Maintaining the PIC Fiber-Optic Cable

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To maintain the PIC fiber-optic cable, follow these guidelines:

• Avoid bending fiber-optic cable beyond its bend radius. An arc smaller than a few inches can damage the cable and cause problems that are difficult to diagnose.
• Anchor fiber-optic cable to avoid stress on the connectors. When attaching fiber to a PIC, secure the fiber so it is not supporting its own weight as it dangles to the floor. Never let fiber-optic cable hang free from the connector.
• When you unplug a fiber-optic cable from a PIC, always place a rubber safety plug over the connector.
• Keep fiber-optic cable connections clean using an appropriate fiber-cleaning device, such as the RIFOCS 945/946 Fiber-Optic Connector Cleaning System. Follow the guidelines in the appropriate router hardware guide.
• Frequent plugging and unplugging of fibers into or out of optical instruments, such as SONET or Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) analyzers, can damage the instruments, which are expensive to repair. We recommend attaching a short fiber extension to the optical equipment. Any wear and tear due to frequent plugging and unplugging is then absorbed by the short fiber extension, which is easy and inexpensive to replace.
• If a fiber-optic cable is damaged, replace it as described in the appropriate router hardware guide.
  

  CAUTION: If you do not have a replacement rubber plug in your hand, do not unplug the fiber-optic cable from a PIC. The safety plug keeps the connection clean and prevents accidental exposure to light that might be emitted, which can damage your eyes.

  
  
  

  CAUTION: Do not look directly into the PICs installed in the FPC or into the ends of fiber-optic cable. PICs that use SONET/SDH or ATM single-mode fiber-optic cable contain laser light sources that can damage your eyes.