, unless a
   breakaway swivel is also used. Proper techniques
   depend on the cable design and the location of
   the installation. For example, proper technique
   is pulling a cable into a conduit. Proper
   technique is placing or laying a cable in a cable
   tray or raceway.
3. Use fiber optic cable lubricant. Lubricate the
   cable when installing in conduits. Lubrication
   reduces the pulling load and the chance of
   breakage. The lubricant has to be compatible with
   the cable jacket material.
4. Train installation personnel. Properly train and
   instruct the people who will do the installation.
   Proper training reduces expense through reduction
   of breakage and excess attenuation.
5. Use the figure 8 technique. Divide long pulls
   into several shorter pulls, using the figure 8
   technique for storing Pre Terminated Fiber cable
   at the intermediate locations. The cable is
   placed on the ground in a figure 8 pattern. This
   pattern is large, at least 10-20 feet from top to
   bottom of the pattern. When all the cable is
   placed in this pattern, the pattern is lifted and
   flipped over, so that the loose end is on top.
   This loose end is pulling into the next section
   of conduit or duct. This technique prevents
   twisting in the cable.
6. Comply with vertical rise limits. Know and
   observe the maximum vertical rise distance limit.
   Exceeding this limit can result in fiber
   breakage, excess attenuation, and, in loose tube
   cables, fibers sliding from cables. Cables in
   vertical installations that are longer than the
   vertical rise limit must be tied off at distances
   less than this limit. Loose tube cables must be
   looped.
7. Allow for thermal expansion and contraction. In
   outdoor installations, a common practice of 2.5
   foot sag for 150 foot span is good for thermal
   expansion and contraction. Failure to allow for
   thermal expansion can result in increased
   attenuation and breakage of fibers.
8. For tough installations, use loose buffer tube
   fiber cables. Loose tube cables can be more
   forgiving of abuse than tight buffer cables. The
   reason is that the excess length of fiber in the
   buffer tube and the ability of fiber to move from
   low stress region to higher stress region.

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Continue...

• Observe the temperature operating range. Install
  a cable in locations in which the temperature
  range imposed is within the temperature operating
  range. Violation of the temperature operating
  range can result in excessively high attenuation
• Cap or seal water blocked cables. Cap off or seal
  the ends of cables with water blocking gel or
  grease. These materials can flow out of the
  cable, causing maintenance problems in cable end
  boxes
• Protect fibers and buffer tubes. Confine fibers
  and buffer tubes in protective structures, such
  as splice trays and cable end boxes. Fibers and
  buffer tubes do not have sufficient strength to
  resist breakage due to normal handling of copper
  cables
• Loop vertically installed loose tube cables.
  Install vertical, unfilled, loose tube cables
  with loops to prevent the fiber from slipping to
  the bottom of a vertical run. If this happens,
  attenuation can increase and fibers eventually
  break.
• Check continuity and attenuation. Check the
  continuity and attenuation of the cable before
  each operation. These checks should be performed
  as-received/before installation, after
  installation, after splicing, and after connector
  installation.
• Mark cable as Fiber Optic Cable. Mark cable as
  fiber optic cable in all locations in which it
  can be easily reached. Such marking will alert
  electricians to the nature of the cable.
• Make As-Built Data logs. Make as-built data logs
  on all cables. Keep these data available to those
  who will perform maintenance and troubleshooting.
  These data logs should include both insertion
  loss measurement and OTDR measurements.
• Safety precaution no food, drink or smoke. Do
  not eat, drink, or smoke in any area in which
  bare glass fiber is created. Bare glass fibers
  can cause splinters which are very difficult to
  find and remove.
• Safety precaution do not look into fiber
  without checking status. Never look into a fiber,
  cable, or connector unless you know for sure that
  there is no laser light in the fiber. For
  extensive work with fiber optics, safety glasses
  with IR filter is recommended.
• Leave service loops. Leave cable and fiber
  service loops everywhere. You will regret not
  doing so. Service loops allow you to pull excess
  cable or fiber into a location where you have
  experienced a problem. It is much cheaper to pull
  in a service loop than to replace an entire run
  of fiber cable.

