Question 1

How Does Cleaning Help My Optical Power Budget?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. A signal loss budget or “optical power budget” can be a victim of either poor cleaning tools or poor technique. A few minutes with your OTDR will demonstrate that clean connectors improve (reduce) signal losses, particularly in respect to insertion loss and back reflection. WDM networks also enjoy reduced chromatic aberration. All this enables the networks to run farther and faster.

In a recent field trial in the Mediterranean Sea, an operator of a remotely operated undersea vehicle working on the ocean floor discovered a slow but continuous degradation of the optical power budget, ultimately reaching 20db of loss. A complete and thorough inspection of every end-face in the system revealed that there were extensive cleaning issues at every junction. Previously the team had used alcohol and traditional ‘lint-free’ wipes that did not get the end-faces sufficiently clean. Switching to Sticklers™ fiber cleaning products restored the multi-million dollar robot to operating specifications.

An OTDR can be used to measure signal loss due to contaminated end-faces
Image courtesy Viavi.

In the screen shot, right, an OTDR trace shows a highly contaminated connector exceeding the optical power budget of the circuit. In this example, the 0.7 dB connection degrades to a 3.2 dB show-stopper due to dirt on the connector. This reduces the supportable distance for this fiber link by 90%. Clean networks are happy networks!

Question 2

Cleaning Jumpers and Exposed End-faces — What’s the Best Way?

Accepted Answer

The fiber end-face should be inspected with a fiberscope of at least 80-200x magnification, and if it is contaminated, it should be cleaned using wet-dry cleaning.

With the wet-dry cleaning method, an optical quality cleaning cloth and fluid are used. When using this method, dampen the cleaning cloth with the Sticklers® Fiber Optic Splice and Connector Cleaner Fluid (#MCC-POC03M) and wipe the end face of the connector once, and dispose of the wipe. Never re-use wipes.

Other options include using a push-to-clean tool, such as a CleanClicker from Sticklers, which are equipped with an alignment sleeve adapter which is perfect for cleaning exposed termini.

One other option, unique to Sticklers, is the P25 CleanStixx, a special cleaning swab designed for exposed termini. This is particularly useful on hermaphrodidic connectors, such as TFOCA designs.

The fiber should not be used if the cleaning is unsuccessful because the immoveable contamination probably is a defect (scratching, improper polishing, or some other damage).

A typical hermaphrodidic connector. These can be very challenging to clean properly

Question 3

Should I Clean Patch Cables — Especially New Ones Right Out of the Bag?

Accepted Answer

Everybody asks, how to clean patch cables, also called patch cords or jumpers. But what they really are asking is, do I need to clean them, when they’re new and right out of the bag? The answer is yes, you do. Here’s why:

There are three “P”s to perfect fiber connectivity:

Perfect core alignment
Perfect physical contact (no air gaps between end-faces)
Perfectly pristine connector end-faces and interfaces

The only variable techs easily can control is the cleanliness of the end-face. More than 33% of all new patch cords are sufficiently contaminated as to degrade the network. This is true even when the patch cords are coming right out of the bag, even when the dust caps are still in place. Overall, “75% of network troubleshooting is the result of optical fiber connectors that are dirty or damaged by dirt,” according to Matt Brown, “Inspect Before You Connect,” BICSI News, Nov 2008.

The Sticklers™ team strongly suggests that techs clean and inspect every jumper cable and patch cord before mating them into panels and systems. This especially applies to brand new jumpers and patch cords, right out of the bag.

Clean and inspect every patch cord and jumper cable, both ends, every time you mate them

The Economics of Patch Cables

How can this be? Well, patch cords are a commodity, so the primary distinction between brands is the price. This drives all the makers to get their price as low as possible. That means they have to get their costs down, too. Cleaning is an extra step that can be avoided — after all, the customer is going to clean the connectors before mating! — so most simply don’t bother to clean.

Even if they do clean the end-faces, they don’t clean the end-caps and they certainly don’t clean the plastic shipping bags. Never assume that a new cable assembly is clean. End-caps usually are made with PVC plastic softened with plasticizers. These chemicals can leach out from the PVC and transfer to the connector end-face. “Out-gassing” is a major concern if the assembly is exposed to high temperatures, such as being in a sealed shipping container crossing the Pacific Ocean.

To keep repair costs low, customer satisfaction high and networks fast, it makes sense to clean every patch cord connection, every time, with engineered fiber cleaning fluids and tools before mating.

Question 4

Where Does All the Dust Come From on Fiber Networks??

Accepted Answer

Dust is a real problem with fiber optics. It's granular in nature and resists compression. It often is opaque and completely blocks the optical signal. Getting rid of the dust is a top priority.

There are two basic sources of dust-based contamination: 'wear debris' and 'environmental.

Wear Debris

The most common source is wear debris caused by the friction of inserting a connector into the adapter. Connectors like the SC and MPO have sliding housings that are held in place by latches in the adapter. Other connector systems like the ST, FC, and many of the hardened connector systems have metal housings that are threaded and use orientation keys. All of these connectors wear through repeated matings and generate particles of dust and debris. Other sources of wear debris are the protective end caps. Removing the end caps from a connector which was perfectly clean during the last inspection at factory will cause the end-face to become contaminated when the end cap is removed by the installer.

Environmental

The other common contributors for dust-based contamination is our environment. The common sources of dust in the air that contribute to dust-based contamination include: skills cells, hair, clothing lint, debris from foam-based swabs, poor quality paper wipes, zinc whiskers from electroplated surfaces, cardboard packaging, plant pollen, molds, airborne dirt and sand, abraded concrete, carpet dust, pollution from electricity generation, and vehicle emissions.

Either type of dust can be 'locked' on to an end-face by static charges. Use the Sticklers cleaning fluid to dissipate the static charge and improve the cleaning results. Remember: always clean your connectors, both sides, every time you are mating them.

Question 5

Why Is Static a Problem on Fiber End-faces?

Accepted Answer

Static is an insidious actor when it comes to fiber optics. It comes from friction. Anytime two different materials are rubbed together there is a transfer of surface electrons that creates a static charge. The technical term for this event is “triboelectric charging.” This static charge turns the fiber optic end-face into a microscopic magnet, attracting dust out of the air right on to the heart of the end-face. Triboeclectric charging will occur when rubbing any nonconductive surface with any dry wipe such as a CLETOP, a foam swab, or a dry fabric wipe.

Common sources of static charge caused by contact friction in optical networks include:

Dry wipe cleaning
Insertion of inspection scopes and test gear into adapters
Connector mating
Equipment cooling fans and fans in the HVAC system

A common cause of static charge is using a dry wipe to clean connectors in low-humidity environments. Dry particulate has a very sly manner of moving on to fiber end-faces and causing network problems. For example, an operator will clean and inspect an end-face and see a pristine end-face. Then, the operator returns at a later date and finds troublesome dust particles on the end-face. How can this happen? Particles are attracted by the static and migrate towards the contact zone of the ferrule — exactly where it can cause the most problems. Because the static turned the end-face into a magnet, it just sucks particulate out of the air.

The problem is the process, not the particulate. The proper answer is wet-dry cleaning, proven by IPC and iNEMI to deliver better cleaning on fiber end-faces.

