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Fiber U Free Self-Study Programs MiniCourses ![]() Short courses you can finish in an hour or less Fiber Optics In Communications How Optical Fiber Works Fiber Optic Restoration Fiber Optic Connector Identification The Mysterious dB of Fiber Optics Fiber Optic Cable Bend Radius. Fiber Optic Link Loss and Power Budgets Fiber Optic Connector Inspection And Cleaning Fiber Optic Media Conversion Fiber Optic Cable Midspan Access Reading An OTDR Trace Basic Fiber Optics And Cabling Courses (With references to FOA certifications) Basic Fiber Optics (CFOT) Basic Fiber Optics Skills Lab (CFOS/S, CFOS/C) Premises Cabling (Copper, Fiber and Wireless) (CPCT) Basic Skills Lab, Copper Cabling Specialist Fiber Optic Skills Courses Outside Plant Fiber Optics (CFOS/O) Outside Plant Construction (CFOS/O) Fiber Optic Testing (CFOS/T) Understanding OTDRs (CFOS/T) Design Specialist Fiber Optic Network Design (CFOS/D) Fiber Optic Applications Fiber For Wireless (CFOS/W) Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS, wireless) (CFOS/DAS) Fiber To The Antenna (Wireless) (CFOS/A) Data Center Cabling (CFOS/DC) FTTX - Fiber To The Home, Premises, Business, Curb, etc. (CFOS/H) Optical LANs (CFOS/L) Certificates And Certification Fiber U Certificate of Completion FOA Certification Fiber U and FOA Resources FOA Textbooks FOA Online Guide FOA YouTube Videos Lennie Lightwave and Uncle Ted's Guides for getting started The History of Fiber U Who's Lennie Lightwave? Use of FOA Copyrighted Materials Privacy Policy Contact Us FOA Home Page |
Free Online Self-Study ProgramsFiber U is
the free online learning website of the
FOA -
the Fiber Optic Association. Here you will find free
online self-study programs, tutorials, textbooks, videos and
links to other FOA pages that will help you learn about fiber
optics and premises cabling. Most courses are also aimed at
helping study for the corresponding FOA certifications. Each
course has an estimate of the typical times to complete the
course. Many courses assume a knowledge of basic fiber optics so
the newcomer may want to start with the Basic
Fiber Optics course below. The free Fiber U self-study courses are arranged in these categories: Basic
- Fiber Optics (CFOT) and Premises Cabling (CPCT), both include
Basic Skills Labs (fiber for CFOS/S and CFOS/C) Skills
- Testing (CFOS/T) ( with an extra program on OTDRs), OSP
Construction and OSP Installation Network
Design - including case studies (CFOS/D) Applications
- Wireless (CFOS/W), DAS (CFOS/DAS), FTTA (CFOS/A), Data Centers
(CFOS/DC), FTTH (CFOS/H), Optical LANs (CFOS/L) MiniCourses
- Short courses on important topics that you can finish in an
hour or less Fiber U courses may be used as preparation for the FOA certification programs. All Fiber U material and programs are copyright FOA. For information on fair use of this material, go here. FOA/Fiber U Privacy Policy Introduction To Fiber Optics: Fiber Optics In Communications![]() Fiber Optics In Communications and How It Works(1 hour) Just getting started in fiber optics and wonder where it's used and how it works? Are you managing a fiber project and want to understand what is involved? Does your organization use fiber optics and you'd like to know more about how it works? This short introductory lesson from Fiber U is intended for you. Not too technical, just an overview, but a good starting place for everyone interested in fiber optics. New @ Fiber U - MiniCoursesFiber U is introducing a new idea in our free online courses. "MiniCourses" are self-study programs on specialized topics you can complete in an hour or less. You can still get your Fiber U Certificate of Completion too. Here's our first Fiber U MiniCourses: How Optical Fiber Works ![]() How Optical Fiber Works How does optical fiber capture light in the core of the fiber and transmit light long distances? This Fiber U Minicourse explains how fiber works simply with an animated video that clearly illustrates the principles that make fiber of all types work. You can get your Fiber U Certificate of Completion too, for only $10. Fiber Optic Network Restoration ![]() Fiber Optic Network Restoration MiniCourse. (1 hour) Every fiber optic network is susceptible to outages, either by damage to the cable plant or problems with the communications equipment. This Fiber U MiniCourse covers what kinds of damage occurs to a fiber optic communications network, how to plan for outages and restoration and how to troubleshoot and repair problems. This course is aimed at managers and network owners as well as contractors and installers. You can get your Fiber U Certificate of Completion too, for only $10. Fiber Optic Connector Identification![]() Fiber