Skip to main content
  • Investors
  • Partners
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
Back
  • United States
  • 中国
  • 日本
  • Brasil
  • СНГ
  • Deutschland
  • España
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • Mexico
VIAVI Solutions
Back
  • United States
  • 中国
  • 日本
  • Brasil
  • СНГ
  • Deutschland
  • España
  • France
  • United Kingdom
  • Mexico
Search icon
    • Lab and Manufacturing
      • Lab and Manufacturing
        • Application Emulation
        • Automation and Orchestration
        • UE Emulation
        • Cloud UE Emulation
        • Core Emulation
        • Core Test
        • O-CU Simulator
        • O-CU Test
        • O-DU Test
        • O-RU Test
        • RIC Test
        • Security Validation
        • Test as a Service (TaaS)
        • Ethernet Test
        • High-Speed Networks
        • Optical Manufacturing Test
      • Compute, Storage, Transport
        • Compute, Storage, Transport
        • PCI Express
        • SAS and SATA
        • Fiber Channel, Ethernet, FCoE, NVMeoF
        • Protocol Analyzers
        • Exercisers and Generators
        • Jammers
    • Network Deployment and Maintenance
      • Network Deployment and Maintenance
        • Antenna Alignment and Monitoring
        • Asset and Data Management
        • Cell Site Installation and Maintenance
        • Cable and Antenna Analyzer
        • Interference Hunting
        • RF Analysis
      • Fiber
        • Fiber
        • Asset and Data Management
        • Attenuators
        • Bit Error Rate
        • Copper, DSL, WiFi and Broadband Test
        • DOCSIS Test
        • Essential Fiber Optic Testers
        • Ethernet Test
        • Fiber Characterization
        • Fiber Identifiers
        • Fiber Inspection and Cleaning
        • Fault Locators
        • Fiber Optic Sensing
        • Fiber Optic Light Sources
      • Fiber (cont.)
        • Fiber (cont.)
        • HFC Test
        • MPO Testing
        • Optical Multimeter
        • Optical Power Meters
        • Optical Spectrum Analyzers (OSA)
        • OTDR Testing
        • PON Testing
        • Remote Fiber Test and Monitoring
        • Virtual Test and Activation
        • AIOps
        • Core Network Assurance
        • Ethernet Assurance
        • RAN Assurance
        • Remote Fiber Test and Monitoring
      • Service Assurance
        • Service Assurance
        • 5G Service Assurance and Analytics
        • AIOps
        • Fiber Service Assurance
        • HFC and Cable Service Assurance
        • Transport Assurance
      • Lab and Manufacturing
        • Lab and Manufacturing
        • Automation and Orchestration
        • Cloud UE Emulation
        • Core Emulation
        • Core Test
        • O-CU Simulator
        • O-CU Test
        • O-DU Test
        • O-RU Test
        • RIC Test
        • Security Validation
        • Asset and Data Management
        • Remote Fiber Test and Monitoring
        • Virtual Test and Activation
        • AIOps
        • Ethernet Assurance
        • Remote Fiber Test and Monitoring
    • Railway and Mission-Critical
      • Railway and Mission-Critical
      • Drive Test
      • ERTMS and FRMCS Monitoring
      • Mission Critical Assurance
      • Railway Cybersecurity
      • Performance and Threat Visibility
        • Performance and Threat Visibility
        • End-User Experience
        • Enriched Flow Collection
        • Packet Analysis
        • Packet Capture Collection
        • Packet Meta-Data Collection
      • Test and Certification
        • Test and Certification
        • Bit Error Rate
        • Ethernet Test
        • Fiber Identifiers
        • Fiber Inspection and Cleaning
        • Fiber Optic Sensing
        • MPO Testing
        • Optical Power Meters
    • Land Mobile and Military Radio
      • Land Mobile and Military Radio
      • Communications Service Monitors
