This is the FOA's Online Guide To Fiber Optics, Fiber Broadband & Premises
Cabling. It includes almost a thousand pages of materials
created by the FOA covering the basics to advanced topics on
fiber optics and premises cabling.The goal of this website is
educating students, users, designers, installers or anyone
interested in the subject of fiber and cabling for
communications systems.
FOA has created a new AI driven search for the FOA website. "Ask Lennie Lightwave"
anything about fiber optic technology, the FOA or FOA certifications
and it will search the ~1,000 page of information on the FOA website for
the answer.
Search
the FOA website:
Online Learning: FOA has a online learning site called Fiber
U with many free self-study courses based on technical
material in the FOA Guide.. Many topics covered here
are also available as free Fiber
U self-study programs. Look for the mention of Fiber
U at many topics below.
FOA publishes a monthly newsletter with technical articles and industry news. Read the latest FOA Newsletter.
Reference Topics -
click on any of the topic below to jump to the complete
listing of topics on the subject in the FOA Guide.
Basic
Topics These
are online equivalents of the FOA textbooks,
complete with online topic quizzes, and you can purchase a
printed or ebook version. Books
Most links
are to web pages with tutorials. "VHO" means a
step-by-step hands-on installation tutorial. Many topics
have videos on YouTube listed below.
Lennie Lightwave's Guide - The basic introduction to fiber optics Many
of you have used the current online version of Lennie's
Guide on the FOA website. Now you can have a slick printed
version - real paper and colored pictures - you can hold in
your hand and read. Leave a copy on your desktop to impress
your friends, or on the table in your company's reception
area instead of out-of-date magazines. Give them to your
customers and employees to help them learn fiber optics. Use
it to prepare for FOA certifications. You can get your own printed copies of Lennie
Lightwave's Guide at Amazon.com,
Premises
Cabling Systems (Fiber, Copper and Wireless) (CPCT
Level)
Most
links are to web pages with tutorials. "VHO" means a
step-by-step hands-on installation tutorial. Many topics
have videos on YouTube listed below.
FOA Textbook on Premises Cabling Outside
Plant Fiber Optics (Specialist, CFOS/O Level) Most links
are to web pages with tutorials. "VHO" means a
step-by-step hands-on installation tutorial. Many topics
have videos on YouTube listed below.
FOA
Standards Understandable
versions of industry standards FOA
Standard FOA-1: Testing Loss of Installed Fiber
Optic Cable Plant, (Insertion Loss, TIA OFSTP-14,
OFSTP-7, ISO/IEC 61280, ISO/IEC 14763, etc.) FOA
Standard FOA-2: Testing Loss of Fiber Optic
Cables, Single Ended, (Insertion Loss, TIA
FOTP-171, OFSTP-7, , ISO/IEC 14763) FOA
Standard FOA-3: Measuring Optical Power
(Transmitter and Receiver Power, FOTP-95, Numerous
ISO/IEC standards) FOA
Standard FOA-4: OTDR Testing of Fiber Optic Cable
Plant (TIA FOTP-8/59/60/61/78, ISO/IEC 14763,
etc.) FOA
Standard FOA-5 Fiber Optic Datalinks FOA
Standard FOA-6: Fiber Optic Cable
Plant FOA
Standard FOA-7: Mode Conditioning For Testing
Multimode Fiber Optic Cables FOA Standard FOA-8: Inspection and Cleaning of Fiber Optic Connectors
Most
links are to web pages with tutorials. "VHO" means a
step-by-step hands-on installation tutorial. Many topics
have videos on YouTube listed below.
See the Testing
Section
for more information on how components are tested.
See
the Components Section for
installation processes for fiber optic cable plant
components and the Testing
Section
for more information on how installed cable plants are
tested.
Most links are to
web pages with tutorials. "VHO" means a step-by-step
hands-on installation tutorial. Many topics have videos on
YouTube listed below.
Designing Fiber Optic
Networks - for contractors, designers, installers
and users and the reference for the FOA CFOS/D Design
Certification (PDF, 1.3 MB).
The
FOA has more than 100 videos on YouTube, including Lecture
Series on Fiber Optics and Premises Cabling, Hands-On
lectures on both and some other informational and
instructional videos. For all the videos, go
to the FOA Channel "thefoainc" or use the direct
links below.
Below is a list of the current lectures and hands-on
videos. We're looking for ideas for topics for future
lectures. Send your ideas to <info@thefoa.org>.
Where
Are The Jobs In Fiber Optics? FOA talks about all
the applications for fiber optics, what jobs involve and
the qualifications for the workers in the field.
The
3M Easy Cleaver: FOA tests the 3M
"disposable" cleaver and shows its unique diamond
filament scriber Fiber
Optic Stripping Tools: Comparison of Miller,
No-Nik and Microstrip and introduction of the New
Ripley/Miller Center Feed stripper. Panduit's
PanMPO Connector: Helps manage polarity with the
MPO connector for testing and cable plants.