Sticklers CleanWipe Singles can be used in harsh environments with the Cleaning Fluid to get perfectly clean connectors under the most challenging circumstances.

Question 6

Are NSN Numbers Assigned to Sticklers™ Fiber Optic Cleaners?

Accepted Answer

The Sticklers™ team has many 'National Stock Numbers' (NSN numbers) assigned to the Sticklers™ cleaning products. These are used by the U.S. government and most NATO countries to specify approved products for different tasks, including fiber optic cleaning. You can find these NSN numbers on the product specs, on the web page for each product and on the product labels.

For convenience, the complete list of NSN numbers of currently active products is included here: MicroCare Current NSN Numbers

Question 7

Are Water Based End Face Cleaners Suitable for Fiber Optics?

Accepted Answer

The short answer is no.

Water based end face cleaners are generally unsuitable for fiber optics. These products tend to be weaker cleaners and have high surface tension and low viscosity, which minimizes their effectiveness. Water based end fiber optic cleaners usually will not dissipate any static which locks particulate on to end faces. In cold ambient temperatures, the water will freeze in the container or on the end-face or in the alignment sleeve. How are you going to clean when your 'solvent' is frozen?

I realize some companies are in places which rarely experience freezing temperatures. The true Achilles heel of water based cleaners is the slow evaporation rate. Aqueous products just are too slow to dry and can leave moisture on the end-face. Field techs also are frequently cleaning residues from end-faces which have come into contact with rain, snow, coastal fog, and dew. Water doesn't remove water very well. And, if the tech doesn’t get all the water completely wiped off the end face or fiber, any remaining water moisture will capture surrounding contaminates which will leaves a water-spot behind when the water does finally evaporate. When you clean a fiber or connector, you want to do it rapidly and with a minimal amount of cleaning fluid.

In extreme cases with high power lasers, a little bit of water on an end-face will instantly convert into steam, causing a small explosion through the sudden expansion of the vapors which can destroy the connector and surprise the technician.

For customers who are working with transceivers or active equipment with electrical circuits, too much water also could get into the wrong place and may short-circuit an PCB or corrode leads.

Oddly, one of the principle makers of water based fiber optic cleaners has a video available on-line that shows operators using the product while wearing gloves. We're not sure why protective clothing should be required for these products but that's another reason to avoid them.

In short, avoid aqueous (water-based) fiber optic cleaners. Look for fast-drying, high-purity fluids formulated, packaged and labeled specifically for cleaning fiber optics.

Water based fiber optic cleaning fluids are a poor choice for a number of reasons, but one of the most obvious factors is that water freezes. In this photo, an aqueous cleaner has frozen solid after a night in a household refrigerator. This could easily happen in a truck or tool kit in a colder climate

Question 8

Can High Power Lasers Damage Fiber Networks?

Accepted Answer

High power lasers can destroy glass fiber if the fiber is not perfectly clean. This is called the “fiber fuse effect.” There isn’t too much written about this but it going to happen more frequently as optical networks evolve. The problem is more than just damaged fiber end faces. The effect also can kill the fiber up to a several meters distance from the connector or end-face.

A high-powered laser has 100 miliwatts of energy or more, 1/30th the glow of a night-light in a bedroom. While this is a tiny amount of energy in human terms, at the microscopic size of a fiber it is a very large amount of energy. A real world example is to think about a kid’s magnifying glass. If we put a piece of paper on the ground in direct sunlight, the paper will not ignite and catch fire. If we use the magnifying glass to focus the same sunshine light onto a concentrated spot on the paper, the paper will ignite. The glass lens concentrates the sun’s energy into a tight spot generating enormous heat. High powered lasers have the same effect on fiber cables.

When the light from a high power laser contacts contamination on a fiber end-face, the light is stopped — it cannot pass through the contamination. Because of the 1st Law of Thermodynamics, we know the energy must go someplace. Trapped, it converts into a tremendous amount of heat in a small concentrated area. It gets so hot the contamination and glass transform into a plasma, fusing the contamination onto to the fiber core. These are the dark spots which can be seen with an inspection scope on the fiber.

Surprisingly, the optical energy also can flow backwards into the fiber from which it came. This not only alters the fiber cladding’s properties but could also damage the transmitting components like the laser and amplifiers on the line. The photo below shows the damage that can occur.

This image shows damage from contamination which was not removed prior to the fiber being irradiated with a 100mW laser. The damage reflected backwards from the contamination and melted little “bubbles” in the fiber. The bottom image shows the holes in the fiber caused by the plasma. Images courtesy the Photonics Group at the Imperial College of London

An equipment maker like Cisco uses sophisticated engineering to determine the power of the required light source on a given fiber link. The factors involved vary widely based on many “stackable” factors like fiber type, transmission distance, signal type, equipment in the line (i.e. Raman amplifiers or EDFA), the power budget, etc. Regardless of the equipment and the power, there is one universal theme: All networks need to have a contaminant-free path for the signal to pass through. Clean AND inspect every end-face, both sides, every time you mate them together with enginnered fiber optic end face cleaners and tools.

This image shows damage on a fiber end-face from contamination which was not removed before the connector was irradiated with a 100mW laser. The contamination absorbed the light, converted it into heat, and fused the central contact area of the fiber. Image courtesy NTT AT of Japan.

Question 9

Can I Use “Reagent Grade” High Purity IPA to Clean My Fiber?

Accepted Answer

Some companies buy the purest IPA they can get, which is called “reagent grade” IPA. They use this to try to solve the fiber cleaning problem.

But I believe that the purchase of 99.9% “reagent grade IPA” is a waste of money and effort. Here’s the ‘little secret’ about reagent-grade IPA: since it is the most pure it also is the most hygroscopic. 99.9% “reagent-grade IPA” will reduce itself to “drug-store” purity long before the container is emptied.

Unless the techs are buying reagent-grade IPA in a hermetically-sealed container and using it under very controlled conditions (such as protecting it with a nitrogen blanket to control moisture absorption) your company is just wasting money.

Plus, even if they do all that, it still doesn’t change the other problems with IPA alcohol, such as the slow-drying nature and the flammability and the smell.

In short, IPA is yesterday’s news. It’s time to upgrade to cleaning fluid engineered for fiber optic end face cleaning.

$This photomicrograph shows the diffraction pattern of a thin liquid contamination on the end-face, most likely alcohol$
This photomicrograph shows the diffraction pattern of a thin liquid contamination on the end-face, most likely alcohol

Question 10

Can't Use IPA — So What Else Is There? What Can I Use to Clean My Fiber Networks?

Accepted Answer

Fiber optics need fast, consistent and reliable cleaning for optimal operation. The selection of a cleaning fluid is a complex trade-off of many attributes: cost, storage, handling, purity, actual cleaning ability, drying time and worker safety to name a few. Modern, nonflammable fluids are the best choice to ensure a clean surface that is optimized for ultra-high speed and ultra-capacity fiber optics.

Technicians should seek out cleaning fluids that have the following characteristics:

Engineered specifically for cleaning fiber
Packaged in sealed, nonrefillable containers (to prevent cross-contamination and spills)
Nonflammable, for maximum safety
Plastic-safe
Nontoxic, with a good environmental profile
Fast evaporation
No residues
Do not contain water
Air-transportable as nonhazardous

The Sticklers™ Fiber Optic Splice & Connector Cleaner Fluid (#MCC-POC03M) is the leading product in this class. The Viavi CleanBlast Fluid is an excellent choice as well. Both are available from your Sticklers distributors.