      • Land Mobile Radio Test
      • Military Radio Test
      • Modular Instrumentation
      • Software Defined Radio and System Solutions
    • Avionics
      • Avionics
      • ADS-B Compliance
      • Aircraft Fuel Quantity Test Sets and Interfaces
      • Antenna Couplers
      • Distance Measuring Equipment (DME)
      • Fiber Optic Avionics
      • GPS Signal Simulators
      • Military Avionics
      • Modular Instrumentation
      • Navigation and Communication
      • Radio Altimeters (RADALT)
      • Radio Frequency Automatic Test Equipment (RF ATE) Systems
      • Tactical Air Navigation System (TACAN)
      • Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS)
      • Transponder and Interrogator
    • Position, Navigation and Timing
      • Position, Navigation and Timing
      • GNSS Disciplined Oscillators
      • GNSS/GEO/LEO Grandmaster Clocks
      • GNSS/GEO/LEO Receiver Modules
      • GPS Simulator
      • RF Transcoder
      • Resilient GEO/LEO Timing Services
    • Custom Optics and Pigments
      • Custom Optics and Pigments
      • Custom Optics
        • Custom Optics
        • Custom Optical Filters
        • Light Shaping Optics
        • MicroNIR Spectrometers
      • Pigments
        • Pigments
        • Brand Protection
        • ChromaFlair Pigments
        • Security Pigments
        • SpectraFlair Pigments
    • All Products
      • All Products
      • All Products
      • Products by Family
      • Discontinued Products
    • Services
      • Services
      • Instrument Care Plans
      • Refurbished Equipment
      • Repair and Calibration
      • System Maintenance and Contracts
      • Training and Certification
      • VIAVI Automated Lab-as-a-Service for Open RAN (VALOR)
      • Order Services
      • Wireless
        • Wireless
        • 5G Solutions
        • 5G Security
        • 5G Synchronization
        • 6G Forward
        • AIOps
        • Automated Lab-as-a-Service for Open RAN
        • Cell Site Installation
        • Cloud-Based Testing
        • Interference Hunting
        • MU-MIMO Test
        • Network Digital Twin
        • Non-Terrestrial Networks
        • Open RAN
        • Private 5G
        • RAN Intelligence Solutions
      • Wireline
        • Wireline
        • AIOps
        • DWDM
        • Ethernet Service Activation Test
        • Fiber Construction
        • Fiber Monitoring
        • Fiber Network Solutions
        • Fiber Sensing
        • FTTx
        • HFC Network Test
        • MPO Connector Testing
        • Passive Optical Network (PON)
        • Rural Broadband
        • Test Process Automation (TPA)
        • Transport Network Operations
        • Hyperscale
        • Data Center Interconnect
        • MPO Connector Testing
        • Tier 1 (Basic) Fiber Optic Certification
        • Tier 2 (Extended) Fiber Optic Certification
    • Network Equipment Manufacturers
      • Network Equipment Manufacturers
        • 5G Security
        • 5G Network Equipment Manufacturers
        • 6G Forward
        • Analytics Enablement
        • Cloud-Based Testing
        • Non-Terrestrial Networks
        • Open RAN Security Test
        • O-RU Commercialization
        • Private 5G
        • Coherent Optics Testing
        • Field Deployment
        • Scalable Manufacturing
        • Technology and Service Introduction
        • Test and Development
      • AIOps
      • Fiber Sensing
      • Open RAN
      • Private 5G
      • Public Safety
      • Solutions for Operations Managers
      • Test Process Automation (TPA)
      • Threat Forensics and Remediation
        • Open RAN Security Test
        • Open RAN Security and Firewall Test
        • Threat Forensics and Remediation
        • Fiber Sensing
    • Government, Aerospace and Defense
      • Government, Aerospace and Defense
        • Electromagnetic Warfare
        • Field Test
