Fluke FTK200 User manual

®
FTK200
Optical Fiber Test Kit
Users Guide
April 2000, Rev. 1 4/03
© 2000, 2003 Fluke Corporation. All rights reserved. Printed in USA.
All product names are trademarks of their respective companies.

LIMITED WARRANTY AND LIMITATION OF LIABILITY
Each Fluke product is warranted to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal use and service. The warranty period is
one year and begins on the date of shipment. Parts, product repairs, and services are warranted for 90 days. This warranty extends only to
the original buyer or end-user customer of a Fluke authorized reseller, and does not apply to fuses, disposable batteries, or to any product
which, in Fluke’s opinion, has been misused, altered, neglected, contaminated, or damaged by accident or abnormal conditions of operation
or handling. Fluke warrants that software will operate substantially in accordance with its functional specifications for 90 days and that it has
been properly recorded on non-defective media. Fluke does not warrant that software will be error free or operate without interruption.
Fluke authorized resellers shall extend this warranty on new and unused products to end-user customers only but have no authority to ex-
tend a greater or different warranty on behalf of Fluke. Warranty support is available only if product is purchased through a Fluke authorized
sales outlet or Buyer has paid the applicable international price. Fluke reserves the right to invoice Buyer for importation costs of re-
pair/replacement parts when product purchased in one country is submitted for repair in another country.
Fluke’s warranty obligation is limited, at Fluke’s option, to refund of the purchase price, free of charge repair, or replacement of a defective
product which is returned to a Fluke authorized service center within the warranty period.
To obtain warranty service, contact your nearest Fluke authorized service center to obtain return authorization information, then send the
product to that service center, with a description of the difficulty, postage and insurance prepaid (FOB Destination). Fluke assumes no risk
for damage in transit. Following warranty repair, the product will be returned to Buyer, transportation prepaid (FOB Destination). If Fluke
determines that failure was caused by neglect, misuse, contamination, alteration, accident, or abnormal condition of operation or handling,
including overvoltage failures caused by use outside the product’s specified rating, or normal wear and tear of mechanical components,
Fluke will provide an estimate of repair costs and obtain authorization before commencing the work. Following repair, the product will be
returned to the Buyer transportation prepaid and the Buyer will be billed for the repair and return transportation charges (FOB Shipping
Point).
THIS WARRANTY IS BUYER'S SOLE AND EXCLUSIVE REMEDY AND IS IN LIEU OF ALL OTHER WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR
IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO ANY IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY OR FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR
PURPOSE. FLUKE SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY SPECIAL, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR
LOSSES, INCLUDING LOSS OF DATA, ARISING FROM ANY CAUSE OR THEORY.
Since some countries or states do not allow limitation of the term of an implied warranty, or exclusion or limitation of incidental or conse-
quential damages, the limitations and exclusions of this warranty may not apply to every buyer. If any provision of this Warranty is held
invalid or unenforceable by a court or other decision-maker of competent jurisdiction, such holding will not affect the validity or enforceability
of any other provision. Fluke Corporation
P.O. Box 9090
Everett, WA 98206-9090
U.S.A.
Fluke Europe B.V.
P.O. Box 1186
5602 BD Eindhoven
The Netherlands
11/99

i
Table of Contents
Title Page
WSafety Information ..................................................................................................... iv
Cleaning Fiber Connections.......................................................................................... iv
Introduction....................................................................................................................1
Contacting Fluke............................................................................................................ 2
Unpacking...................................................................................................................... 2
Features ........................................................................................................................4
Measuring Optical Power............................................................................................... 8
Setting a Reference for Loss Measurements................................................................. 10
Measuring Optical Power Loss...................................................................................... 12
Memory Functions......................................................................................................... 14
Saving and Reviewing Measurements...................................................................... 14
Replacing Saved Measurements.............................................................................. 14
Deleting Saved Measurements................................................................................. 14
Maintenance.................................................................................................................. 15
Battery Replacement ................................................................................................ 15
Accessories and Replacement Parts........................................................................ 16
Calibration and Service............................................................................................. 17
FM150 Fiber Meter Specifications................................................................................. 17
FS150 Fiber Source Specifications ............................................................................... 18

FTK200
Users Guide
ii
Appendix A: Using the Serial Port.................................................................................. 21
Appendix B: Glossary..................................................................................................... 23

iii
List of Figures
Figure Title Page
1. Standard Equipment.............................................................................................................3
2. FM150 Fiber Meter Features................................................................................................4
3. Display Features...................................................................................................................6
4. FS150 Fiber Source Features...............................................................................................7
5. Measuring Optical Power......................................................................................................9
6. Setting a Reference..............................................................................................................11
7. Measuring Loss.....................................................................................................................13
8. Battery Replacement ............................................................................................................15
List of Tables
Table Title Page
1. FM150 Fiber Meter Features................................................................................................5
2. Accessories and Replacement Parts....................................................................................16
3. Pin Assignments for Serial Cable .........................................................................................21