The Sticklers® cleaning fluid is nonflammable, fast-drying, residue-free and engineered for cleaning fiber optic end-faces

$This photomicrograph shows the diffraction pattern of a thin liquid contamination on the end-face, most likely alcohol residues from improper cleaning$
This photomicrograph shows the diffraction pattern of a thin liquid contamination on the end-face, most likely alcohol residues from improper cleaning

Question 11

Cleaning Both Ends of a Fiber Connection — Do I Really Have To?

Accepted Answer

We often get this question. “What happens, if there are dust particles on one of the connector end faces during the connector mating process? Can I save some time and just clean one side?”

The short answer is, NO, you’re not going to save any time because the odds are you’ll be back next week to repair the end-faces. Mating connectors with dust on the end-faces will embed the debris into the end-face, causing permanent scratches and pits. Reterminating may be required.

At a microscopic level, the two end-faces are pressed together with incredible force. The way to calculate contact pressure (P) is to divide the force by the surface area or simply P=F/A. If we assume the spring in a connector is operating to industry standards, it has mating force of 3kg (6.6 lbs). The contact area of the two mated connectors is 200 square microns (0.00787 square inches). This means the contact force between of the mated pair in the contact zone is 147N/m2 (21 psi). This is more than enough pressure to embed the dust particles deep into the ferrule end-faces, creating scratches and pit marks.

These defects will not only be in the glass of the fibre but also on the surfaces of the zirconia ceramic of a single fiber ferrule and in the polymer composite materials used for MT ferrules. Scratches and pits located in the contact zone will have a negative impact of the signal performance — spiking the inspection losses and disrupting back reflectance, especially for angle-polished connectors.

So here’s the rule: clean both end-faces, every time you mate them.

This end-face is contaminated with particulate and probably skin cells

Question 12

Why Bother Cleaning Fiber Optic Connectors?

Accepted Answer

Modern fiber optic networks have unbelievable capacity and capabilities. But these fast networks are fragile, so cleaning is critical to the reliability and performance of any network.

For companies that generate revenue from their data, such as Netflix or Amazon, downtime can be amazingly costly. Evolven computes that for certain companies the cost of a single event can top $1 million (more than $11,000 per minute). A USA Today survey of 200 data center managers found that over 80% of these managers reported that their downtime costs exceeded $50,000 per hour and for a rarified 25% of large I-T companies, downtime cost exceeded $500,000 per hour.

This End-face is contaminated with particulate and probably skin cells

Notice The sharp rectangular edges of this contamination, indicating salt crystals.

The End-face is completely obscured by polishing residues from when the end-face was being shaped

Many People attempt to clean end-faces by wiping on their shirt or jeans. Here, some cotton fibers from jeans have blocked the signal almost completely

Sometimes heavier liquids can be found up on fiber end-faces, such as this lubricating grease

The The most common contamination is fingerprint oils. Notice the smearing of the oily droplets, typically the result of finger motions

This End-face is contaminated with hard-edged particulate, which may be dust or sand particulate. Very dangerous for end-faces

$This photomicrograph shows the diffraction pattern of a thin liquid contamination on the end-face, most likely alcohol$ This Photomicrograph shows the diffraction pattern of a thin liquid contamination on the end-face, most likely alcohol

For example, in September 2010, Virgin Blue's check-in and online booking systems went down from a hardware failure. The outage severely degraded flights for about 11 days, affecting 50,000 passengers and 400 flights, and cost about $20 million in lost revenue. On Jan. 14, 2016 a power outage at a Verizon data center knocked JetBlue Airways for a loop, delaying flights and having passengers scrambling to rebook. Delta Airlines had the same experience on Sep. 7, 2016, and that 5-hour computer outage cost the airline $150 million. Bank of America online Banking systems, Gmail, Netflix, MicroSoft, AT&T and and many other major companies have suffered expensive network problems.

Now not all of these failures are due to the fiber networks. Some are hardware failures, some are software issues (usually upgrades gone wrong). But, for most general purpose I.T. environments, it’s been estimated by Cisco that 70% of network failures are a result of connector end-face contamination. A study by NTT-AT reported that 80% of network owners knew that end-face contamination was the root cause of their network failures. Additionally, a survey of 67 data centers by the Ponemon Institute across a variety of industries found that average cost per minute of network downtime was $7,900. So it makes economic sense to clean the end-faces and avoid downtime and avoid expensive repair visits.

The location of any debris on the end-face is crucial, especially if it is near the center of the fiber core — the “contact zone.” A 1μm particle can be the difference between having an end-face that meets or fails EIC 61300-3-35 specifications. Even the most experienced operator cannot visually determine if a particle or a smudge of oil will degrade the network. The use of a modern cleaning supplies and a digital ferrule scope with automated analysis software eliminates the contamination that will degrade network performance.

But the problem gets bigger. For example, today’s lasers have more power than older lasers. Specialty applications such as WDM and all of its variations and reflectivity are also critical concerns when discussing cleaning. The high power of today’s lasers and reflectivity are greatly impacted by remaining moisture left behind by cleaning processes.

So the short answer is that dirty end-faces will produce higher insertion losses and more back-reflection than clean connectors, which will degrade the performance of the network. It’s cheaper to clean than to repair.

Question 13

Fiber Optic Cleaning Fluid — Does Sticklers™ Have a Larger, More Economical Package?

Accepted Answer

For years, the popular Sticklers™ fiber optic cleaning fluid was only packaged in a 3 ounce / 85 mL miniature pump spray. Now that has been expanded to a jumbo-sized, 10 oz./284 g pump spray. Both pump sprays are terrific packages:

The small bottle contains more than 650 cleanings — that’s a LOT of connectors — and the big bottle contains 2,200 cleanings
Both packages preserve the cleaning fluid, keeping it clean and factory fresh (which is a lot harder than you might think)
Both packages have a unique, 3-way cap which means the fluid is dispensed without waste
Both packages use an engineered “metered” valve, so none of the liquid is wasted
Both packages are not pressurized, so they’re not hazardous to ship
Both packages won’t leak or spill, unlike bottles of IPA alcohol
Both packages cannot be refilled, avoiding cross-contamination
Both packages are nonflammable, for maximum safety

Either way, those are two pretty nifty packages.

Fast-evaporating and super-pure, the 10 oz. jumbo-sized bottle of the Sticklers fiber optic cleaning fluid out-cleans IPA alcohol and delivers cleaner connectors at lower cost

Question 14

How Can Fiber Connectors Accumulate Static?

Accepted Answer

It’s simple: fiber ferrules and connectors are NOT conductive, so there’s no place for any electrical charge to go. Let’s get back to the basics:

Dielectric materials like ceramic ferrules and composite MT ferrules are insulators, not conductors. Since they are not conductive, there is no place for any static to go. When static is created, the voltage remains trapped indefinitely on the device until a conductive path is created. Any debris residing inside the connector housing quickly becomes attracted to the ferrule end-face and can be tightly bonded to that surface.

Static charges on the end-face will attract and hold particulate debris for days and even months. The debris remains bonded to the end-face until the static charge finds a conductive path for it to dissipate.

