Practical guides written from the field, for the field. The kind of guidance a senior tech would give a newbie, with the field reality intact.
Traces came back with no cable ID, no Site A, no Site B — just a generic fiber ID on every file? You don't have to retest and you don't have to install anything. Fix the identifier fields on .sor and .trc traces right in your browser, bulk-edit a whole batch at once, and save the corrected files. The story behind the free trace editor, and how to use it.
Read the postHyperscale data centers run on thousands of fiber optic cables — like a Telco CO or CATV head-end, just far larger. Counts of 1,728, 3,456, and 6,912, spliced in cabinets at up to 864 fibers a tray. What's inside one, and why the splicing and testing work is moving from rural FTTH builds to the data center.
Read the postWhy this math matters in the field — and how one sheet of numbers separates real trouble from a problem the design baked in before anyone touched the fiber. Includes an embedded calculator with industry-standard per-wavelength attenuation; defaults to 1550 nm with 1310 / 1490 / 1625 nm under Advanced.
Read the guideWhat's different about 200µm fiber, what equipment you need, and what pitch correction is. Includes a side-by-side equipment table for current and older Fujikura, Sumitomo, and Inno splicers — what V-grooves and holders each one needs for 200µm work, and which ones aren't worth using for it.
Read the postWhat hollow core fiber is, why it matters, and where it's actually being deployed in 2026 — Microsoft Azure, financial services, telco trials, and hyperscaler AI interconnect. First piece in a series on the next generation of fiber. Later parts: installation, splicing, and testing.
Read the postA practical look at what fiber testing actually demands in the field. Why we test, what each tool is for, and when each one earns its keep. Covers VFL, light source and power meter, OLTS, OTDR, traffic identifier, and the CD/PMD measurements that only matter on long-haul.
Read the guideStep-by-step walk-through of the browser-based OTDR trace analyzer. Drop a file, read the headline numbers, work the event table, set pass/fail thresholds, and print a clean acceptance record. Includes a short video of the analyzer running on a phone in the field.
Read the how-toStep-by-step walk-through of the browser-based color chart builder. Pick a color standard, paste cable counts from a job sheet, scan a sheet with your phone, look up a single fiber, and order a printable PDF. Covers TIA-598-D, IEC 60304, and VDE 0888.
Read the how-toFiber Optic CC is gone. Here's a free browser-based fiber count chart builder — 6 to 6,912 fibers, supporting N. America, Europe, and International standards. Written for the techs who used the old app every day.
Read the postAttenuation versus link loss, reading the manufacturer's spec on a reel of cable, OLTS bidirectional methodology, characterization records that hold up at acceptance, and the link loss math you do before you pull. With worked examples in both imperial and metric units.
Read the guideFix missing or wrong cable IDs, site names, and fiber IDs on OTDR traces. Edit the identifier fields in .sor, .msor, and .trc files, bulk-edit a whole batch at once, and save the corrected files — no native software, no signup. Runs entirely in your browser. Files never leave your device.
Open the editorDrop a .sor or .trc file and instantly see span length, total loss, reflectance, a pass/fail verdict, and a full event table identifying every splice and connector. Runs entirely in your browser. Files never leave your device.
Open the analyzerMore guides coming. Testing procedure and trace reading are next in the series.