Should any chipping, cracking or damage to the end face of a fibre optic component occur during connection or transmission, this can seriously affect signal quality. To address this, we have developed a simple microscopic imaging inspection system capable of clearly visualising minute defects on the fibre end face at magnifications ranging from 40x to 190x, with the magnification adjustable as required.

Solution Configuration

1. Lens: Features a 6.5x continuously variable ZOOM LENS, fitted with a 0.5x extension lens, to enable flexible, wide-range magnification adjustment.

2. Camera: A 2-megapixel smart camera with built-in autofocus, allowing rapid focusing on the details of the fibre end-face without the need for repeated manual focusing.

3. Light source: A flat-bottom light source is used to provide uniform illumination from below, ensuring high-contrast visualisation of damage such as chipping and notches.

4. Software: The accompanying microscopic imaging system supports real-time preview, freeze-frame, contrast adjustment and dimension annotation.

Test Results

The fibre optic assembly is placed on a flat-bed light source, where a ZOOM LENS works in conjunction with an intelligent camera to automatically focus and rapidly capture images of the end face. At 40× magnification, an overview of the overall contour is provided; upon gradual magnification up to 190×, micron-level notches and cracks become clearly visible. The system produces sharp images with no edge distortion; supplemented by the image system’s built-in measurement functions, it enables quantitative assessment of defect sizes. The entire inspection process is simple and efficient, requiring no specialised skills from the operator, and is suitable for both production line spot checks and incoming goods inspection.