The introduction of a cleaning fluid creates that conductive path, making it easy to physically wipe the debris away. The most effective cleaning process to solve this problem is using an optical grade cleaning fluid. The liquid temporarily creates the conductive medium for the static to dissipate.

Question 15

How Does Contamination Cause Signal Loss Between a Mated Connector Pair?

Accepted Answer

Optical fiber is a precisely engineered optical medium with very exactly engineered refractive indices. Obviously, opaque contamination will simply block the light signal and must be removed. But many techs don't realize that translucent residues — like oils or fingerprints or even droplets of IPA alcohol — degrade the signal as well.

In fact, translucent residues in the signal path change the refractive index of the transmission medium because the optical signal is traveling through different media. The residue will have different refractive index than the glass core of the fiber ('chromatic aberration'). Some of the signal’s wavelengths will disperse unpredictably (see photo, below) which means the signal will be degraded because of these different refractive indices.

So it is important to clean both ends of the mated endface pair before connectiong.

$This photomicrograph shows the diffraction pattern of a thin liquid contamination on the end-face, most likely alcohol$
This photomicrograph shows the diffraction pattern of a thin liquid contamination on the end-face, most likely alcohol

If a liquid is on the fiber end-face it will change the optical properties of the fiber, causing aberration and signal loss, especially in WDM applications

Question 16

How Does Dust Cause Signal Loss Between Mated Connector Pairs?

Accepted Answer

Dust particles that are not removed will interfere with the signal’s path as the light passes between the two mated fibers. The light from the outgoing ferrule could be absorbed (“insertion loss”) or reflected back into the fiber (“back reflection”) as the signal comes into contact with dust particles. There are also times when the dust particles can interfere in the mating process causing small air gaps. That slight gap can causing a diffuse reflection effect where the signal is reflected in multiple angles which spikes insertion loss. All of this can be seen in a quick test with your OTDR.

Important point here: dust can be locked on to an end-face by static. For the best cleaning results, use the Sticklers® cleaning fluid in addition to your lint-free wipe or cleaning swab, because the cleaning fluid will dissipate the static and allow your cleaning tool to do a better job.

Dust can create an air gap which causes signal degradation.

Question 17

How to Clean FTTA Networks Fiber Connectors?

Accepted Answer

The world is going mobile, and that means FTTA networks with high-bandwidth connectivity are required to service all the cell phones and tablets with “anywhere, everywhere, every time” service. This demand is overloading the old-style cellular networks that used copper connectivity to the local radio antennas. As a result,I’ve been getting a lot of questions lately on which Sticklers™ products would be recommended for Fibre To The Antenna Networks (FTTA). Companies around the globe are deploying fiber right up the towers and directly to the antennas.The larger companies making FTTA gear are Samsung (Korean), Huawei (Chinese), Ericsson (Swedish) , ZTE (China), Amphenol Antenna (USA) and Nokia Networks (Finnish).

For the best results in these sophisticated, geographically diverse, but widely distributed FTTA installations, it is essential that all the fiber end-faces be perfectly clean.

I include with FTTA networks another technology, the Hybrid Fibre CoAx (HFC) networks. These are the types of networks which Multiple Systems Operator (MSO) or cable television carriers would offer. From a technical perspective, the optical portions of a FTTA and HFC are very similar until you reach the last node. For example, Comcast and Australia’s National Broadband Network (NBN) are using CoAx drops from the last node into the demarcation box in the building in their HFC or Fibre To The Node (FTTN) design. In contrast, Verizon and CenturyLink usually use a fibre drop from the neighborhood node right to the demarc box on the side of the building. Either way, the network links are still heavy with SC/APC (2.5mm based) connectors. Clean these with the 2.5mm CleanClicker™ tool (#MCC-CCU250), the 2.5mm CleanStixx™ (#MCC-S25) and CleanWipes™ 90 benchtop lint-free wipes. Naturally, all of these work better with the Sticklers™ fiber cleaning fluid (#MCC-POC03M or -POC10M).

In contrast, the 5G and 4GLTE networks are heavy with LC duplex connectors in the base station and pedestals. The main connectors used for interconnecting the next gen active antennas with the optical interface are using the ODC series connectors which have a 1.25mm termini using a pin-and-socket configuration. (ODC is a trade name by Huber+Suhner.) The other term often used describes two types of hardened 1.25mm based connectors which are “RDC” which is made by Roisenberger (German) and “AARC” made by Amphenol (US). Clean these with the 1.25mm CleanClicker™ tool (#MCC-CCU125), the 1.2mm CleanStixx™ (#MCC-S12) and CleanWipes™ 90 benchtop lint-free wipes. Again, wet-dry cleaning with the Sticklers™ fiber cleaning fluid (#MCC-POC03M or -POC10M) helps all this cleaning work best.

A worker on a cell phone tower often will need to install, upgrade or repair fiber optic connections even when they are hundreds of feet above the ground. Sticklers™ cleaners can help

Question 18

Is it Okay to Use Dusters or “Canned Air” to Clean Connectors and Ports?

Accepted Answer

It’s OK to use an aerosol fiber optic duster, sometimes called an “air duster” or “canned air”, to clean keyboards and blow dust out of racks, but don’t use it on end-faces.

A dry aerosol blast will not remove wet liquid contamination such as fingerprint oils. It does not have static-dissipative properties so it may add static charges to the connectors.

Also, the fluid in the can may spray out in liquid form and freeze the end-face, causing humidity to condense out of the air.

Lastly, some of these products are flammable and can be quite dangerous in enclosed spaces.

Sticklers offers a duster product that offers an exceptional value and very high purit y. However, even the Sticklers™ Optical Grade Particle and Dust Remover is not recommended for use on fiber optic end faces.

Question 19

Is “Axial Rotation” Helpful When Using Fiber Cleaning Swabs?

Accepted Answer

This question was in an email from a customer in Australia. They wrote that a competing fibre connector cleaning stick stated that their cleaners DO NOT use an “axial rotation” cleaning action. They claim axial rotation is a negative in the telecoms industry, and recommend rather a gentle sweeping type of cleaning action. Is this something that we need to be concerned about? Is it even real?

There is no doubt that cleaning a fiber end-face inside the alignment sleeve is a challenge. It’s hard to imagine how one might impart a “gentle sweeping action” across the surface of a LC connector, deep inside the alignment sleeve.

But there are other factors that might come in to play here. You will notice in our CleanStixx product descriptions we use the term “dimensional stability”. This refers to the precision with which we make our CleanStixx; the tips on our CleanStixx are EXACTLY the same diameter, every time, on every stick.

This contrasts with the main competition, which are foam sticks and “wrapped cloth” sticks. These devices vary in their diameter quite a bit. They also are very snug as they go into the alignment sleeve (see illustration, example “A”). Because they’re squeezed into the alignment sleeve so tightly they only can rotate around the center of their axis. This means they will have difficulty cleaning the outer perimeter of the contact zone.

