Testing of connectorised and non-connectorised polymer optical fibres (POF) - Testing of mechanical characteristics, environmental influences and aging behaviour
Polymer optical fibres (POF) are used for data transmission. Industrial automation and vehicle applications use them to a larger scale. During assembly, installation and operation of polymer optical fibres accompanying tests are necessary for quality assurance. The series of standards VDI/VDE 5570 helps to improve quality of tests and measurements on polymer optical fibres by enabling better reproducibility and comparability of results. The standard describes testing methods for mechanical characteristics, for the quantification of environmental influences and for an approximation of the expected life span. The methods described are focussing on testing buffered fibres (combination of optical fibre and buffer). The standard is a base for better and easier communication between manufacturers, distributors and users on technical properties of polymer optical fibres.