FTK200
Users Guide
iv
W Safety Information
Warning
To avoid possible eye damage caused by
hazardous radiation:
•Never look directly into optical output
connectors. Some sources produce in-
visible radiation that can permanently
damage your eyes.
•Do not open the case, except to change
the battery; no user-serviceable parts
are inside.
Caution
To avoid false test results, replace the bat-
tery as soon as the low battery indicator
(BAT) appears.
Cleaning Fiber Connections
Always clean the fiber ends before making connections.
Use any of the following:
•Lint-free swabs or wipes moistened with isopropyl
alcohol
•Pre-moistened swabs or wipes approved for use on
fiber connectors
Canned air approved for use on fiber connectors is also
useful for dislodging contamination. Protect all connec-
tors with dust caps when not in use.

1
Optical Fiber Test Kit
Introduction
The FTK200 Optical Fiber Test Kit is used to measure
optical power and optical power loss at 850 nm, 1300 nm,
1310 nm, and 1550 nm. This test kit includes the FM150
Fiber Meter (also referred to as “the meter”), which has
the following features:
•Measures optical power loss of multimode or
singlemode fibers.
•Measures output power from optical sources such as
network interface cards or optical test equipment.
•Displays output power measurements in dBm or µW.
•Operates for up to 30 hours on a single 9 V alkaline
battery. Automatic power-down feature helps
conserve battery power.
•Displays remaining battery life.
•Designed to use the optional ToolPakMeter
Hanging Kit from Fluke.
•Saves up to 500 measurements for each wavelength.
•Serial port lets you print measurements on a serial
printer or upload measurements to a PC.
•LinkWaresoftware runs on a PC to let you upload
measurements from the meter, view measurements,
add header information to create test reports, and
save and print reports.

FTK200
Users Guide
2
The FTK200 Kit also includes a Fluke FS150 Fiber
Source, which provides light for multimode testing at
850 nm and 1300 nm. For testing singlemode fiber, Fluke
offers the optional LS-1310/1550 Laser Source.
The instructions in this guide assume you are using the
FS150 source included. For other optical sources, refer to
the manufacturer’s instructions.
Contacting Fluke Networks
Visit Fluke's Web site at www.flukenetworks.com.
To order accessories, receive operating assistance, or get
the location of the nearest Fluke distributor or Service
Center, call:
•USA: 1-800-283-5853
•Canada: 1-800-363-5853
•Europe: [phone]
•Japan: [phone]
•Singapore: [phone]
•Anywhere in the world: [phone]
Unpacking
The equipment listed below and shown in Figure 1 is
included with the FTK200 Kit. If anything is missing or
damaged, contact the place of purchase immediately.
•FM150 Fiber Meter (with 9 V battery installed)
•ST adapter cap (with dust cap) for FM150 Fiber Meter
•FS150 Fiber Source (with 9 V battery and dust cap
installed)
•ST adapter cap (with dust cap) for FS150 Fiber
Source
•2 ST/ST 3 ft (1 m) 62.5 µm multimode patch cords
•1 ST/ST 1 ft (0.3 m) 62.5 µm multimode test jumper
•1 ST/ST adapter (singlemode quality)
•LinkWare PC utility diskette
•RS-232 PC interface cable
•2 recording pads
•FTK100/FTK200 Manuals CD-ROM
•Warranty registration card
•Hard carrying case

Optical Fiber Test Kit
Unpacking
3
2 ST/ST 3 ft (1 m)
multimode patch cords
FS150 Fiber Source
(with 9 V battery,
adapter cap,
and dust cap)
FM150 Fiber Meter
(with 9 V battery,
adapter cap
and dust cap) ST/ST adapter
Warranty
registration
card
Hard carrying case
1 ST/ST 1 ft (0.3 m)
test jumper
LinkWare PC
utility CD-ROM
RS-232 PC interface
cable
FM150
FIBER METER
CLEAR
STORE
dB
dBm
PRINT
REF
SET BAT
W
RECALL
FS150
FIBER SOURCE
Serial
850
nm 1300 nm
2 recording pads
Fluke Recording Pad
FTK100/FTK200
Manuals CD-ROM
afz02f.eps.
Figure 1. Standard Equipment