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1. Segregate or isolate the work area. Rope off or
   otherwise isolate the area of cable installation
   to prevent access to unauthorized or untrained
   personnel. This will avoid safety problems such
   as fiber splinters and unintentional abuse.
2. For direct burial installations, the cable should
   lie flat in a trench, free of any large stones or
   boulders that may deform the cable.
3. Do not allow vehicles to drive over a cable.
4. Ensure that the proper cable length has been
   installed before cutting off excess cable.
5. Avoid placing cable reels on their sides or
   subjecting them to shock from dropping.
6. Fiber optic cables should be placed in their own
   dedicated ducts or trays. Do not mix copper cable
   and fiber cable in the same ducts or trays.
7. After the fiber optic cable is installed into a
   duct or innerduct, end plugs should be installed
   to provide an effective water seal. The ducts and
   innerducts should be kept free of debris and
   maintained watertight at all times.
8. Ducts and innerducts should be sized to meet
   present and future cable installation
   requirements. A maximum 40 fill ratio is a good
   rule of thumb to follow for duct size.
9. The fiber pulling rope or tape should be
   sequentially marked (foot or meter) for easy
   identification of distance.
10. The pulling tape should have a rating for greater
    than maximum anticipated pulling tension.
11. Before the start of any cable pull, all ducts and
    cable vaults should be carefully inspected for
    damage or deterioration, and to address any
    safety concerns.
12. The electric spark generated by a fusion splicer
    can cause an explosion when flammable gases are
    present. Fusion splices should therefore not be
    used in vaults.
13. To minimize cable tensions, reel vault locations
    should be set near the sharpest bend locations.
    Pulling and reel locations should also be set at
    corner vaults where possible.

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1. Identify lightwave equipment that will be used
   and ensure that the equipment will function
   properly with the fiber cable being installed.
2. When an Indoor/Outdoor rated fiber cable enters a
   building, it should be spliced to an indoor-type
   fiber cable within 50 feet from the cable
   entrance to meet NEC code.
3. All vertical cable must be secured at the top of
   the run. A split mesh grip is recommended to
   secure the cable.
4. The vertical attachment point should be carefully
   chosen to comply with the cables minimum bend
   radius while holding the cable securely.
5. If future cable pulls in the same duct or conduit
   are a possibility, the use of innerduct to
   sectionalize the available duct space is
   recommended. Without this sectionalization,
   additional cable pulls can entangle an operating
   cable and could cause an interruption in service.
6. A small amount of slack cable (20-30 feet) can be
   useful in the event that cable repair or
   relocation is needed.
7. Cables should be tested after shipping. Damage to
   cabling can occur during shipping or
   installation. Failing to test fiber cabling after
   it is delivered is a common mistake made by
   installers.
8. If insertion loss suddenly increases with an
   adapter or connector, the cause may be dirt. You
   should always clean the connector and adapter
   before plugging them in.
9. Properly attach the pulling eye and swivel to the
   cable. Ensure that the pulling eye and swivel
   assembly have no sharp edges and can easily fit
   through all conduits, pull boxes, and cable
   trays.
10. When pulling the fiber out of a section, coil the
    cable on the floor in a figure 8 pattern to avoid
    twisting. Continue the cable pull until all the
    cable has been pulled through
11. Identify the exact fiber optic cable route and
    ensure that it meets all installation
    specifications. Obtain all required fiber cable
    installation authorizations and permits along the
    route.

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Continue...

1. Record all required fiber optic facility details,
   including proper route drawings, fiber
   assignments, loss readings, OTDR traces, etc.
2. Prepare emergency repair plans.
3. Only remove connector and adapter duct caps prior
   to making the connection. Do not let the
   connector tough any surface once the duct cap has
   been removed.
4. When making a connection, the connector should
   attach to the adapter smoothly. Do not rotate the
   connector when making the connection.
5. For screw-in connectors such as FC connector,
   tighten them only finger tight. Never force a
   connector onto an adapter.
6. A fiber optic cable should be tested three
   separate times during an installation on the
   reel, the splicing test, and the final acceptance
   test.
7. Extreme caution should be observed when
   performing an aerial installation. The proper
   personnel should be contacted so that they are on
   the site when work is performed near high-voltage
   lines.
8. Cables that are installed in the vicinity of
   high-voltage power lines should be grounded,
   including all-dielectric cables.
9. Maintain proper clearance between the fiber optic
   cable and power cable at all times. Always make
   allowances for power cable sag due to weather and
   current conditions. Cable sag increases in warm
   weather or when power cable is passing heavy
   current.
10. When a steel messenger wire is used for aerial
    installation, avoid zigzagging the messenger wire
    from one pole side to the other. Instead, make
    sure it is kept on one side as much as possible.
11. Follow Building Codes Always obey all local, and
    national, fire and building codes. Be sure to
    firestop all cables that penetrate a firewall.
    Use plenum rated cable where it is mandated,
    etc., etc.
12. Do make every effort to pull cables from a
    conduit in as straight an angle as possible.
    Pulling on an angle can cause damage to the cable.

