Free
Online Self-Study Courses
Fiber U is
the free online learning website of the
FOA -
the Fiber Optic Association. Here you will find free
online self-study courses, 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 or Premises
Cabling, both including Basic Skills Labs (installation,
test)
Skills
- Fiber Optic Testing ( with an special
program on OTDRs), OSP
Construction and OSP Installation
Fiber
Optic Network Design - including case studies
Applications
- Fiber For Wireless, Distributed
Antenna Systems (DAS), Fiber to the
Antenna (FTTA), Data Centers, Fiber
to the Home (FTTH), Optical LANs
MiniCourses
- Short courses on important topics about fiber optic network
design, installation, test and operation that you can finish in
an hour or less
Fiber
U Certificate of Completion When you finish
a free Fiber U online self-study program, you can take a test to
get a Fiber U Certificate of Completion for the course for a
nominal charge to cover our online testing service.
Certification
-
Fiber U courses may be used as preparation for the FOA
certification programs.
- References
- Fiber U is based on the extensive FOA
knowledge base on fiber optics
- About
Fiber U - The history and goals of FOA's
online learning site
Who
is Lennie Lightwave? Lennie
Lightwave was the cartoon mascot created for the original Fiber
U conference in 1993.
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.
Fiber
U "Basic Fiber Optics" 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)
Includes
Do it Yourself lab using inexpensive tools you can purchase
online.
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.
Complete
the course and you can take the Fiber
U Certificate of Completion exam.
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)
Includes Do it Yourself lab using inexpensive tools you can
purchase online.
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.
Complete
the course and you can take the Fiber
U Certificate of Completion
exam.
Fiber
U "Specialist" Skills-Based Courses and Certifications
Outside
Plant Construction
Outside
Plant (OSP) Construction
(5-10
hours)
This
program covers the process of construction of outside plant
(OSP) fiber optic cable plant including underground, direct
buried and aerial installations. The
Outside Plant Fiber Optics program below continues from this
course to cover OSP installation from the point of preparing the
cable, splicing, termination and testing.
Complete
the course and you can take the Fiber
U Certificate of Completion
exam.
Outside Plant FIber Optics
Outside
Plant Fiber Optics
(10-20 hours, 5-10 if Basics of Fiber above is completed first*)
May
be used as preparation for the CFOS/O Exam
This 10-part self-study program on outside plant fiber
optics covers the outdoor networks used by telcos, wireless
operators, CATV companies, utilities, etc. and the processes
used in their installation. This program uses the FOA
Online Reference Guide to Fiber Optics, OSP Section
or a copy of The
FOA Reference Guide to Outside Plant Fiber Optics,
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.
Note:
this is an expanded version of the Basic program above to
include specific issues of OSP installation. *If
you have completed the Basics of Fiber Optics course
above, the time to complete this program is less becasue
the introductory information is the same. Complete the
course and case study and you can take the Fiber
U Certificate of Completion exam.
Fiber
Optic Testing
Fiber
Optic Testing
(10-20 hours)
Prerequisite:
Basic Fiber Optics above, or comprehensive knowledge of fiber
optics.
May be used as preparation for the CFOS/T Exam
The Fiber U Fiber Optic Testing self-study program
is aimed at everyone working in fiber optics. This 6 part series
of lessons covers the full scope of fiber optic testing, one of
the most complex topics in fiber optics. We've divided the course
into lessons that cover an overview of fiber optic testing, test
tools and instruments, visual testing, insertion loss, OTDRs and a
catch-all final lesson covering a number of other topics. We use
the FOA YouTube Videos for most of the lessons plus pages from our
online guide to provide the basic materials for study but we also
provide links to many additional topics that may apply to your
particular applications. For those just interested in OTDRs, there
is a separate program on that subject below. Complete
the course and case study and you can take the Fiber
U Certificate of Completion
exam.
Understanding
OTDRs
Understanding
OTDRs And OTDR Testing
(2-4 hours)
This
is a lesson from the Fiber Optic Testing course above that
just covers OTDR testing.