        • Military Aviation Testing
        • Payload & Device Optical Elements
        • Radar
        • Research, Development and Manufacturing
        • Secure and Reliable Communications
        • Spectrum Monitoring and Signal Analysis
        • Field Test
        • Private 5G
        • Public Safety
        • Secure and Reliable Communications
        • General Aviation
    • Enterprise and Data Center
      • Enterprise and Data Center
        • Cloud Monitoring
        • End-User Experience Monitoring
        • Network Performance Monitoring
        • Private 5G
        • Unified Communications
        • Threat Forensics and Remediation
        • Cloud Workflow Management
        • Data Center Interconnect
        • Ethernet Service Activation Test
        • Fiber and Copper Test and Certification
        • MPO Connector Testing
        • Tier 1 (Basic) Fiber Optic Certification
        • Tier 2 (Extended) Fiber Optic Certification
        • WAN Performance Testing
        • Fiber Monitoring
        • Fiber Sensing
        • Electric Power Operators
        • Fiber Monitoring
        • Fiber Sensing
        • Fiber Monitoring
        • Fiber Sensing
    • Contractors and Integrators
      • Contractors and Integrators
      • Cell Site Installation and Commissioning
      • Data Center Contractor Solutions
      • Fiber and Copper Test and Certification
      • Residential Broadband Services Installation
      • Solutions for Field Technicians
      • Solutions for Installers
      • Solutions for Operations Managers
      • Test Process Automation (TPA)
    • Custom Optics and Pigments
      • Custom Optics and Pigments
      • 3D Sensing
      • Anti-Counterfeiting
      • Automotive
      • Biomedical Applications
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Custom Color Solutions
      • Government and Aerospace
      • Industrial
      • NIR Spectroscopy
      • Spectral Sensing
  • How to Buy
    • Request a Quote
    • Request a Demo
    • Check Order Status
    • Contact Us
    • Equipment Rental
    • Financing Options
    • How to Order Products
    • How to Order Services
    • Locate a Partner
    • Refurbished Equipment
  • Resources
    • Learning Center
      • Learning Center
      • What are Cloud Solutions?
      • What is 5G Energy Consumption?
      • What is 5G Testing?
      • What is a Hyperscale Data Center?
      • What is End-User Experience Monitoring?
      • What is Fiber Construction?
      • What is Fiber Optic Sensing?
      • What is Fiber Testing?
      • What is OTDR Testing?
      • What is Packet Capture?
      • What is PCIe 6.0?
      • What is RF Interference?
      • View All Topics
    • Literature Library
    • Blog Posts
    • Subscription Center
    • Video Library
    • Webinars
    • Customer Support
      • Customer Support
      • Customer Portal
      • Customer Service
      • Technical Support
      • Return Material Authorization (RMA)
      • How-To Videos
      • Knowledge Base
      • Quick Cards and Tech Tips
      • Software Downloads
      • Warranty, Quality and Compliance
    • About Us
      • About Us
      • Awards and Recognition
      • Environment, Social, and Governance (ESG)
      • Leadership
      • Our Locations
      • Together with VIAVI
    • Careers
      • Careers
      • Career Paths
      • Search and Apply
      • Early-Career Program
      • Life at VIAVI
      • What We Value
      • Events
      • In the News
      • News Releases
      • Blog Posts
      • Subscription Center
    • Partners
      • Partners
      • Locate a Partner
      • Partner Portal Login
      • Compliance
      • Data Privacy and Data Security
      • Patents
      • Product Environmental Compliance
      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms and Conditions
      • Terms of Use
    • Contact Us
Search icon
  1. Home
  2. Resources
  3. Learning Center