FTK200
Users Guide
4
Features
Figures 2 and 3 and Table 1 describe the meter’s
features. Figure 4 describes the features of the FS150
Fiber Source included in the kit.
W
FM150
FIBER METER
CLEAR
STORE
dB
dBm
PRINT
REF
SET BAT
RECALL
10
9
8
6
4
2
3
1
5
7
Serial
afz01f.eps
Figure 2. FM150 Fiber Meter Features

Optical Fiber Test Kit
Features
5
Table 1. FM150 Fiber Meter Features
Item Description
AOn/off key. Hold down Oto turn the meter on. The automatic power-down feature, which turns the meter off if no
keys are pressed for 5 minutes, is enabled when you turn the meter on. To disable this feature, turn the meter off;
then hold down Ountil Pis displayed.
B
C
Press Sto save the current measurement in non-volatile memory. Press Rbriefly to view or replace a saved
measurement. Hold down Rto send stored measurements to a PC or serial printer. See “Memory Functions” and
Appendices A and B for details. To clear from memory all saved measurements for the current wavelength, hold
down Sand Rtogether until HELD appears.
DToggles the meter between power (dBm) and loss (dB) measurements. Loss readings are compared to the stored
reference level. Hold down Duntil HELD appears to change the measurement units to µW.
EPress rbriefly to display the reference value for the currently selected wavelength. Hold down rto store a new
reference value for the displayed wavelength.
FLCD display. See Figure 3 for details.
GSerial connector for printing to a serial printer or uploading saved measurements to a PC.
HRemovable adapter cap with an ST connector for connecting to multimode or singlemode patch cords.
IChanges the wavelength to be measured. To see the percentage of battery life remaining, hold down Nuntil
HELD appears.
JUsed in recall mode to scroll through saved measurements.

FTK200
Users Guide
6
1
5
43
2
afr03f.eps
AMeasurement display. LO is displayed if the optical
power reading is too small to display. HI is displayed
if the reading is too large to display. For output power
measurements, the unit is µWor dBm. For loss
measurements, the unit is dB.
BAUTO OFF indicates that the meter will automatically
turn off if no keys are pressed for about 5 minutes. To
disable this feature, turn the meter off; then hold
down Ountil P is displayed.
COPM ACTIVE indicates that the meter is on.
DBAT indicates that the battery needs to be replaced.
EREF appears when you briefly press rto see the
reference for the currently selected wavelength. REF
and the reference value appear for about 4 seconds.
FThis area shows the currently selected wavelength.
Press Nto change the wavelength.
Figure 3. Display Features

Optical Fiber Test Kit
Features
7
123
FS150
FIBER SOURCE
850
nm 1300 nm
afz03f.eps
AOn/off switch. The switch lights up when the source is on and
blinks when the battery is low.
BSlide switch for selecting 850 nm or 1300 nm light output.
CST connector for 850 nm or 1300 nm light output.
Figure 4. FS150 Fiber Source Features

FTK200
Users Guide
8
Measuring Optical Power
Optical power is the output power produced by a source
such as an optical network interface card or optical test
equipment. You can measure power at a source or at the
end of a fiber link.
To measure optical power, proceed as follows:
1. Verify that the meter and source are set to the proper
wavelength. Let the source warm up for two minutes,
if necessary.
2. Clean all fiber ends.
3. Make the connections shown in Figure 5.
4. Verify that the meter is in the power measurement
mode. The measurement unit should be dBm. If
necessary, press Dto change the measurement
unit to dBm. To change the unit to µW, hold down D
until HELD appears on the display.
5. Read the power measurement.

Optical Fiber Test Kit
Measuring Optical Power
9
Fiber link
OUTPUT
Optical
connections
Optical patch cord
Optical patch cord
FM150
Fiber Meter
FM150
Fiber Meter
Optical
patch cord
OUTPUT
Measuring optical
power at a source
Measuring optical power
at the end of a link
Optical network interface
card or optical source
Optical network interface
card or optical source
W
FM150
FIBER METER
CLEAR
STORE
dB
dBm
PRINT
REF
SET BAT
RECALL
W
FM150
FIBER METER
CLEAR
STORE
dB
dBm
PRINT
REF
SET BAT
RECALL
Serial
Serial
afz04f.eps
Figure 5. Measuring Optical Power