In contrast, the Sticklers CleanStixx are very slender and slide into the alignment sleeve with room to spare. This is an intentional design element. When you spin a Sticklers swab, the tip will gently wobble, sweeping across the end-face from side to side. It is in this manner that the Sticklers products clean the entire end-face consistently, while other products cannot (example “B”). Additionally, the tip of the CleanStixx spreads out a tiny bit (“mushrooms”) and creates spaces between the fibers which pick up debris, just as the tread of a car tire might pick up pebbles from time to time.

cleaning-sticks-compared

The CleanSitxx also are made of a sintered polyester fiber material, something like a paint brush. As noted above, when the CleanStixx is gently pushed onto an end-face, the fibers flare out or “mushroom” slightly, allowing the space between the fibers to pick up particulate (see illustration). Foam swabs and cloth swabs lack this capability. Additionally, the capillary action of the individual fibers have a very high capability to pick up liquid contamination. This means they just work better.

There is no doubt in my mind as to which technology delivers better end-face cleaning, “axial rotation” or not.

Question 20

My Fiber Cleaning Tools Have Static Charges. Should I Be Worried?

Accepted Answer

The issue of static charges on fiber tools is interesting. Static on fiber cleaning products are only an issue if the work environment involves the manufacture of electronics. This is because many electronics manufacturers have an ESD control program that restricts materials at the workbench. The maximum allowed on the workbench is a static charge of 150 volts. If you are not working in electronics assembly, this requirement for static dissipative materials does not apply.

That being said, if compliance with an ESD program is the goal, no major manufacturer will have a compliant product. All of the materials of construction (as well as packaging) use polymers that may exceed the 150 volt threshold. To become ESD-safe (electrically conductive) these plastics would need to contain an anti-static compound. Those compounds used in those plastic polymers leach out, on to fingers and desktops. They can transfer from the cleaning stick to an end-face, and become contamination.

But static IS an issue on the end-face. Electrostatic charges on an end-face will attract dust to the end-face and lock the dust in place, making cleaning very difficult. The dust then will degrade the optical signal. Eliminating this static greatly improves cleaning and network performance.

The optimal control of static charges is typically achieved by the use of a static-dissipative cleaning fluid, along with the appropriate cleaning tools. That’s why we invented the Sticklers fiber optic cleaning fluid. If the tip of a Sticklers™ cleaning stick has been properly treated with the Sticklers™ cleaning fluid prior to cleaning, the presence of a static charge is minimized to well below 150 volts and assures proper cleaning performance.

If compliance with an ESD program is the issue, use a CleanClicker™ push-to-clean tool (photo, right). The standard 1.25 and 2.5 mm CleanClicker tool (without the dust cap) does provide static dissipative properties that should pass an ESD control program.

CleanClicker tools can clean both jumpers and ports, using a special adapter tip to align the cleaning tool with the exposed termini of the jumper

Question 21

Saving Money — Can I Re-Use My Cleaning Wipes?

Accepted Answer

It’s laudable to try to control costs and protect the environment, but re-using lint-free wipes is a false economy. In fact, it creates a network nightmare because everything becomes cross-contaminated. You can’t clean with a dirty wipe.

Let’s suppose a company provides a large, high-quality 9×9 inch (23x23cm) wipe for their techs. That wipe becomes contaminated when a connector is wiped across it. The wipe also picks up hand oils and dust. That contamination then is re-deposited on the next end-face. I have personally seen a fiber tech in a telco central office “cleaning” dozens of connectors using a disgusting, alcohol-soaked rag. I am sure if the tech had an inspection scope he would have been shocked at the damage he was inflicting on his network.

Most companies buy cheap “low modulus” cellulose wipes, held together with glues. This is another false economy. These wipes shred easily as the sharp edges of a connector rumble across the wipe. Re-using those wipes will make thing even worse for the end-face.

Wipes are cheap. What’s expensive is an angry customer. Therefore, four important tips come to mind. First, select high-quality “high modulus” lint-free wipes made without cellulose and glues. These will resist ripping, shredding and linting. Next: don’t buy large wipes; buy the smallest possible wipes so there’s no incentive to re-use them. Third: Avoid jumbo-sized bags of wipes; select wipes in proper packaging that will keep them clean until they are used. Lastly, teach your team that any wipe, once used, must be trashed.

How much is it really saving you, if you have to waste money on a repair visit?

Using a damp wipe to clean a connector

Question 22

Should I Use Presaturated Alcohol Wipes to Clean Fiber End-Faces?

Accepted Answer

In general, no. While pre-saturated wipes are very convenient, they usually do not deliver the perfect cleaning results that fiber optic end-faces require. The most popular pre-saturated wipes are similar to the wipes seafood restaurants offer after dinner, to clean patrons hands. These pre-saturated wipes often contain microscopic oily residues extracted from the plastic packaging, which will then transfer to the end-face during the cleaning process. The wipes usually are the cheapest possible paper, unsuited to fiber optic cleaning. Pre-saturated wipes also cannot use fast-drying solvent fluids because they would not have a sufficiently long shelf-life; the fast-drying solvents escape from the foil packages pretty quickly. (We know, because we’ve tried.)

If you really need a convenient, single-use wipe the very best option would be the CleanWipes™ Singles, which is a high-purity fabric in a hermetically-sealed package. Use it with the Sticklers™ cleaning fluid.

High-purity cleaning fluids should always be used with both wipe and swab applications. Instead, use a lint-free wipe or fiber optic swab with an engineered cleaning fluid. Carefully apply a small amount of high-purity cleaning fluid on a corner of a dry wipe or the tip of the swab and then clean the fiber optic termini. A well-engineered cleaning fluid will not only dissolve oils found on the end-face, but will help to eliminate the electrostatic charge that locks contamination on to end-faces.

In short, be wary when using pre-saturated cleaning materials unless they are specifically engineered for fiber applications.

Instead of using pre-saturated wipes in disposable packets — the kind they give you in restaurants — get a wipe engineered for cleaning fiber end-faces

Question 23

Swabs or Clickers — Which Is Better, and When?

Accepted Answer

One of the most common questions we get is asking for guidance upon when to use a mechanical clicker and when should a tech should use a stick to clean. That’s a great question.

Here’s the short answer: clickers get you fast cleaning, but sticks get you better cleaning. Which is the right choice? It depends.

The thing about click-to-clean tools is they’re great for high-volume applications. If you’re dealing with fiber counts of 288 fibers and above, or you’re going to have to clean lots of mated pairs, a Clicker is a really good option because it’s going to let you clean a lot of connectors very quickly and very consistently.

Clickers also are really good for applications with light levels of contamination, for example, maybe cleaning the equipment inside a rack at a data center or central office or head end.

Where click-to-clean tools are going to struggle is when you get medium to heavy levels of contamination. Heavy contamination means you’re going to have to run the clicker multiple times. That can get expensive. If you need 3-4 clicks you might be better off going with a cleaning stick.

A cleaning stick or fiber swab also makes it easier to deploy wet-dry cleaning, which iNEMI and IPC agree is a better process for heavily contaminated end-faces. Use a nonflammable, fast-drying liquid to enhance the cleaning; not IPA alcohol.

The other time, too, when a stick may make sense is when you’re dealing with smaller fiber counts. So for example if I were putting in a panel with 24 or 48 fibers, I might be better off from an economic standpoint using the sticks. A box of sticks will be a lot less expensive than a clicker.

So if you’re working with small fiber counts or dealing with heavy contamination, wet-dry cleaning with a stick and a cleaning fluid is the best option.

Only Sticklers® family of fiber cleaning tools has all these options.

