THORLABS FS201 Fiber Inspection Scope User Guide

Chapter 1 Warning Symbol Definitions

Below is a list of warning symbols you may encounter in this manual or on your device.

_

_| In Position of a Bi-Stable Push Control
| Out Position of a Bi-Stable Push Control
|

Caution: Risk of Electric Shock

| Caution: Hot Surface
| Caution: Risk of Danger
| Warning: Laser Radiation
| Caution: Spinning Blades May Cause Harm

Safety

Under NO circumstances should this fiber inspection scope be used to view illuminated fibers.
The FS201 Fiber Inspection Scope is equipped with an attenuating laser safety filter to reduce the risk of accidentally viewing active fiber emissions. The safety filter offers measured attenuation values of 41 dB of attenuation at 1310 nm, 34 dB at 1550 nm, and 13 dB of attenuation at 850 nm. However, it should be stressed that in spite of the protection offered, under no circumstances should an actively emitting fiber be viewed with a visual inspection scope such as the FS201. Since many of the wavelengths of light used in the fiber optic industry are invisible to the naked eye, the natural aversion reflex to viewing bright light is suppressed, resulting in potentially longer periods of accidental exposure, which can lead to permanent eye damage. The FS201 may focus the laser light in active fiber signals; direct eye contact with focused laser light should be avoided. Laser safety filters, as used in the Fiber Inspection Scope, are no substitute for practicing good laser safety.
Per Table 1 of IEC 62471-2/TR:2009, the Thorlabs Inc. model FS201 at the 200 mm distance met the Exempt Group criteria for all optical radiation hazard functions except for Blue Light Hazard. Per Table 1 of IEC 62471-2/TR:2009 the Thorlabs Inc. model FS201 at the distance of 200 mm distance met the Risk Group 1 criteria for Blue Light Hazard.
Per Table 1 of IEC 62471-2/TR:2009 the sample is classified as Risk Group 1 for all hazard categories.
Labeling Requirements:
Per IEC 62471-2/TR:2009 the requirements for labeling are: No Labeling Required

WARNING

Do not use the FS201 to view illuminated fibers. Ensure that any fiber sources are turned off or disconnected before use.

Description

About the FS201
The FS201 Fiber Inspection Scope produces a high-quality, low-distortion image of both the connector end and the fiber. With a high intensity coaxial illumination system and a 200X magnification, this microscope is powerful enough to offer a clear image of the fiber core as well as the surrounding cladding. In addition, there is the option to use an oblique illumination setting which provides illumination at an off-center angle to the fiber end face. The field-of-view of this microscope is approximately Ø600 µm, which in addition to imaging the fiber core and cladding also allows the inspection of the adjacent ferrule to ensure the necessary quality of your terminations.
The FS201 offers two types of illumination: coaxial and oblique. Coaxial illumination provides symmetric illumination of the fiber, which is best for high detail examination. Oblique illumination, on the other hand, illuminates from below, highlighting large defects by providing higher contrast than coaxial illumination.

Fiber Adapters
The FS201 ships with two separate adapters which screw onto the front end of the scope. Each adapter is engraved with its part number: the FS201-FC adapter accepts FC-type fiber connectors, and the FS201-SMA adapter accepts SMA-type fiber connectors. Both adapters include three 1.5 mm setscrews in the outer ring which can be loosened to move the adapter plate and center the fiber. The FS200-LC adapter for LC-type fiber connectors and FS201-PM adapter for PM fibers are available separately from the Thorlabs website.

Specifications

Control Wheel on Eyepiece
Safety Filter| Built-in IR Filter
Adapter Interface| User Interchangeable Adapters

Operation

Fiber Inspection

1. Attach the desired Adapter to the front of the FS201.
2. Insert the terminated fiber into the fiber insert entrance of the adapter.
3. Set the LED Switch at the bottom of the scope to I for Coaxial Illumination or II for Oblique Illumination.
4. View the fiber end face through the Eyepiece.
5. Adjust the Focus Control on the Eyepiece to provide the clearest view of the fiber.
6. After inspecting, set the LED Switch back to O to turn off the scope.