FTK200
Users Guide
10
Setting a Reference for Loss
Measurements
Setting a reference lets the meter automatically subtract
from loss measurements the losses due to patch cords.
The loss for a fiber under test is automatically calculated
as the difference between the reference loss and the loss
with the fiber inserted.
For the most accurate test results, you should set the
reference at these times:
•Anytime you start using a different optical source for
loss measurements
•Anytime you change the patch cord used on the
meter or source.
Note
For the most accurate test results, set the
reference at the beginning of each day using the
patch cords and wavelength settings you will use
for testing.
The meter stores a separate reference value for each
wavelength. The reference values are not affected when
you turn the meter off or change the battery.
To view the reference for the selected wavelength, press
rbriefly.
To set a reference, proceed as follows:
1. Set the source to the wavelength you will use for
testing. Let the source warm up for two minutes.
2. Select two known-good patch cords of the same type
as the fiber to be tested. Select one known-good
adapter of the appropriate type. Clean all fiber ends.
3. Make the connections shown in Figure 6. Turn on the
meter. Press Nto select the proper wavelength.
Normally, the reading will be about -20 dBm. If the
reading is too low, check the source connections and
wavelength, or clean the fiber ends again, or select
different patch cords, or use a different adapter.
4. To set the reference, hold down runtil HELD
appears on the display. The loss reading should then
change to 0 dB. The last digit may vary slightly
because of fiber movement and minor variations in
the output power of the source.
5. If you are testing with more than one wavelength,
change the meter and source to the new wavelength,
then repeat step 4.

Optical Fiber Test Kit
Setting a Reference for Loss Measurements
11
Known-good adapter
FS150 Fiber Source
FM150 Fiber Meter
Known-good patch cords of the
same type as the fiber to be
tested and ST at the meter end
W
FM150
FIBER METER
CLEAR
STORE
dB
dBm
PRINT
REF
SET BAT
RECALL
FS150
FIBER SOURCE
Serial
850
nm 1300 nm
afz05f.eps
Figure 6. Setting a Reference

FTK200
Users Guide
12
Measuring Optical Power Loss
Optical power loss is the light energy lost through the fiber,
adapters, splices, and other components in a fiber link.
The loss for a fiber under test is automatically calculated
as the difference between the loss with the fiber inserted
and the reference loss. (See Figures 6 and 7.)
To measure loss, proceed as follows:
1. Verify that the meter and source are set to the proper
wavelength. Let the source warm up for two minutes,
if necessary.
Note
The patch cords used for loss measurements
should be the same patch cords used to set the
reference at the wavelength you are testing. If the
patch cords have been disconnected from the
meter or source since the reference was set, set
the reference again before measuring loss.
2. Clean all fiber ends.
3. Set a reference, if necessary. (See the previous
section “Setting a Reference for Loss Measurements”
for details.)
4. Make the connections shown in Figure 7.
Note
The additional test jumper used during loss
measurement ensures that the loss you measure
includes the fiber to be tested and the
connections at both ends of the fiber.
5. Verify that the meter is in the loss measurement
mode. If so, the unit of measurement will be dB. If it is
not, press D.
6. Read the loss measurement.

Optical Fiber Test Kit
Measuring Optical Power Loss
13
Optical
connectons
Patch cords and adapter
used to set the reference
FM150 Fiber Meter FS150 Fiber Source
Fiber Link
Optical test jumper
W
FM150
FIBER METER
CLEAR
STORE
dB
dBm
PRINT
REF
SET BAT
RECALL
FS150
FIBER SOURCE
Serial
1300
nm
850
nm
afz06f.eps
Figure 7. Measuring Loss

FTK200
Users Guide
14
Memory Functions
The FM150 Fiber Meter lets you save loss and power
measurements in non-volatile memory. Saved
measurements are not lost when you change the battery.
You can save up to 500 measurements for each
wavelength. You can send the measurements directly to a
serial printer or upload them to a PC. Refer to the
Appendix for more information on connecting to a printer
or PC.
Saving and Reviewing Measurements
To save the current reading, press S. The reading is
saved in the next available memory location, which is
briefly displayed. You can also use the test results pad
included with the meter to record the storage location
number, fiber identification, file name, and comments
about the results.
To review saved measurements, press Nto select the
desired wavelength; then press R. The highest memory
location used is alternately displayed with its contents.
Use ABto scroll through the memory locations.
To exit the recall mode, press Dor N.
Replacing Saved Measurements
You can save a new measurement in any memory
location, as follows:
1. Press
R; then use ABto select the memory
location you want to change.
2. Hold down the Skey until HELD appears. The meter
then switches to measurement mode.
3. Make a new loss or power measurement; then press
S.
Deleting Saved Measurements
To delete all measurements saved for the currently
selected wavelength, hold down both Sand Runtil
HELD appears.
To delete all saved measurements, delete the
measurements for each wavelength.