July 29, 2010
BICSI North Central Meeting
Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to speak at the North-Central BICSI regional meeting in Indianapolis. The weather was cooler than Phoenix but certainly more humid; even so, change is good.
The program was very well attended with information from Video Surveillance to Tracking Hot Spots in Data Centers as well as my favorite topic: "Optical Network Performance - The Role of Cleaning".
I would like to offer a personal thanks to Chris Scharrer for hosting such a fine event.
July 4, 2010
A Quick Summer Read
I would like to make a suggestion for a quick summer read. This one is a short article in the latest BICSI News Magazine (July/August 2010) entitled "THINGS WE CANNOT SEE".
http://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/bicsi/news_20100708/#/30
Please feel free to email any comments to harveys@microcare.com
Enjoy, and I hope everyone is has a safe and wonderful summer.
Jun. 10, 2010
Be Picky About Packaging
When cleaning optical components, including fiber optic connector end-faces, we need to carefully consider the packaging of the solvent or cleaner. When we are cleaning optical devices, we are concerned about micron-sized contamination as well as oils or other coating that could be left on an optical surface. 
If you are inspecting an optical surface for micron-sized contaminates, all materials that contact the surface must be packaged and handled to keep them pristine. Therefore the solvent used must be pure and free of particulate, inorganic contamination and organic contamination, and kept that way until used.
We all have faith in our suppliers, and we generally assume the solvents are clean and properly packaged. However, if technicians are repackaging the solvent into smaller containers, you must be sure that those containers also are clean and free of all particulates and oils. You also must ensure that all transfer tubing, funnels or glassware are contamination-free.
Handling also is an issue. Many solvents are hygroscopic, which means they absorb water from the atmosphere. Airborne contaminates also can be picked up by the solvent along with the water. Therefore, if you are repackaging the solvent, minimize the time the container is not tightly sealed, which reduces the time your solvent is exposed to contamination.
It may be easier, more cost-effective and ultimately more productive to purchase your optical cleaners prepackaged into end-user packaging. With this packaging, you will be assured that pure uncontaminated solvent is dispensed every time you need it. May I recommend the Sticklers™ Fiber Optic Splice and Connector Cleaner from MicroCare.
May 24, 2010
Fiber Optics in Harsh Environments Conference
Mid-May I attended the Fiber Optic Harsh Environment Conference in Swindon, UK. It was the second year of the conference and it was quite well attended. We met with representatives from the Royal Air Force and the Royal Navy. Exhibitors included Fiber manufacturers, offering a variety of fiber resistance to many environmental hardships; harsh environment connector manufacturers; as well as cleaning and test equipment offering.
There were two days of presentations, including one by yours truly on fiber optic cleaning. However, with this group it was almost like preaching to the choir. These folks seem to understand that fiber optic cleaning is the problem in harsh environments.
Let's face it -- the cable and connector manufacturers have done a wonderful job of protecting the fiber once the optic link is all mated (connected). However, most attendees realized that the connector must be thoroughly cleaned before mating and then the system will work as designed.
May 6, 2010
BICSI Canada Was an Exciting Venue
Last week I attended BICSI Canada in Montreal. We had a booth at the exhibition and I presented a training session on fiber optic cleaning during the conferences. (MicroCare also was a major sponsor, supplying the show bags.)
There were a little over fifty exhibitors; certainly not as large as BICSI Orlando so I was not sure what the traffic would be like. The show opened on Sunday night with very good attendance. We were busy at the booth all night. The food and drinks helped naturally but the number of good leads was encouraging. The surprise was that Monday and Tuesday were even busier.
It was interesting to note the number of attendees from the United States. I asked one gentleman from Georgia why he came to Montreal and not Orlando. He politely noted that Montreal is a much more appealing city than Orlando (and with that I must agree). In addition, the weather was quite warm. I live in Phoenix and I am quite accustomed to the warmer climate. However, I enjoyed walking back to our hotel after dinner between 9:00 and 10:00pm is shirt sleeves. The jacket I brought was never used.
It turns out that BICSI Canada had over 1200 attendees. A good show in a good city with good weather. What more can we ask?
May 4, 2010
More Very Impressive Fiber Optic Applications
In the April issue of NASA Tech Briefs, there is an interesting segment in the Applications section. It seems that fiber optic sensors are being imbedded in carbon fiber reinforced composites. These composites have been used in hockey sticks and tennis rackets. However, they are now being used in aircraft; the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner is primarily made of these composites. And fiber optic sensors are imbedded in the material for monitoring the structural health of the material during the life of the aircraft. Fiber is light weight and EMI immune; ideal for the job. It seems that using an OFDR (Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometer) will allow technicians to "see" of both very small and very large strains in the material, thereby protecting the safety of the passengers.