Optic Connector Identification MiniCourse (1 hour) Over the history of fiber optics, there have been more than 100 unique designs for fiber optic connectors. Fortunately only a few have become widely used, but field techs often encounter connectors they are not familiar with. This Fiber U MiniCourse covers the most popular connectors today and some that have been widely used in the past that techs often contact FOA asking for help in identifying them. You can get your Fiber U Certificate of Completion too, for only $10. The Mysterious dB of Fiber Optics![]() The Mysterious dB of Fiber Optics MiniCourse (1 hour) Fiber optic measurements of power and loss are made in dB, a mysterious unit of measurement that confuses many people. This MiniCourse helps you understand what dB and dBm are, how they are defined and measured. The course also explains how small change in an international standard created confusion and misunderstanding of dB. Even if you aren't a math whiz, this FOA MiniCourse can help you understand dB. You can get your Fiber U Certificate of Completion too, for only $10. Fiber Optic Cable Bend Radius![]() Fiber Optic Cable Bend Radius MiniCourse(1 hour) All fiber optic cables have specifications that must not be exceeded during and after installation to prevent irreparable damage to the cable. This includes pulling tension, minimum bend radius or diameter and crush loads. Installers must understand these specifications and know how to install cables without damaging them. Bending of a fiber optic cable can damage the cable if the curvature of the bend is too small. Damage may not always be obvious, like a kink in the cable, but may include broken fibers, fibers with higher loss due to stress and cable structural damage that may lead to reliability problems. You can get your Fiber U Certificate of Completion too, for only $10. Fiber Optic Link Loss and Power Budgets![]() Fiber Optic Link Loss and Power Budgets (1 hour) Fiber optic link loss budgets and power budgets are very important for designing and testing fiber optic networks. During the design phase, the power budget of a network intended to be used on the cable plant being designed is necessary to compare to the link loss budget of the cable plant to ensure the cable plant and the network are compatible and there is sufficient loss margin for operation of the network. After the cable plant is installed, the link loss budget is used as the criteria for testing the loss of all the fibers in the cable plant, all of which should be within the loss budget. This course will introduce the concepts of link loss and power budgets and show how they are used in designing and testing fiber optic networks. It is intended for designers of fiber optics networks and techs who will be testing these networks. You can get your Fiber U Certificate of Completion too, for only $10. Fiber Optic Connector Inspection And Cleaning![]() Fiber Optic Connector Inspection And Cleaning. (1 hour) Optical fibers are as small as a human hair and the performance of fiber optic connections is highly susceptible to dirt and contamination. This course describes the types of connector problems caused by dirt, contamination and damage, how to perform visual inspection of connectors and how to use proper methods to clean them. You can get your Fiber U Certificate of Completion too, for only $10. Fiber Optic Media Conversion![]() Fiber Optic Media Conversion (1 hour) Electronic devices communicate internally using electrons on conductors and communicate with other devices using copper cables. radio waves (wireless) or fiber optics. These often require connections into fiber optic networks since fiber optics is the backbone of the world's communications. This course describes these converters and how to use them. You can get your Fiber U Certificate of Completion for only $10. Fiber Optic Cable Midspan Access![]() Fiber Optic Cable Midspan Access (1 hour) Many installations involve splitting the fibers in a backbone cable or dropping a small fiber count cable from a large backbone cable. This Fiber U MiniCourse will explain how a high fiber count backbone or distribution cable can drop just a few fibers at a location without splicing all the fibers in the cable, saving time and cost. You can get your Fiber U Certificate of Completion for only $10. Reading An OTDR Trace ![]() Reading An OTDR Trace (1 hour) The information provided is an OTDR trace is quite valuable if you know how to interpret this. The first thing you need to know is what the elements in an OTDR trace are, which is the subject of this FIber U MiniCourse. You can get your Fiber U Certificate of Completion for only $10. Fiber U "The Basics" Self-Study