What is Fiber Inspection?

Contamination is the #1 reason to troubleshoot optical networks.

  • Fiber Optic Inspection
  • Inspect Before You Connect (IBYC)
  • Importance
  • IEC Standard
  • Did You Know?
  • View Products
  • Contact an Expert

FiberChek Probe

Fiber Inspection is the practice of viewing the end face of a fiber optic connector by use of an optical microscope. The primary reason for fiber inspection is to ensure that the connectors are free of any defects, damage, or debris that would prevent sufficient transmission of light when mated with another connector.

Industry standards such as IEC-61300-3-35 are commonly referenced when determining acceptance criteria for an acceptable fiber connector end face.

What are the Benefits of Inspecting Your Fiber End Faces?
  • reduced network downtime
  • reduced troubleshooting
  • optimized signal performance
  • prevention of network damage.

Contaminated or dirty fiber is the number-one cause of fiber optic network degradation, including permanent equipment damage. As a result, proactive fiber optic inspection programs support the deployment of large-scale fiber optic network and fiber optic cabling initiatives and ensure reliable, high-quality delivery of high-speed, high-capacity, broadband services. VIAVI Solutions’ fiber optic inspection product line, including fiber inspection probes and fiber optic inspection scopes (or simply known as fiber microscopes), offers easy-to-use fiber optic inspection tools that, among other applications, allow field technicians, network managers, IT professionals and contractors to determine the cleanliness of fiber connections when they install the network. VIAVI fiber optic inspection and cleaning solutions also offer the industry’s leading fiber inspection microscopes, fiber inspection probes, and automated fiber analysis software necessary for these programs.

Fiber inspection and cleaning are critical components in a comprehensive fiber deployment and operation strategy. VIAVI fiber optic inspection solutions provide a full suite of optical inspection and cleaning solutions that address the needs of fiber component and system manufacturers, service providers, enterprises, and military and aerospace networks.

Many industry associations maintain guidance for fiber optic inspection and fiber optic cleaning practices and procedures, including the Fiber Optic Association and Bicsi and the Fiber Optic Association, Inc.

Aiding the industry effort to guarantee a common level of performance from the many fiber optic connectors found in today’s fiber-rich, high-connectivity networks, the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) created IEC 61300-3-35. This standard specifies pass/fail requirements for connector end-face quality before connection and supports optimized product and network performance throughout the fiber optic life cycle when compliant with the standard at each stage. Because of the variables associated with manual fiber optic inspection, compliance requires automated end face inspection using analysis software programmed to specified pass/fail criteria for connector quality. Automation of the systematic proactive inspection process using programmed analysis software eliminates the variables associated with manual fiber inspection and provides a documented record of the quality of the connector end face at the point of installation, all in a 100-percent repeatable and reliable process. Combined, these benefits make automated end face fiber optic inspection the most effective method available to assure and certify compliance to the IEC Standard throughout the fiber optic product life cycle and achieve the promise of fiber optic networks.

It is widely known in the fiber optic industry that scratches, defects, and dirt on fiber optic connector end faces negatively impact network performance. If dirty and damaged end faces are not dealt with systematically, these defects can degrade network performance and eventually take down an entire link. In the effort to guarantee a common level of performance from the connector, the IEC developed Standard 61300-3-35 which specifies pass/fail requirements for end face quality fiber inspection before connection.

Inspect Before You Connect

Check out our 14-episode series

  • Episode 1: Inspect Before You Connect Introduction
  • Episode 2: Proactive vs. Reactive Inspection
  • Episode 3: Importance of Inspecting BOTH Sides of a Connection
  • Episode 4: The Importance of Inspecting New Fiber Connectors 
  • Episode 5: The Importance of Inspecting Test Reference Cords
  • Episode 6: Cleaning Stick vs. a Clicker
  • Episode 7:Static Charge and Contamination
  • Episode 8: Understanding Fiber Cleaning Solvents
  • Episode 9: The Importance of Reliable Cleaning Tools
  • Episode 10: Understanding the IEC-61300-3-35 Standard
  • Episode 11: The Importance of Automated Pass/Fail Analysis for Fiber Inspection
  • Episode 12: The Importance of Documenting Fiber Inspection Results
  • Episode 13: The Importance of Investing in Inspection and Cleaning Today
  • Episode 14: Understanding Inspecting and Cleaning MPO Connector

IEC Standard 61300-3-35 is a global, common set of requirements for fiber optic connector end face quality designed to guarantee insertion loss and return loss performance. The standard contains pass/fail requirements for fiber inspection and analysis of the end face of an optical connector, specifying separate criteria for different types of connections (for example, SM-PC, SM-UPC, SM-APC, MM, and multi-fiber connectors). The quality values used in the IEC Standard are the result of years of extensive testing of scratched, damaged, or dirty optical connectors conducted by a coalition of industry experts including component suppliers, contract manufacturers, network equipment vendors, test equipment vendors, and services providers. As a result, the IEC Standard represents a reliable and repeatable standard of quality that guarantees a common level of product and network performance throughout the entire fiber optic life cycle. Receive full details on the IEC Standard by purchasing copies of the copyrighted document at www.ansi.org and searching for “61300-3-35.”