To inspect the full surface area of fibers with larger cores or fibers with angled faces, it may be necessary to rotate the fiber connector. This is also useful for differentiating between contaminants on the face of the fiber connector and those on the scope optic itself. In order to see the entire field of view, the rubber eyepiece should be as close as possible to the operator’s eye. Operators who normally wear eyeglasses should remove them to fully inspect the fiber. Please note that under normal operation, the focus adjustment knob should not be rotated to its limits. Doing so repeatedly may cause the unit to fail over time.

Adapter Alignment
Although the included FS201-FC and FS201-SMA adapters come pre-aligned for use with the FS201, it may be necessary to re-align the adapter for fibers with poor centration.

1. Place the Adapter on the FS201 and insert the fiber connector.
2. Turn the scope on and focus the image.
3. Using a 1.5 mm balldriver or hex key, loosen the three setscrews on the edge of the adapter.
4. Move the terminated fiber until it is centered within the field of view.
5. Progressively tighten each of the setscrews until the end face of the fiber is in the center of the scope’s field of view.

Battery Replacement
The FS201 uses three LR44 button batteries (not available from Thorlabs). The battery housing can be accessed by unscrewing the gold-colored cap on the FS201. Please note that the appearance of the battery housing interior is due to soldering and does not affect function of the scope.

Certifications and Compliances Regulatory

As required by the WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive) of the European Community and the corresponding national laws, Thorlabs offers all end users in the EC the possibility to return “end of life” units without incurring disposal charges.

• This offer is valid for Thorlabs electrical and electronic equipment:

• Sold after August 13, 2005 Marked correspondingly with the crossed out “wheelie bin” logo (see right)

• Sold to a company or institute within the EC

• Currently owned by a company or institute within the EC

• Still complete, not disassembled and not contaminated
  As the WEEE directive applies to self-contained
  operational electrical and electronic products, this end of life take back service does not refer to other Thorlabs products, such as:

• Pure OEM products, that means assemblies to be built into a unit by the user (e.g. OEM laser driver cards)

• Components

• Mechanics and optics

• Leftover parts of units disassembled by the user (PCB’s, housings etc.).

If you wish to return a Thorlabs unit for waste recovery, please contact Thorlabs or your nearest dealer for further information.

Waste Treatment is Your Own Responsibility
If you do not return an “end of life” unit to Thorlabs, you must hand it to a company specialized in waste recovery. Do not dispose of the unit in a litter bin or at a public waste disposal site.

Ecological Background
It is well known that WEEE pollutes the environment by releasing toxic products during decomposition. The aim of the European RoHS directive is to reduce the content of toxic substances in electronic products in the future. The intent of the WEEE directive is to enforce the recycling of WEEE. A controlled recycling of end of life products will thereby avoid negative impacts on the environment.

Thorlabs Worldwide Contacts

USA, Canada, and South America Thorlabs, Inc.
56 Sparta Avenue
Newton, NJ 07860 USA
Tel: 973-300-3000
Fax: 973-300-3600
www.thorlabs.com
www.thorlabs.us (West Coast) Email: sales@thorlabs.com
Support: techsupport@thorlabs.com

Europe
Thorlabs GmbH
Hans-Böckler-Str. 6
85221 Dachau / Munich
Germany
Tel: +49-(0) 8131-5956-0
Fax: +49-(0) 8131-5956-99
www.thorlabs.de
Email: europe@thorlabs.com

France
Thorlabs SAS
109, rue des Côtes
78600 Maisons-Laffitte
France
Tel: +33 (0) 970 444 844
Fax: +33 (0) 825 744 800
www.thorlabs.com
Email: sales.fr@thorlabs.com

Japan
Thorlabs Japan, Inc.
3-6-3, Kitamachi,
Nerima-ku, Tokyo 179-0081
Japan
Tel: +81-3-6915-7701
Fax: +81-3-6915-7716
www.thorlabs.co.jp
Email: sales@thorlabs.jp

References

• Thorlabs：ソーラボジャパン株式会社
• Thorlabs, Inc. - Your Source for Fiber Optics, Laser Diodes, Optical Instrumentation and Polarization Measurement & Control
• Thorlabs, Inc. - Your Source for Fiber Optics, Laser Diodes, Optical Instrumentation and Polarization Measurement & Control
• Thorlabs, Inc. - Your Source for Fiber Optics, Laser Diodes, Optical Instrumentation and Polarization Measurement & Control
• Thorlabs, Inc. - Your Source for Fiber Optics, Laser Diodes, Optical Instrumentation and Polarization Measurement & Control

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