Prerequisite:
Basic Fiber Optics above, or comprehensive knowledge
of fiber optics.
May be used as preparation for the CFOS/T Exam
This is a 4-part series on understanding
one of the more important testing tools in fiber optics. OTDRs are
valuable test tools but require more depth of understanding to use
properly. This self-study program will review fiber optic testing,
look at how OTDRs work and how their test data is analyzed. It
also explains testing artifacts like "gainers" and "ghosts" that
can be very confusing. This program uses the FOA
Online Reference Guide to Fiber Optics, OSP Section
or, for Lesson 1 only, a copy of The
FOA Reference Guide to Outside Plant Fiber Optics,
available in printed or eBook form. Part of this course is a free
OTDR simulator you can download and run on your PC. Complete
the course and case study and you can take the Fiber
U Certificate of Completion
exam.
Fiber
Optic Network Design (For Designers And Management)
Fiber
Optic Network Design
(5-15
hours)
May be used as preparation for the CFOS/D Exam
This 8-part series of self-study lessons is aimed at designers
and managers needing to know how to design, install and
operate a fiber optic network. It's not how to create drawings -
that's another part of design but specific to the software or
method used to create drawings! It's about how to evaluate
customer needs for communications links, choose equipment, design
the cable plant, choose components, create a plan, choose
contractors, pick components, manage the install and finish the
paperwork. The final lesson is 9 case studies of various networks
where you have to make the right choices.
This course assumes you have a basic knowledge of fiber optics at
the CFOT/CPCT level. If not, take the Basic
Fiber Optics or Outside
Plant Fiber Optics course above.
Complete
the course and case study and you can take the Fiber
U Certificate of Completion
exam. If you are
interested in taking this course for FOA CFOS/D certification,
contact FOA at info@foa.org.
Fiber
U Applications-Based Courses
Recommended
preparation: Basic knowledge of fiber optics, e.g. Basic
Fiber Optics course above.
Fiber
For Wireless
Fiber
For Wireless
(2-5
hours)
May be used as preparation for the CFOS/W Exam
Wireless communications is growing at an incomprehensible pace.
Cellular wireless is looking at upgrades to 5G technology, small
cells and video streaming. WiFi is reaching gigabit speeds for
enterprise LANs, being deployed in many metro areas and even being
used for line-of-sight links in rural areas. All these
applications depend on fiber optics for backbones. This new Fiber
U self-study program combines the current programs on FTTA (fiber
to the antenna) and DAS (distributed antenna systems) and adds
lessons on Small Cells, the hottest topic in cellular wireless and
WiFi applications. This course is aimed at communications managers
and fiber optic contractors who want an overview of how wireless
technologies depend on fiber optics and how to implement these
systems. Complete the course and case study and you can take the Fiber
U Certificate of Completion exam.
Distributed
Antenna Systems
Distributed
Antenna Systems (DAS)
(1-2
hours)
May be
used as preparation for the CFOS/DAS Exam
Cellular data traffic growth has been phenomenal - over 500 times
in the first seven years of smartphones. While most antennas are
outdoors, most call originate from indoors. While everyone expects
cellular connections everywhere, signals have trouble getting
inside large buildings, mass transit tunnesl, etc. and regular
cellular systems are overloaded in facilities where large groups
gather, such as sports facilities or convention centers. The
solution to both problems is to install distributed antenna
systems that provide adequate coverage no matter how big the crowd
or where they are. This Fiber U course covers how a DAS works, its
cabling requirements and how they are installed. Complete the
course and case study and you can take the Fiber
U Certificate of Completion exam.
Fiber To The Antenna
Fiber
To The Antenna
(2-4 hours)
May be used as preparation for the CFOS/A Exam
Similar to DAS (above), cell towers have been changing to adapt to
the large growth in volume of data traffic over cellular networks.
Towers that one had 3 antennas now have a dozen or more.
Connecting to those antennas from the base of the tower with
traditional coax cables required too much weight and wind
resistance for the tower, not to mention cost, so digital systems
using fiber optic cables have been replacing the coax. This Fiber
U course covers the equipment mounted on cell towers,how cabling
connects them and how those cables are installed and tested.