Program![]() Basic Fiber Optics (10-20 hours) ![]() May be used as preparation for the CFOT® Exam This is a 10-part series of self-study lessons covering the basics of fiber optics. You can use the FOA Online Reference Guide to Fiber Optics or a copy of The FOA Reference Guide to Fiber Optics, available in printed or eBook form. Study the reference materials and test your comprehension with the online quizzes. Designed as a preparation for those taking the CFOT Certification directly or planning to attend an FOA-approved course and want to prepare ahead of time. Complete the course and you can take the Fiber U Certificate of Completion exam. Basic Skills Lab ![]() Basic Fiber Optic Skills Lab Covers Safety, Tools, Cables, Splicing, Termination and Testing May be used as preparation for the CFOS/S, /C, /T Exams (Hands-on, 10-20 hours, each lesson 2-5 hours) ![]() While you cannot learn hands-on installation skills necessary for fiber optic techs by taking an online course, if your company or you already have the equipment, the Fiber U Basic Skills Lab can help you learn on your own. In this course you download a workbook and use FOA Guide, YouTube Videos and "Virtual Hands-On" tutorials to give you step by step instructions and lots of hints on how to prepare cables, splice, terminate and test them, then build a working fiber optic network.This course is designed for those who have already completed the Basic Fiber Optics course above, have access to equipment and a variety of components and want to learn the processes of fiber optic installation on their own. If you are preparing to take a in-person course from one of the FOA approved schools, you can use this course to familiarize yourself with the labs taught in the courses. Premises Cabling ![]() Premises Cabling (Copper, Fiber And Wireless) (5-10 hours) ![]() May be used as preparation for the CPCT Exam This 8-part self-study program covers premises cabling, including copper (UTP and coax), fiber and wireless (or more precisely, cabling for wireless.) This program uses the FOA Online Reference Guide to Fiber Optics, Premises Cabling Section or a copy of the FOA Reference Guide to Premises Cabling, available in printed or eBook form. Study the reference materials and test your comprehension with the online quizzes. Additional reading is included for advanced study. Complete the course and you can take the Fiber U Certificate of Completion exam. Basic Skills Lab, Premises Cabling ![]() Basic Skills Lab, Copper Premises Cabling Covers safety, tools, coax, UTP cables, plugs and jacks. (Hands-on, 5-10 hours, each lesson 1-5 hours) ![]() The Fiber U Premises Cabling course includes copper cabling, fiber cabling and wireless. The fiber optic cabling is inclded in the Basic Fiber Optics course and The Basis Fiber Optics Skills lab. This course covers basic skills for unshielded wtisted pair (UTP) copper cable (what is often called "Cat 5" cable) and coax for video. This course can help you learn on your own. In this course you download a workbook and use FOA Guide, YouTube Videos and "Virtual Hands-On" tutorials to give you step by step instructions and lots of hints on how to prepare cables, splice, terminate and test them.This course is designed for those who have already completed the Premises Cabling course above, have access to equipment and a variety of components and want to learn the processes of fiber optic installation on their own. If you are preparing to take a in-person course from one of the FOA approved schools, you can use this course to familiarize yourself with the labs taught in the courses. Fiber
U "Specialist" Skills-Based Courses and Certifications
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Use of Fiber U Material This information is provided by The Fiber Optic Association, Inc. as a benefit to those interested in teaching, designing, manufacturing, selling, installing or using fiber optic communications systems or networks. It is intended to be used as a overview and/or basic guidelines and in no way should be considered to be complete or comprehensive. These guidelines are strictly the opinion of the FOA and the reader is expected to use them as a basis for learning, as a reference and for creating their own documentation, project specifications, etc. Those working with fiber optics in the classroom, laboratory or field should follow all safety rules carefully. The FOA assumes no liability for the use of any of this material.
The
Fiber Optic Association Inc. (FOA) is the international
professional association of fiber optics. FOA is chartered to
promote fiber optics through education, certification and
standards. More
about the FOA. |
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