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1. The cable weight in an unsupported vertical rise
   shall be less than the specified long term
   operating load. Your manufacturers specification
   sheet should be consulted for specifics.
   Intermediate cable attachment points however are
   recommended for optimum performance.
2. Bonding and Grounding Follow your company and
   local/national bonding and ground procedures when
   using fiber cable with metallic components.
3. When pulling the cable off the reel onto
   messenger mounted cable blocks, special care
   should be given to size and location of the 1st
   and last pulley. The reel should be placed as far
   as practical from the 1st pulley to minimize the
   angle of the 1st bend. A cable shoot/pulley
   larger than the specified bend radius is
   recommended to minimize the cable bend at the
   first and last pulley locations or at any
   location with a change in direction.
4. On runs from 40m to 100m, use proper lubricants
   and make sure they are compatible with the cable
   jacket.
5. On runs over 100m, use proper lubricants and pull
   from the middle out to both ends.
6. If possible, use an automated puller with tension
   control or at least a breakaway-pulling eye.
7. Avoid placing fiber optic cables in raceways and
   conduits with copper cables to avoid excessive
   loading or twisting
8. Attach cables with plastic clamps having large
   surface areas. Avoid pinching or squeezing cable.
   Cable clamps should be installed manually with
   gentle pressure
9. Use a wet wipe to loosen particles on the end of
   the cable connector using a circular or straight
   wiping motion while using care to avoid wiping
   over area of pad that has already been used. Do
   not use a back and forth scrubbing action.
10. Cleaning fiber optic transceivers. Choose an
    optical grade lint free swab that fits easily
    into the transceiver barrel. The swab should be
    gently placed into the barrel of the connector
    and rotate no more than one turn. DO NOT rotate
    back-and-forth or round-and-round because this
    could grind debris into the transceiver. The
    swabs should only be used ONCE
11. Cable Blowing or Jetting in Duct Applications. A
    crash test should be performed to determine the
    maximum push force. Excessive pushing will cause
    the cable to cork screw in the duct or fold over
    which will damage the fiber.

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1. Cable blowing. Consider the route to determine
   the maximum blowing distance. Follow the blowing
   equipment suppliers blowing distance
   recommendations 3000 to 6000 feet is a typical
   blowing length. A set up with multiple blowing
   machines may be required.
2. Cable blowing. Maintain proper air flow to blow
   the cable verses pushing the cable. Use an air
   compressor with a minimum of 375 cfm. The minimum
   air pressure in the duct should be 100 psi with
   125 psi recommended.
3. Cable blowing air cooler. Air compressor cooler
   should be used as recommended by the blower
   equipment manufacturer. Typically this is when
   the ambient air temperature exceeds 80F.
4. Cable blowing. Use only cable/duct lubricants
   recommended by its blowing equipment manufacturer
   for optical fiber cable.
5. Do not store cable within the closure or pedestal
   unless there is enough room to accommodate the
   minimum specified cable bend radius.
6. Grounding Cable with metallic components shall
   follow the bonding and grounding requirements of
   the customer and local or national codes.
7. Midspan access of fibers in buffer tubes To
   minimize fiber damage, use a Midspan Access Tool
   to open the buffer tube such as a Corning
   OFT-000. Care should be taken to use the correct
   insert size.
8. Conduit Installations General Information Try to
   design the conduit run with a few bends as
   possible. If there are too many bends in the run
   then you may consider installing junction boxes
   in lieu of bends.
9. Use plastic bushings on conduit ends to avoid
   damage to the cable during the pull
10. For cables using aramid yarn alone as the
    strength member, the jacket can be removed to
    expose the yarn. The yarn should be tied in a
    knot with the pull rope, so that the jacket will
    not be inadvertently used for strength.
    Optionally, the jacket can be tied into a tight
    knot before pulling. After pulling, the knot
    should be cut off.
11. Buried cable installations. Identify cable
    locations with surface markers. Anticipate
    obstructions.