Complete the course and case study and you can take the Fiber
U Certificate of Completion exam.
Data Center Cabling
Data
Center Cabling
(2-4
hours)
May
be used as preparation for the CFOS/DC Exam
Data
centers are one of the fastest growing areas in information
technology and communications, leading to many large
applications for cabling. There are many different
viewpoints on how data center cabling should be designed and
installed, depending on the point of view. Fiber U takes a
unbiased viewpoint to try to understand how users are
actually building data centers and creates a short
self-study program that can provide a better basis for
understanding this important cabling application. Complete
the course and case study and you can take the Fiber U
Certificate of Completion exam.
Fiber To The Home,
etc.
FTTx
Fiber To The Home, Premises, Business, Curb, etc.
(3-5
hours)
May
be used as preparation for the CFOS/H Exam
This 6-part series will
introduce you to the varieties of ways that fiber optics is moving
closer or all the way to the subscriber. While some refer to it as
FTTH (fiber to the home), we also have FTTC (curb), FTTP
(premises) and even a new acronym, FTTW (wireless), and this
self-study program will cover all the varieties. While all
varieties of FTTx are covered, most of the course focuses on FTTH
PON networks. Take this course and you will learn about all the
options for FTTx, what network architectures look like, what
standards exist, and get an overview of how they are installed and
tested. A final session will cover design of FTTx and give you a
design exercise to complete. This course is designed for everyone
interested in FTTx. Those new to fiber optics or in management
roles can use this course to familiarize themselves with FTTx
technologies, while those with fiber backgrounds will learn how to
implement FTTx from this course.
Complete the course and
case study and you can take the Fiber U Certificate of
Completion exam.
Optical
LANs
Optical
LANs (OLANs)
(3-5
hours)
May
be used as preparation for the CFOS/L Exam
Optical LANs or OLANs, are a new
way to build LANs using an all optical fiber cable plant and
electronics derived from fiber to the home (FTTH). Sometimes also
referred to as fiber to the desk or FTTD, POLs, POLANs, passive
optical LANs or FTTO, fiber to the office, these are LANs (local
area networks) that are based on optical fiber cabling, not
copper, and are of great interest to many contractors, installers
and end users. OLANs have been covered extensively in the trade
press and are being promoted by many vendors, so there is plenty
of interest in learning more about them. This course will provide
an overview of the three types of optical LANs, their advantages
over traditional LANs and how to design, install and test them. Complete
the course and case study and you can take the Fiber
U Certificate of Completion exam.
Fiber U -
MiniCourses
Fiber U
"MiniCourses" are self-study programs on specialized topics you
can complete in an hour or less.
You can get a Fiber U Certificate of Completion for
$10.
How
Optical Fiber Works
How
Optical Fiber Works
(1
hour)
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 $10.
Fiber Optic Color Codes
Fiber
Optic Color Codes
(1 hour)
Color
codes are used for identifying fibers, cables, splices and
connectors, ensuring correct connections. Color codes are also an
important part of fiber optic cable plant documentation. This
Fiber U MiniCourse covers the standard colors of fiber optics and
how they are used to ensure network connections. You
can get your Fiber U Certificate of Completion too, for $10.
Fiber
Optic Connector Identification
Fiber
Optic Connector Identification
(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 $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 $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 $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 $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 $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 $10.
Fiber
Optic Cable Bend Radius
Fiber
Optic Cable Bend Radius
(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
$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 $10.
Fiber Optic Network Restoration
Fiber
Optic Network Restoration
(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 $10.
Get a
"Certificate of Completion" for taking Fiber U online self-study
programs.
Finish a
Fiber U online self-study program and get a "Certificate of
Completion" for the course. After completion of these courses, you
can take an online exam at nominal cost ($20US for full courses,
$10 for MiniCourses) and get a "Fiber U Certificate of Completion"
for the online course.