FOA's Fiber U Free Fiber Optic Online Learning Programs
Fiber U® - "Fiber University" Online Training
Fiber U is the FOA website with free online
self-study programs, Fiber
U self-study programs cover most of the topics
here and allows you to test your comprehension of the
subject at the end of each section. For most programs,
after you complete the self-study part you can take an
online quiz and get a certificate of completion. Fiber U Self-Study Programs
FOA has textbooks on Fiber Optics, Premises
Cabling, OSP
Fiber Optics and OSP Construction and the FTTH
Handbook. The Fiber Broadband book is a book explaining how fiber optics
powers all forms of communications today.
Languages: Fiber Optics available in English, Spanish, French and
Portuguese, Design available in English and Spanish, FTTH Handbook available in English and Spanish
All are self-published by FOA and available at very
reasonable prices.
Available printed or eBooks on the Amazon Kindle.
Click on each book for details.
These
two guides are simple introductions to the subjects. They
will explain the applications, jargon, components and
installation in a quick overview.
Resources
For Teachers In K-12 And Technical Schools
Teachers in all grades can introduce their students to
fiber optic technology with some simple demonstrations.
FOA has created a page for
STEM or STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts
and math) teachers with materials appropriate to their
classes. Fiber
Optic Resources For Teachers.
FOA Policy on Linking And Use
of The FOA Guide Materials
Interested in
linking to FOA webpages or reproducing FOA copyrighted
technical materials? Here
is the FOA policy on use of our technical materials.
Got feedback? Let us know how we can make The FOA Online
Fiber Optic Reference Guide better. Email us at <
info @ foa.org >
Directions For Using The FOA Guide
This is the FOA's Guide To Fiber Optics & Premises
Cabling. It includes almost a thousand pages of materials
created by the FOA covering the basics to advanced topics
on fiber optics and premises cabling.The goal of this
website is educating students, users, designers,
installers or anyone interested in the subject of fiber
and cabling for communications systems.
The Guide is intended to be used as reference material for
those working in the industry, studying for FOA
Certifications, teaching fiber optic training classes or
giving refresher tutorials for FOA CFOTs. It includes what
is essentially an online version of the FOA textbooks that
you can also purchase a printed or ebook version. Books
Disclaimer: 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 an
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.
Note: The
FOA knowledge base includes suggested
materials in helping individuals to become
prepared for FOA certification exams. The
information provided is not intended to be
inclusive of all potentially useful resources,
nor does inclusion in this knowledge base
constitute an endorsement by the FOA.
There is a tremendous amount of information on this
website, so finding things can be a challenge. Here are
some guidelines to make it easier.
If you want to look for a subject like standards,
components or testing, go directly to the Table
of Contents.
This website will be constantly changing as new
information is added. Suggestions regarding the content
are welcomed. Send suggestions to info@foa.org .
Printed, Kindle, iBook and iPad/iPhone App versions of the
FOA textbooks are available. Details
here.
Key To Using the Table of Contents
Some
links are simple documents as webpages or PDF files
formatted for printing, some are videos on YouTube and
some are online PowerPoint presentations.
Unmarked links are webpages
The links marked (TT) are FOA Tech Topics From The FOA
website.
Links marked with the "YouTube" logo take you to the
isted video on the FOA YouTube channel "thefoainc".
The links marked VHO are "virtual hands-on" online
PowerPoint presentations that provide a tutorial
showing actual installation practices in a
step-by-step process designed to lead the reader
through a hands-on procedure exactly as it would be
performed in the real world. VHO tutorials do not work
well with portable web devices like Smartphones.
The links marked (Tutorial) are online PowerPoint
presentations that provide a tutorial on the subject.
Tutorials do not work well with portable web devices
like Smartphones.
All links open in new windows, so you can close that
window and return to the Table of Contents.
Privacy
Policy: The FOA does not use cookies or any other
web tricks to gather information on visitors to our
website. Our website host, Network Solutions, does
gather traffic statistics for the visitors to our
website and
our online testing service, ClassMarker, maintains
statistics of test results. We do not release or
misuse any information on any of our members except
we will confirm FOA certifications and Fiber U
certificates of completion when requested by
appropriate persons such as employers or personnel
services. Read
the complete FOA Privacy Policy here.
FOA has created a new AI driven search for the FOA website. "Ask Lennie Lightwave"
anything about fiber optic technology, the FOA or FOA certifications
and it will search the ~1,000 page of information on the FOA website for
the answer.
Lennie Lightwave's Guide - The basic introduction to fiber optics
FOA Textbook on Premises Cabling
FOA Textbook on Fiber Optic Testing