The IEC Standard is designed to guarantee a common level of fiber optic connector performance, but it only works when compliance exists every time connectors are mated. In the industry-wide effort to comply with the standard, current fiber optic handling best practices recommend systematic proactive end face fiber inspection before connection.

VIAVI Solutions reinforces this practice with its widely used proactive inspection model—Inspect Before You Connect (IBYC). While current research shows that the IBYC process is reducing the installation of contaminated fibers and improving network performance, the variables associated with manual fiber inspection (for example, technician eyesight and expertise, ambient lighting, and display conditions), keep manual fiber optic inspection from being a 100-percent reliable and repeatable method of assuring a common level of end face quality and IEC compliance. In addition, because no record of the end face condition is created, certification of quality at the point of installation using manual fiber optic inspection is impractical.

Recognizing the variables and limitations of manual inspection, the IEC used the programmable fiber inspection and analysis software from VIAVI Solutions to develop the standard. Automating the fiber optic inspection process using programmable software eliminates the variables associated with manual fiber inspection and provides a documentable and certifiable record of the quality of the connector end face at the point of installation. Because the IEC standard requires the tester to know the exact location and size of surface defects (for example, scratches, pits, and debris), automated fiber optic inspection and analysis using software programmed to specified pass/fail criteria is the only 100-percent reliable and repeatable way to achieve and certify IEC or customer-specified compliance for fiber optic end face quality—which is also the only way to realize the speed and bandwidth performance promised by next-generation networks.

VIAVI-developed solutions automate the pass/fail process using research-based parameters extracted from nearly 20 years of testing on a constantly expanding database of fibers and fiber devices (for example, SM, MM, Ribbon, E2000, SFP/XFP, bend-insensitive fibers, lenses, and other interfaces). Conducted by a coalition of industry experts, including component suppliers and contract manufacturers, this extensive testing combined with widespread use by component manufacturers, integrators/CMs, OEMs, third-party installers, and service providers make fiber optic inspection solutions from VIAVI the current proven industry standard for automated objective fiber optic connector end face fiber inspection. The combination of common requirements (IEC 61300-3-35) and automated fiber inspection and analysis from VIAVI have measurably impacted product quality throughout the supply chain.

  • A single particle mated into the core of a fiber can cause significant back reflection, insertion loss and even equipment damage
  • Typical debris on a fiber connector endface can be 2 - 15µm and is only visible with a fiber optic probe microscope
  • Inspecting BOTH sides of the fiber connection is the ONLY WAY to ensure that it will be free of contamination and defects
  • Inspecting and cleaning connectors, test ports and reference cords before testing network connectors prevents cross-contamination

Related Links

  • Essential Fiber Optic Testers
  • Passive Optical Network (PON)
  • What is Fiber Testing?
  • What is a Hyperscale Data Center?
Corporate
  • About Us
  • Careers
  • Investor Relations
  • News Releases
  • Partners
  • Social Responsibility
Areas of Expertise
  • 3D Sensing
  • 5G Testing
  • Avionics
  • Fiber
  • Service Assurance
Support
  • Customer Service
  • Technical Assistance
  • Technical Support Portal
  • Repair and Calibration
  • Software Downloads
How to Buy
  • Request a Quote
  • Contact Sales
  • Locate a Partner
  • Order Status
viavi logo
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Subscription Center

© 2025 VIAVI Solutions Inc.

  • Cookie Preferences
  • Contact Us
  • Sitemap
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Technical Assistance
  • Request RMA
  • Request a Quote
  • Locate a Partner
  • Customer Portal
  • Contact Us