GL16 - All-in-One Fiber End Face Geometry Interferometer

• 3D Interferometer for Measuring End Face Geometry
• Non-Contact Scanning White Light Interferometry
• Fully Compliant with Industry Standards, e.g., IEC and Telcordia
• Compatible with All Major Connector Types (See Table Below)
• NIST-Traceable Standards for Calibration of Magnification and Tilt Stage
• Full Scan Information Available in ≤8 Seconds (Typical) on Integrated Touchscreen
• Browser-Based Application Supports Remote Access Operation
• Data Exportable to .CSV Format, SQL Database, or Scan Report

This GL16 End Face Interferometer measures and images the end face geometry of single- and multi-fiber connectors. A non-contact technique called scanning white-light interferometry (SWLI) provides high accuracy, repeatability, and reliability for fiber connector testing, particularly for pass/fail testing using IEC or Telcordia requirements. The system can be controlled locally through the touchscreen display or remotely through a browser-based application (see Software tab for details), allowing it to be easily integrated on the production floor.

All the system components are fully integrated in the enclosed housing. A wide-bandwidth 570 nm LED light source is used with a Michelson interferometric objective lens to measure the phase shift for step height changes as large as 35 µm. A piezoelectric stage moves the interferometric objective lens relative to the connector and collects the resultant interference patterns using a high-resolution camera. A 3D height map of the connector surface is created and then used to calculate the fiber geometry parameters with lateral resolution of 2.2 µm and height resolution of 1.1 nm (see Measurement tab for details). White-light interferometry is able to characterize undercut or protruded fibers that would be missed using a monochromatic interferometer (see Interferograms tab for details).

The included GL16M4 MT-style fixture enables 8-second measurement of up to 72 fibers at a time in 12-fiber-row ferrules. The GL16 interferometer is capable of measuring a variety of additional fiber types and connector styles (shown in the table below) by swapping out the included fixture. Choose the appropriate mounting assembly below for your connector type and the number of fibers to be measured.