CleanClicker push-to-clean tools are an excellent choice for cleaning fiber modules. Notice the inspection scope image of the end-face on the computer screen.

The S16 CleanStixx is often used to clean military and aerospace fiber connectors, plus commercial connectors engineered for harsh environments such as SMTPE connectors

Question 24

Is Sticklers™ Cleaning Fluid Better than IPA?

Accepted Answer

John Wooden used to ask his players at UCLA, “If you don’t have time to do it right the first time, when ARE you going to have the time to do it right?” It makes enormous sense, technically and economically, to do a job right the first time. That particularly applies to cleaning fiber optic end-faces.

At Sticklers, our recommendation to techs and installers is pick the right cleaning materials. Get products that are engineered for cleaning optical connectors, not re-purposed from some other industry. Failure to heed this advice will cost a great deal in call backs, network down times and frustrated customers.

Are cleaning supplies REALLY that expensive? Labor cost accounts for 60% to 80% of a fiber deployment expenses. The cost to roll a truck and crew back to a worksite to repair a network failure is typically around $250 to $400 per incident. Unfortunately, after spending huge sums on test equipment and training, many companies suddenly become overly-frugal and choose the cheapest options instead of the most effective options when selecting the connector cleaning consumables to be used on the work site. Obviously, this is a false economy.

The heart of the issue is the cost-per-cleaning, not be the purchase price. The cost comparison should be based on the total cost of getting a clean end-face.

Suppose a bottle of the Sticklers cleaning fluid costs US$15, With 650++ cleanings per bottle, the cost-per-cleaning is 2.3¢ per cleaning. That's pretty affordable, especially since it eliminates the static charges that cause so many networks to fail. So here's the math: spend 2 cents on a proper cleaning fluid, or spend $200 on a repair visit. Hmmmm. Let me think about this...

Now, you could buy cheap IPA alcohol instead, but it's going to be dirty, diluted with water, and probably be spilled or thrown away before the bottle is emptied.

Another great example of quality cleaning can be found with the refillable CleanClicker tools. These are optimized for data centers and other high fiber-count locations. Let’s assume you need to clean 2,200 end-faces in a data center. You will need one Sticklers CleanClicker and two refills costing a total of about $211. But if you use the old-style, blue push-to-clean tools you will need five tools; and if you use the really cheap ones from China you’ll need seven tools. Using prices off the internet, that’s about $285 for the blue tools and $450 for the cheap tools from China. 'Cheaper to buy' does not always mean 'cheaper to use.'

Using the Cleaning Fluid to dampen a wipe

There’s another twist here, too: all of the Sticklers products are made with the highest quality.You can get cheaper fiber cleaning tools, but you can't get better cleaning tools. How does quality save you money? Many cheaper cleaning tools will break before the cleaning ribbon is finished; that’s just wasteful. The Sticklers cleaning fluid is super-pure, and delivers more than 650 cleanings in each little bottle. You’ll never get that from IPA alcohol. The Sticklers CleanWipes and the Sticklers CleanStixx have similar cost savings and performance improvements.

A much better choice is to use the Sticklers family of products on your fiber. These have been engineered specifically for fiber cleaning. They will get your connectors perfectly clean on the first try. That’s EFFICIENT and COST-EFFECTIVE.

Question 25

Wet-Dry Cleaning — What Are the Advantages? Is It Really Better?

Accepted Answer

As people became aware of the problems with IPA alcohol, many folks discontinued the use of solvents and went with dry cleaning only. However, dry cleaning has been proven to be less than desirable. As it turns out, wiping dry on a fiber end-face will generate a static charge (technically known as a triboelectric charge) on that end-face that is extremely difficult to dissipate. Both IPC and iNEMI agree, wet-dry cleaning delivers a cleaner connector and a more robust network.

During the development of the IPC-8497-1 fiber optic standard, tests showed that cleaning with a dry wipe creates a triboelectric static charge on the connector end-face. The tiny fiber optic end-faces then act like a magnet (microscopically speaking, of course) and attract airborne particulates precisely to the center of the fiber core. These particulates re-contaminate the end-face and can destroy the performance of a network. This effect has been observed to occur in as little as 60 seconds.

This problem can be managed or even eliminated by wetting the wipe with a static-dissipative cleaning fluid and then wiping the end-face from wet to dry area of the wipe. Sticklers cleaning products have been engineered specifically to dissipate static and make “wet-dry” cleaning fast and easy.

The static charge on a connector end-face will attract unwanted airborne particulate and dust to the connector end-face. The condition will be exacerbated in dry conditions (low humidity) such as winter cold or desert heat. In effect, static on a fiber connector turns the contact area of the end-face into a magnet, attracting dust right to the center of the end-face where it will do the most damage.

Cleaning with a conductive fluid enables the static to be dissipated and particulate will not be attracted to the end-face.

(See: Accumulation of Particles Near the Core During Repetitive Fiber Connector Matings and De-matings by Tatiana Berdinskikh and Jeno Chen of Celestica In-ternational Inc.; John M Culbert of Megladon Manu-facturing Group Ltd.; David Fisher of Tyco Electronics; Sun-Yuan Huang of Intel Corp.; Brian J. Roche of Cisco Systems, Inc.; Heather Tkalec of Alcatel Corp.; and Douglas H. Wilson and Steven B. Ainley of PVI Systems Inc.; presented at NFOEC 2007).

This end-face is contaminated with hard-edged particulate, which may be dust or sand particulate. Very dangerous for end-faces

This tech has just finished cleaning a duplex connector using a CleanWipe fabric and the Sticklers® cleaning fluid. Notice the damp spot on the wipe

Question 26

What Contamination Can Be Found on Fiber?

Accepted Answer

This microphotograph compares four different types of contamination

In very general terms, the contamination found on termini end-faces will fall into three basic categories: particulates, oils and salts. Each requires specialized methods for proper removal.

Particulates are solids usually held on the end-face by electrostatic attraction. Static charges will actually attract dust particles in the same way a magnet attracts iron filings! The best way to clean particulates is by dissipating the static charge that attracts the dust particles and locks them in place. This can be done with a specialty cleaning fluid that actively dissipates static charges.

Oils are harder to clean. A well-engineered cleaning fluid will selectively dissolve oils found on the fiber end-face without damaging materials used to make the connector, its housing, or surrounding components.

Salts, on the other hand, are not necessarily fully removed by cleaning fluids alone. While cleaning fluids may quickly dissolve oils and rinse away particulate, they frequently dry and leave salt remains behind in the form of a white residue that can be very difficult to remove. The absorbency and mechanical action of a wipe or swab is best combined with a cleaning fluid to fully eliminate oils, particulates and salts that would otherwise be left on the termini end-face.

Question 27

What Is the Shelf Life of the Sticklers™ Cleaners?

Accepted Answer

All Sticklers™ fiber optic cleaning products are manufactured by MicroCare LLC of New Britain, Connecticut, USA. As such, and like all MicroCare products, all Sticklers™ products have an unlimited shelf life when properly stored. Proper storage is defined as in a cool, dry location, out of direct sunlight, and off any concrete floors.

Every Sticklers™ product has a lot number on the package. The date of manufacture is embedded in the lot number. The first two digits represents the year in which the product was made (e.g., lot number 22182 was manufactured in 2022). The last three digits represent the day of the year using the Julian perpetual calendar (e.g., 22182 was manufactured on the 182nd day of the year, which is July 1st).