Also in the March issue of the "bioPHOTONICS" is another wonderful application of fiber optics. A fiber optic probe has been developed that can offer errorless blood group determination more quickly than current methods. This means that potentially fatal blood mismatches in critical emergency situations can be avoided.
Is there any end to the ways that optical fiber can make our lives better?
Apr. 5, 2010
New Touchless Sensor May Invigorate Telecom Products
This morning I was reading Photonics.com Weekly Newsletter and noticed an article on "Touchless Sensors on the Horizon". Apparently, a company in Germany has developed a polymer sensor that reacts to the tiniest changes in temperature and pressure. All you have to do is point at it and it senses the change in temperature caused by your approaching finger tip and activates a function.
Now that would be very nice on as an overlay on catalog images so that when you point at something you are interested in, you get more information about the product. Or, as the article describes, it could be used as an overlay for your cell phone. There are still issues to be worked through but I certainly like the idea.
If you like more information you can go to: http://www.photonics.com/Article.aspx?AID=41595&refer=weeklyNewsletter&utm_source=weeklyNewsletter_2010_3_31&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=weeklyNewsletter .
Mar. 28, 2010
OFC San Diego Rocks
Once again, OFC/NFOEC turned out to be a great international show. For the first time that I can recall the opening and closing announcements were in both English and (what sounded to me as) Chinese. The fiber optic marketplace is clearly global in nature.
But on the more practical side, attendance was good. We had lots of visitors to our booth. Most of them clearly understand the need to clean and were searching for a solution that works. Of course, we offered samples for their evaluation. We encountered potential customers from South America, Australia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and of course Asia and India.
The recession has not been harsh on the fiber optics industry. We already had our bad time at the turn of the millennium.
Mar. 17, 2010
St Patrick's Day
Today is St. Patrick's Day; the wearing of the green. So let's hope that fiber optic industry continues its growth and generates some much needed green for the economy. Next week is OFC/NFOEC in San Diego and I am looking forward to a good show. MicroCare will be at Booth 3131. I certainly hope all of the Irish and non-Irish alike will stop by our booth, say hello and take a look at our new Sticklers® brand of fiber optic cleaning products. It seems that March in San Diego is always wonderful; for that matter, anytime in San Diego is usually wonderful. Hope to see you there.
Mar. 9, 2010
Medical Imaging Will Drive Demand for Faster Networks
There is an interesting article in the February 2010 BioPhotonics magazine. The article discusses the history and future of PACS, which stands for the "Picture Archiving and Communication System."
PACS is the system that allows doctors to digitally access images such as digital x-rays, CT scans, PET scans, ultrasounds, mammography and others. Reduced access time to these images can save lives. However, according to the article, only about 22 percent of the hospitals in the US have some sort of PACS installed, and most of these are in metropolitan areas.
In order to reduce costs and improve healthcare system, we need to get key patient information and these types of images where they are needed. This means the data need to be available to a doctor in the OR, a consulting doctor at home on their PC, a nurse practitioner in a rural clinic or a telemedicine practitioners using their iPhone.
What does all this mean? It means growth for the fiber optic industry all over America. And in our current economy that is good news indeed.
Feb. 26, 2010
Winter Olympics
While watching these 2010 Winter Olympics, it is amazing to note the time, determination, effort and practice that goes into becoming an Olympic competitor. 
It seems as though one's whole life must be dedicated to the pursuit of perfection in one specific sport or even just one event within that sport; and that means from early childhood. It is not likely that someone at age 20 who decides to become an Olympic figure skater or downhill skier will achieve much success. It seems that the programming of the mind and body for this level of competition must be from the beginning so that the responses run deep. All of this effort is put into the pursuit of perfection; the flawless performance.
Yet, we all expect our communications networks to operate perfectly all the time. We get very upset if a download times-out or our HD picture quality fails. We expect Olympian performance from our optical networks. There is only one way to assure quality and perfection on an optical network and it doesn't involve years of training. Just clean and inspect every fiber optic connection, every time you connect!
Feb. 10, 2010
Let's Thank Fiber
I am just returning from a personal trip to New England and would like to offer the following comment about last weekend's major event (I'm not referring to my granddaughter's birthday). For those who watched the super bowl on a large HDTV and got to see all the detail of the Saints' win over the Colts, we should pause for a moment of thanks.