Please
note: receiving this Fiber U Certificate of
Completion does not include FOA certification but it does
become documentation of your knowledge of fiber optics and
should be part of your portfolio of documented knowledge,
other training and work experience that can qualify you to
apply for FOA direct FOA certification through the FOA "Work
to Cert" program.
For
more information on the Fiber U Certificate of
Completion program, go
here.
For more information on
the FOA and its certification programs, go to the FOA
page on certification.
For information on the FOA "Work to Cert" direct
certification program for those with industry experience, go
here.
FOA
Certification Programs
FOA
Certification
Unless you already have field experience, you can't get FOA CFOT®
or CPCT certified just by taking online courses at Fiber U because
you can't develop hands-on skills needed for fiber optics on a
computer! But using these self-study courses, you can prepare
yourself for training at one of our hundreds of FOA-Approved
schools around the world, refresh your knowledge from your own
CFOT training or study for FOA exams if you are experienced in
fiber optics and want to apply for direct certification.
If you do
have field experience, you may qualify for the FOA "Work to Cert"
direct certification program.
For
more information on the FOA and its certification programs,
go to the FOA
page on certification.
For information on the FOA "Work to Cert" direct
certification program for those with industry experience, go
here.
FOA Resources
Reference Books
from The FOA
FOA has
created these textbooks to be used in training for FOA
certifications and as reference books for contractors,
installers and end users of fiber optics. Many are cited in the
Fiber U self-study courses. All FOA books are available in
printed form at Amazon.com, and some also as eBooks on the
Amazon Kindle or as Apple iBooks for the iPad/iPhone/iPod.
Go
here for more information.
Learn
more about fiber optics at the FOA
Online Reference Guide to Fiber Optics - almost
one thousand pages of technical information on fiber optics.
It's the world's most used and trusted site for technical
information on fiber optics.
The
FOA is using YouTube to host a large number of instructional
videos including lecture series on fiber optics and premises
cabling plus dozens of hands-on videos.
See the FOA Lecture Series and dozens of hands-on instructional
videos and lectures about fiber optics and premises cabling on the
FOA YouTube Channel - "thefoainc"
Here
is a listing of all the current FOA YouTube Videos
- Getting Started Guides
Take the
short course "Fiber
Optics In Communications - And How It Works" - an
introduction to fiber optics in communications and fiber optic
technology.
Or read these two introductory guides:
These two guides
are simple introductions to the subjects. They will explain the
applications, jargon, components and installation in a quick
overview. Lennie
Lightwave's Guide to Fiber Optics and
Uncle Ted's Guide to Communications Cabling
are available free online.
Lennie's Guide
is now also available in print - a special 25th anniversary
edition in full color! Buy
it on Amazon.
Fiber U
History
Fiber U
began as a training conference run by Fotec, the fiber optic test
equipment company started by Jim Hayes, now FOA President. Fiber U
combined lectures by many highly knowledgeable instructors and had
participating manufacturers to provide hands-on training on their
equipment. During the 1990s, dozens of Fiber U conferences were
held as a standalone conference and as part of major trade shows
and meetings. Conferences had up to 250 students and 40
vendors, taking over complete hotels and filling conference areas
- even parking lots - with training sessions.
After
the 1994 conference, the Fiber U instructors decided that the
fiber optic industry was ready to have its own professional
society and the FOA was born.
Fiber U also pioneered online training, starting in 1997 using
techniques just like we use today which we learned from a teacher
who was a summer intern at Fotec.
Photos
from the original Fiber U conferences.
Lennie Lightwave was the cartoon mascot created for the original
Fiber U conference in 1993. Lennie has been called the most famous
guy in fiber optics. Lennie Lightwave's Guide to Fiber
Optics was published 20 years ago as a simple, easy to understand
introduction to fiber optics. The web version of Lennie
Lightwave's Guide to Fiber Optics
was one of the first commercial web pages ever and introduced many
people to fiber optic technology. Now Lennie's Guide and Uncle
Ted's Guide to Communications Cabling,
the premises cabling equivalent, are still two of the most popular
sites for getting started in the fiber optics and premises cabling
business.
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