If you have any questions about the lot codes or shelf life of Sticklers™ products, please contact your Sticklers™ representative or contact MicroCare directly.

Question 28

What's the Best Way to Clean After Cleaving Fiber, Before Splicing?

Accepted Answer

Cleaning BEFORE cleaving is important, but not AFTER cleaving. There is nothing cleaner than the end-face of a newly-cleaved fiber.

Fiber never should be cleaned after cleaving. If you do, the fiber end-face will be contaminated. This will cause extra work for the fusion splicer in the pre-burn phase, shorten the lifespan of the units electrodes, degrade the mechanical strength of the splice in the form non-linear splices with bubbles, and cause excess signal losses.

If you’re splicing, it’s very important to clean the fibers before cleaving. A common misconception is that one does not need to be concerned about cleaning except at the very end of the connector assembly process. Not true. Cleaning the fiber ahead of time removes any remaining debris from the stripping process plus any other contaminants that may be on the fiber. Once the coatings have been stripped off from the fiber, it needs to be cleaned off with a damp, lint-free wipe. The liquid used to dampen the lint-free wipe must dry fast to prevent any liquid from remaining on the fiber. Learn more with this video.

Cleaning bare fiber before cleaving is an excellent practice, but never clean AFTER cleaving

Question 29

What's the Best Way to Clean Plastic Clad Silica Fiber?

Accepted Answer

When cleaning soft plastic clad silica fiber, the Sticklers™ team recommends using the Sticklers™ fiber optic cleaning fluid. This chemistry is used every day to clean PCS fiber in various applications. For example, an aerospace manufacturer uses the Sticklers™ cleaning fluid on their PCS fiber. It works very well and does not cause any deformation or clouding of the fibers.

The other product would be the Sticklers™ Benchtop 90 wipes or the CleanWipes™ 640. The wipes plus the cleaning fluid would enable field techs to clean the PCS fiber before splicing. The products are simple and inexpensive, and easy to ship world-wide.

PCS fiber can be tricky to work with. It’s often found in very short haul applications or in environments where weight is a factor. The main applications of plastic-clad silica fiber are audio/visual (like the connectors on the back of most modern high-def TVs), industrial, medical or sensing applications. Most PCS fiber uses cores that are larger than standard data communications fibers for simplicity of installation and resistance to contamination. A wider core means PCS fibers have significantly lower performance characteristics — higher transmission losses and lower bandwidths — than traditional all-glass fibers.

If a client wants to send to the Sticklers™ lab some test parts, the Sticklers™ lab has the ability to test and to document the cleaning effectiveness on your particular parts and their configuration. The lab then returns a detailed cleaning procedure in a written report. The report would include step-by-step process along with lots of images with the scope of creating a document that will help their operators or customers.

Question 30

What's the Best Way to Clean Ports, Down Inside Alignment Sleeves?

Accepted Answer

Cleaning inside the alignment sleeve is one of the most challenging cleaning tasks in industry today, and yet it must be performed quickly, consistently and reliably for the fiber network to operate to its rated specifications. To clean inside an alignment sleeve, you should use a clean-room grade optical swab or a push-to-clean cleaning tool. Sticklers® offers the CleanStixx™ swabs and the CleanClicker cleaning tools for this chore.

To clean inside the alignment sleeve, use the wet-dry cleaning process. Use the Sticklers® Fiber Optic Splice and Connector Cleaner Fluid (#MCC-POC03M) to dampen the tip of the CleanStixx. Insert the swab into the alignment sleeve and apply gentle pressure. Rotate the swab 5-6 times in one direction. Remove the swab and dispose of it.

After cleaning, inspect with a fiberscope. If the fiber end is still contaminated, repeat the process. If the fiber end is still contaminated after three attempts, replace the end-face or the jumper.

Never re-use cleaning swabs inside alignment sleeves.

If you are using a cleaning tool, dampen the tip of the tool with the cleaning fluid. Immediately insert the tool inside the port. Activate the clicker once for the “wet” cleaning mode, and then a second time for the “dry” cleaning mode. Remove the tool and inspect.

SC Connector with CleanStixx

Question 31

What's Wrong with IPA Alcohol for Cleaning Fiber?

Accepted Answer

We apologize in advance for this long answer, but this is a key mis-understanding that deserves serious consideration.

In the world of fiber optics, there only are two truly critical cleaning operations. The first is “prepping” before fusion splicing. The other is “end-face cleaning.” Both are essential to deployment of reliable, high-capacity networks. But as new and advanced as modern fiber networks might be, most technicians still are cleaning them with the same fluid they used in the 1960s: isopropyl alcohol, also called IPA.

Isopropyl alcohol has many names. On safety data sheets it may be called isopropanol, rubbing alcohol, propan-2-ol, 2-propanol, dimethyl carbinol or just IPA. It is an organic compound with the chemical formula C3H7OH. No matter what the name, on the safety data sheet it will carry the official “CAS number” of #67-63-0.

IPA is a colorless, flammable liquid with a strong odor. It has a wide variety of medical, industrial and household uses but it has many flaws, as well. IPA remains a popular cleaning choice mostly due to ‘tradition’ more than ‘effectiveness.’ But there is another reason: IPA is inexpensive and often purchased from a drug store.

Why not use IPA? First of all, IPA is not a very effective cleaner. IPA is not effective on mineral oils and most hand lotions. IPA simply does not have the cleaning “muscle” to remove oils and greases very well.

Drying-speed is another issue with IPA. Slow-drying IPA can be trapped inside a fiber optic connector. This once-pure liquid may leach out inconveniently and contaminate an end-face.

IPA has another unexpected characteristic: it is hygroscopic. This means it attracts water to itself. Studies reveal that a bottle of IPA in an open container will lose 7% of its strength in as little as 15 minutes. IPA continues to absorb moisture until it reaches equilibrium at about 65%. This is why the “rubbing alcohol” purchased at a local store is about 30% water.

Water doesn’t just dilute IPA’s already feeble cleaning power. It also will add residues carried in the air. Those contaminants from the air — and others from those cheap plastic bottles — will be left behind when the IPA dries. This is the source of the “haze” that IPA leaves after cleaning which may increase insertion loss. It also may affect the transmission of one wave length verses another wave length, which can be very troubling in DWDM systems.

Packaging is critical to a cleaning fluid’s performance. No matter how pure the IPA may be when purchased, it will become contaminated when it is poured into a pump bottle, dispenser or an uncovered container. Guaranteed. Each time a drop of IPA is squeezed out of a traditional pump-bottle, air enters. This is reality… not just sometime, not just maybe… but each time it is dispensed. For optimal results, the fluid should be hermetically sealed.

So here’s the headline: to get the most from your investment in advanced fiber equipment, companies must update their cleaning processes and stop using IPA.

Special Note: The existing standard for end-face cleaning is confusing. IEC 61300-3-35 clearly states that IPA is no longer acceptable for end-face cleaning. But IPA commonly is packaged and promoted for fusion splice prep. Do not use this chemical for fiber cleaning applications!