- We should offer thanks to the fiber optic technicians that installed the fiber network at the stadium.
- We should thank the fiber techs who hooked up the network cameras to make the broadcast possible.
- And we also need to thank the communications companies for investing in the fiber optic networks that enabled that HDTV signal to reach our homes.
Remember that great game certainly traveled over a lot of glass to reach our homes; allowing all of us to share New Orleans great moment.
Jan. 28, 2010
Photonics West
Photonics West 2010 just wrapped up in sunny San Francisco; it was the only sunny day we had all week. But the show was definitely better than the weather.
Unlike BICSI, Photonics West is a show to reach OEMs and researchers. Attendance and activity was very good. There were many folks present using photonics in medical devices who were very interested in fiber optic cleaning. There was also those needing cleaning materials for new technologies in microscopy. It was different than the BICSI EXPO with the contractor types needing cleaning products to complete an install without being called back for repairs. At Photonics West we found folks developing new products such as laser applications for medical devices and needed help with cleaning materials for both their manufacturing processes and to package with their products for their customers to use. All and all it was a very good show.
On a slightly different note, I found the food on Fisherman's Wharf to be "OK". (I must tell you that I do have a restricted diet due to a medical condition and therefore restaurants have to prepare my food separately from the standard menu order.) However, the best salmon I had was not in the tourist area but at Houlihan's at the Holiday Inn at SFO. It was tender and moist, grilled to perfection, and served with grilled asparagus that slightly charred and soooo sweet. Noticeably better than the downtown fare. Go figure!
Jan. 22, 2010
BICSI Wrap-Up
It is Thursday and I am on way back to Arizona from Winter BICSI Conference in Orlando.
As I mentioned an earlier post, the show was well attended and the contractors seemed enthusiastic and in a buying mood. I was not sure how the 2009 downturn would affect the premise market in fiber optics, but most of the vendors that I spoke with were very pleasantly surprised also. Perhaps it is some of the "stimulus money" filtering down to the fiber infrastructure. If so, it is good to see that our tax dollars have reached the fiber optic industry.
Next week I will be in San Francisco for Photonics West, which has moved this year to the Moscone Center from San Jose. It will be interesting to see if the positive outlook we saw with the premise folks, is also present in the general photonics sector. I will let you know next week.
And remember, photons can only collide with contamination at the connections; clean and inspect each and every time.
January 18, 2010
BICSI Opens in Orlando
BICSI Orlando opened on Sunday January 17th. The weather was pleasant; the cold wave had passed and MicroCare debuted the new Sticklers™ fiber optic cleaning products. The bright "Day-Glo" orange posters with a mantra of good cleaning practices certainly grabbed the attention and support of the attendees.
Speaking of attendees, I must admit that I was not sure how well attended the show would be considering the economic turn of events in 2009. But I must say that I was very pleasantly surprised at both the number of attendees, and from a vendor viewpoint, the quality of attendees. Many more people visited the Sticklers™ fiber optic cleaning booth with the intensions to buy rather than just tire kicking.
It seems that message of the importance of cleaning and inspecting every fiber optic connection before mating is taking hold. The contractors we talked to know that cleaning is necessary, and they are looking for easy to use tools that their crews can bring to the field and conveniently and reliably get the job done. The "Stickler" Day-Glo cleaning kit with a single solvent for fiber optic cleaning and proven wipe and cleaning stick technology that will clean any connector they may encounter, seemed to fill that need.
It seems that Sunday January 17th was good day for both MicroCare and the Minnesota Vikings!
Jan. 7 --
WELCOME!
January 17, 2010 is the opening date of the Sticklers™ fiber optic website and I would like to take this opportunity to offer a sincere welcome to all who have either searched for the site or happened upon it.
It will be my goal to offer information and comment on fiber optic cleaning and inspection as well as comments on photonics and photonic applications. I believe there is a lot of potential in the world of optical communication and photonics that have yet to be explored. I know that I feel fortunate to be a part of this industry and I hope that you do also.
I will use this blog to answer questions that are submitted via the "Ask Harvey" site (see email link, below). I would assume that a majority of these comments will be focused on cleaning and inspection as they pertain to optical network performance. However, other related (some even vaguely related) matters may be discussed.
It is my goal that you will find this blog both enjoyable and informative.
May your source be bright
May your connectors be clean
May all photons reach their intended destinations.
Technical questions? Cleaning problems? Issues about "best practices" or processes? Worried about through-put and speed? Contact
Harvey and he'll answer you here.
Harvey Stone has been working the fiber optics industry for a long time. A
brief bio is available here.