Cleaning Information
General Cleaning Procedure
146
Agilent
8169A
Polarization Controller, Second Edition
circular movement.
3
Take a new, dry soft tissue and remove the alcohol, dissolved sediment and dust,
by rubbing gently over the surface using a small circular movement.
4
Blow away any remaining lint with compressed air.
An Alternative Procedure
A better, more gentle, but more expensive cleaning procedure is to use an
ultrasonic bath with isopropyl alcohol.
1
Hold the tip of the connector in the bath for at least three minutes.
2
Take a new, dry soft tissue and remove the alcohol, dissolved sediment and dust,
by rubbing gently over the surface using a small circular movement.
3
Blow away any remaining lint with compressed air.
How to clean optical head adapters
Preferred Procedure
Use the following procedure on most occasions.
1
Clean the adapter by rubbing a new, dry cotton swab over the surface using a
small circular movement.
2
Blow away any remaining lint with compressed air.
Procedure for Stubborn Dirt
Use this procedure when there is greasy dirt on the adapter:
1
Moisten a new cotton swab with isopropyl alcohol.
2
Clean the adapter by rubbing the cotton swab over the surface using a small
circular movement.
Some adapters have an anti-reflection coating on the back to reduce
back reflection. This coating is extremely sensitive to solvents and
mechanical abrasion. Extra care is needed when cleaning these
adapters.
When using optical head adapters, periodically inspect the optical
head’s front window. Dust and metal particles can be propelled
through the adapter’s pinhole while inserting the connector ferrule
into the receptacle. These dirt particles collect on the head’s front
window, which can lead to incorrect results if not removed.
C A U T I O N