$This photomicrograph shows the diffraction pattern of a thin liquid contamination on the end-face, most likely alcohol$
This photomicrograph shows the diffraction pattern of a thin liquid contamination on the end-face, most likely alcohol

Sticklers CleanWipe Singles can be used in harsh environments with the Cleaning Fluid to get perfectly clean connectors under the most challenging circumstances.

Question 32

Why Are CleanStixx™ Swabs So Much Better than Other Fiber Cleaning Tools?

Accepted Answer

There are many products that can be used to clean fiber end-faces, and they're made by many different companies to many different standards. So let us be blunt: just because they can be used doesn’t mean they should be used.

In our experience, the very cheapest swabs are made from 'reticulated foam.' Google it. Foam is extremely dirty because the pores in the foam are exploded with a high vapor pressure refrigerant. This leaves debris all over the swab, which is going to get on to your end-faces. These cheap swabs cannot compete in functionality and cost-effectiveness with the Sticklers® CleanStixx™ swabs.

Another choice are cloth swabs, wrapped around a metal or plastic core. These have dimensional problems that limits their cleaning effectiveness, and their 'pointed' shape leads to poor cleaning of the dome-shape fiber end-face. Think about it — how can a pencil-like shape clean a dome-shaped end-face?

Sticklers® CleanStixx™ swabs are absolutely the cleanest, most effective, engineered fiber cleaning tool.

Microphotographs of four different fiber cleaning sticks, compared

Take a look at these microphotographs of competing swabs.

You can easily see:

The Sticklers tips are extremely clean, without fibers or loose particles
The tip is flat and will scrub the entire end-face, not just the contact area.
They are the right shape (not pointed or round)
They are dimensionally very consistent so there is room inside the alignment sleeve to “wobble” back and forth, which means they clean the whole end-face
These are made in the MicroCare clean room in our unique assembly process; they are NOT molded or “blown” like reticulated foam (another source of particulate).

In contrast, the foam and cloth swabs are bent in shape, vary in size, some are too big to fit into the ferrule and so they’re squeezed on the sides (which means they can only spin, not scrub); cloth swabs leave fibers (white arrows A and B) while reticulated foam is a very dirty material that will leave particulate (another white arrow).

The CleanStixx™ from Stickers® have two significant advantages over cloth or foam swabs. First, the CleanStixx is more narrow than the alignment sleeve, allowing the swab to scrub the end-face horizontally. Also, under pressure the fibers 'mushroom' out to pick up debris

Question 33

Why Do I Need To Clean My Fiber Optic Connectors Before Mating?

Accepted Answer

It is critical to clean both ends of the connector pair to get optimal network performance. Contamination that is not removed will cause unnecessary signal loss (and that's the best case scenario) and can even cause permanent damage the surface of both connector end faces (pretty much worst case). The industry standards — IEC 61300-3-35, IPC 8497-1, and IEC 62627-01 — all are unanimous and insist on the same process for visually inspection and cleaning both connector end faces before mating.

Cleaning fiber end-faces ensures a reliable network

Question 34

Why Is It Important to Clean Both Ends of the Connector Pair?

Accepted Answer

The IEC 61300-3-35 in Section 5.1 defines the 'contact zone' for single fiber connectors as a diameter between 130µm to 250µm for both multi-mode and single-mode fibers. If there are any residues in the contact zone, the residues will transfer and cross-contaminate both connectors when they are mated together or plugged into an optical transceiver. The dark ring stain that is visible on both of the connectors (photo, right) is the original residue transferred from the contact zone of Connector 2 on to Connector 1. Additional Discussion: Here's an important cleaning tip: NEVER assume the any connectors or patch cords will be 100% clean when you take a cable assembly out of the bag and uncap it. Investing in a quality inspection ferrule scope and having some optical-grade cleaning wipes on hand during an install will give your network optimal performance while saving you time and frustration caused by cross-contamination.

As you can see in the photos (right) if an operator only cleans one end of a mated connector pair (connector 1) and then mates it with an uncleaned connector (connector 2), both end-faces end up contaminated. Residues will transfer from the contaminated end-face to the clean end-face. You can tell when this happens because you will usually see a coffee ring stain on both connector end faces. This is called 'cross-contamination.'

Dust also will transfer from contaminated end-faces to clean end-faces. When this happens, usually the dust particles will start to break apart and even smaller particles will spread across both ferrule end-faces. Another common problem that happens with dust is that it creates pits and scratches on both ferrule end faces. The only solution to these permanent defects is to remove the damaged connector and splice a new one in place. Can you spell, 'wasted time'? In effect, contamination migrates. Always clean both ends of the mated pair, plus any tools, light sources, OTDRs, and other probes you might insert into a port or place over a jumper.

Contamination migrates from dirty end-faces on to clean end-faces, resulting in more dirty connections and degraded network performance

Question 35

Best Practice Cleaning Fiber — What's the Right Technique?

Accepted Answer

When cleaning fiber, it is absolutely essential that you follow best practices techniques to get perfectly clean end faces before mating. This means (a) cleaning and inspecting both end-faces every time they are mated, (b) using a fast-drying solvent engineered for fiber optic cleaning, (c) using the right kind of wipe (for jumpers) or swabs (for ports), and (d) only using them once.

But how should those tools be used? Specifically, what is the best cleaning process for jumpers? Do I take my wipe and just rub the end-face? Is there a “best practice” for wiping?

The answer is, yes there is. The best practice for cleaning fiber is to wipe in a straight line, once. As shown on the illustration below (“A”), place a clean, lint-free wipe on a firm (but not hard) surface and wipe once, in one direction, one time. If you can, gently spin the end-face between your fingers perhaps 1/4 of turn as you wipe. This will produce a perfectly clean end-face on the first time 99%+ of the time.

Do not re-use the wipe. Everytime a fiber end-face is dragged across the wipe, the internal structure of the wipe is damaged. Fibers are ripped and particulate is created. Re-using a wipe will allow that particulate to be re-deposited on to the end-face.

Proper Technique for Wiping Fiber Optic End faces

The two incorrect ways to clean an end-face (“B”) are the popular “figure 8” method of cleaning and the “back and forth” method. The “figure 8” method doesn’t work because it allows the wipe to re-deposit residues back on the end-face. The scrubbing back-and-forth method is even less useful because not only are you re-depositing residues on to the end-face, you’re actually creating more residues as the end-faces rips up the surface of the wipe.

The CleanWipes™ 640 from Sticklers® institutionalizes this proper cleaning technique. It has eight slots on the top of the box and the wipe lays on top of those slots. The connector is pulled along those slots and the unique, high-modulus fabric (not flimsy cellulose-and-glue paper) of the wipe cleans the end-face. This virtually guarantees a clean end-face the first time, every time.

Contact your local Sticklers distributor for more details about the CleanWipes™ 640 and the ways in which is will lower your cost-per-cleaning.

The Sticklers™ CleanWipes 640 makes it easy for techs to use the optimal, “one-way only” cleaning technique to get clean fiber end-faces on jumpers.

Part Number	FK08
Package	Bag
Weight	.65 kg 1.2 lbs.
Size	20 cm x 10 cm x 10 cm 10 in x 5 in x 5 in
Technical Data Sheet	TDS
Safety Data Sheet	SDS

Sticklers™ Fiber Optic Cleaning Kit, High-Volume (2,300+ cleanings)

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Product Details

Safety Data Sheet

BULK

Technical Data Sheet

Sticklers