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1. For cables using aramid yarn and an fiberglass
   central member, a pulling grip should be used.
   The strength member should be attached
   independently. This can be accomplished by
   weaving the strength member into the fingers of
   the grip, and then taping it together. All
   strength members should be gripped equally to
   ensure proper distribution of tension
2. Test jumpers must be of the same fiber core size,
   performance and connector type as the cable
   system (e.g. 50/125 µm FX2000 jumpers for a
   50/125 µm FX2000 optical fiber system) and shall
   be one to five meters long
3. Number of 90 degree turns. The number of 90
   degree turns on a pull shall not exceed 6 for
   aerial cables and 4 for underground
   cable-in-conduit.
4. Pulling underground fiber optic cable. Special
   fiber optic blocks should be used on all turns or
   angles.
5. And always use a swivel pulling eye because
   pulling tension will cause twisting forces on the
   cable
6. If cables are present in ducts through which the
   fiber cable is to be pulled, the existing cable
   types should be identified and the owner of the
   cable called to inform him of the action, and to
   identify any safety concerns.
7. Use a generous amount of cable pulling lubricant
   on the entire run, especially on the leader
   (pulling eye mesh). The person may stop the
   cable pull from time to time to prepare and apply
   more lubricant. Use only lubricant that is
   expressly designed for cable pulling. When
   working in freezing temperatures, use a lubricant
   that is designed not to freeze.
8. It is important to use a rope size that give
   minimal stretching during the pull. Stretching of
   the rope is undesirable for several reasons
   including that it makes for a very unstable pull,
   and takes away control from those doing the
   pulling.
9. Use extreme caution when removing the pull eye.
   Do not use a blade to slit the mesh. Instead, use
   a pair of electricians scissors or diagonal
   cutters. Work your way from the back of the cable
   toward the pull eye, while lifting the mesh
   upward, away from the cable.
10. It is extremely important to take an accurate
    measurement when planning an order for a custom
    pre-terminated fiber optic cable assembly. These
    custom assemblies cannot be returned unless out
    of box defective.

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1. For cables using aramid yarn and an fiberglass
   central member, a pulling grip should be used.
   The strength member should be attached
   independently. This can be accomplished by
   weaving the strength member into the fingers of
   the grip, and then taping it together. All
   strength members should be gripped equally to
   ensure proper distribution of tension
2. Optional pulling eyes are highly recommended. The
   pulling eye (and associated cable netting) will
   protect the pre-terminated ends during the pull.
3. Underground conduits, if newly installed, should
   be a minimum size of between 1.5? to 2?. If the
   run is long, or if you anticipate the possibility
   of additional future pulls Then you may want to
   install a conduit of up to 4? (or greater).
4. Try to design the conduit run with a few bends as
   possible. If there are too many bends in the run
   then you may consider installing junction boxes
   in lieu of bends.
5. Cable may be placed in a Figure 8 pattern if it
   needs to be removed from the reel. This pattern
   minimizes the accumulation of cable twist. Care
   should be taken to prevent cable damage while the
   cable is in this configuration.
6. Riser cables are generally required for vertical
   applications and plenum cables are required where
   there is a positive air pressure space.

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Conclusion

• Pre-terminated cables are the plug-and-play
  solution for links between switches, servers, and
  patch panels in the data center. As the computing
  environments and business needs of organizations
  differ widely, not every enterprise will find the
  benefits of pre-terminated systems outweigh the
  investment.
• Field-terminated copper and fiber cabling and
  connectivity systems are generally less costly to
  purchase in terms of the various components. Just
  to find a suitable solution system for your own
  network. Providing reliable quality, advanced
  testing system and favorable price, progress of
  FS.COM has never stopped. We offer a variety of
  pre-terminated optics including the breakout
  patch cable, pre-terminated trunk cable and
  adapter panels.
• Fiber optic cables like SC fiber patch cable and
  LC to LC patch cord are also needed. If you have
  any requirement of our products, please send your
  request to us.