2
INTRODUCTION
APPLICATIONS
Attenuation (Optical Loss) Measurements.
After a fiber cable has been installed and terminated, it must be tested to determine if
the fiber is installed according to standards and specifications. A comparison of the actual power measurement and the reference
value determines if the installation will pass or fail.
Visual Fault Location (optional with model #: ZO-2V).
Visual fault locators (VFLs) are an important and helpful tool for
troubleshooting optical fiber links. The two main functions of a VFL are fault location of potential problems in a fiber directly behind a
patch panel, and visual fiber identification (helpful for verifying polarity of a system).
Below is a list of test and measurement applications that can be performed using the ZOOM 2 optical power meter. The procedure for
each one of these applications is covered in detail in this manual.
Active Equipment Optical Power Measurements.
Active equipment should be measured periodically for correct power levels.
The transmitters in this equipment have a known power value. The ZOOM 2 can be directly attached to this equipment via a patch
cord to check whether the transmitter is within the manufacturer’s specified power range.
Fiber Continuity Testing.
Continuity can be measured with the ZOOM 2 by placing a calibrated light source on one end of the fiber
and the ZOOM 2 on the other end. This is also a simple way to measure the attenuation of the fiber.
Patch Cord Testing.
Fiber links that are producing incorrect results may have bad patch cords. The ZOOM 2 can be used to test the
attenuation of a patch cord to see if it is usable, or should be replaced.
This manual describes the operation of the ZOOM 2 optical power meter. ZOOM stands for Zeroed Output Optical Meter.
The ZOOM 2 is a very economical option for measuring the optical power of both multimode and singlemode fibers. The ZOOM 2 is
NIST traceable, and is calibrated 850, 1300, 1310, and 1550nm, as well as 1490nm, one of the key wavelengths used in FTTx PON
networks. Reference values used for optical loss readings are stored for each of these wavelengths.
Its user-friendly interface includes two push-buttons: one for power and wavelength selection, and one for setting references and
toggling between dBm (optical power) and dB (optical loss).
The ZOOM 2 is ideal for fiber optic professionals who need to quickly measure optical power and loss in their fiber optic links and do
not require data point storage.
The ZOOM 2 uses a universal detector port, and includes an adapter cap for 2.5mm ferrule connectors, such as ST, SC, and FC, as
well as an adapter cap for 1.25mm ferrule connectors such as LC.
Optionally, the ZOOM 2 can include a precision-coupled visual fault locator optimized for fiber optics. An optical ball lens placed near
the laser output focuses the light for optimum input into fiber optic cables, and special current-limiting electronics prevents laser
burnout (a common problem with pen-style laser pointers), increasing the life of the VFL.
DESCRIPTION
