EN IEC 61280-4-2:2024

Fibre-optic communication subsystem test procedures - Part 4-2: Installed cabling plant - Single-mode attenuation and optical return loss measurements

IEC 61280-4-2:2024 is available as IEC 61280-4-2:2024 RLV which contains the International Standard and its Redline version, showing all changes of the technical content compared to the previous edition.IEC 62180-4-2:2024 is applicable to the measurements of attenuation and optical return loss of an installed optical fibre cabling plant using single-mode fibre. This cabling plant can include single-mode optical fibres, connectors, adapters, splices, and other passive devices. The cabling can be installed in a variety of environments including residential, commercial, industrial and data centre premises, as well as outside plant environments. This document is applicable to all single-mode fibre types including those designated by IEC 60793-2-50 as Class B fibres. The principles of this document can be applied to cabling plants containing branching devices (splitters) and at specific wavelength ranges in situations where passive wavelength selective components are deployed, such as WDM, CWDM and DWDM devices. This document is not intended to apply to cabling plants that include active devices such as fibre amplifiers or dynamic channel equalizers. This third edition cancels and replaces the second edition published in 2014. This edition constitutes a technical revision. This edition includes the following significant technical changes with respect to the previous edition: a) addition of the equipment cord method; b) addition of test limit adjustment related to test cord grades; c) refinements on measurement uncertainties.

Prüfverfahren für Lichtwellenleiter-Kommunikationsuntersysteme - Teil 4-2: Installierte Kabelanlagen - Einmoden-Dämpfungs- und optische Rückflussdämpfungsmessung

Procédures d’essai des sous-systèmes de télécommunication fibroniques - Partie 4-2: Installations câblées - Mesures de l'affaiblissement de réflexion optique et de l'affaiblissement des fibres unimodales

IEC 61280-4-2:2024 est disponible sous forme de IEC 61280-4-2:2024 RLV qui contient la Norme internationale et sa version Redline, illustrant les modifications du contenu technique depuis l'édition précédente.L'IEC 61280-4-2:2024 s’applique aux mesures de l’affaiblissement et de l’affaiblissement de réflexion optique d’une installation câblée à fibres optiques utilisant des fibres unimodales. Cette installation câblée peut inclure des fibres optiques unimodales, des connecteurs, des adaptateurs, des épissures et d’autres dispositifs passifs. Le câblage peut être installé dans une diversité d’environnements, notamment dans des locaux résidentiels, commerciaux ou industriels et des centres de traitement de données, ainsi que dans des environnements d’installations extérieures. Le présent document s’applique à tous les types de fibres unimodales, y compris celles désignées comme des fibres de Classe B par l’IEC 60793-2-50. Les principes du présent document peuvent s’appliquer aux installations câblées contenant des dispositifs de commutation (répartiteurs) et sur des plages de longueurs d’onde spécifiques, dans des situations dans lesquelles sont déployés des composants passifs sélectifs en longueurs d’onde, par exemple des dispositifs WDM, CWDM et DWDM. Le présent document n’est pas destiné à s’appliquer à des installations câblées qui incluent des dispositifs actifs tels que des amplificateurs à fibres ou des égaliseurs de canaux de transmission dynamiques. Cette troisième édition annule et remplace la deuxième édition parue en 2014. Cette édition constitue une révision technique. Cette édition inclut les modifications techniques majeures suivantes par rapport à l’édition précédente: a) ajout de la méthode des cordons d’équipement; b) ajout de l’ajustement de limite d’essai lié aux classes de cordons d’essai; c) affinements des incertitudes de mesure.

Postopki za preskušanje optičnih komunikacijskih podsistemov - 4-2. del: Kabelska inštalacija - Meritve slabljenja v enorodovnih vlaknih in optičnih povratnih izgub (IEC 61280-4-2:2024)

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 13-Jun-2024
• ICS: 33.180.01 - Fibre optic systems in general
• Technical Committee: CLC/SR 86C - Fibre optic systems and active devices
• Drafting Committee: IEC/SC 86C - IEC_SC_86C
• Current Stage: 6060 - Document made available - Publishing
• Start Date: 14-Jun-2024
• Due Date: 30-Aug-2024
• Completion Date: 14-Jun-2024
• Ref Project: SIST EN IEC 61280-4-2:2024 - Fibre-optic communication subsystem test procedures - Part 4-2: Installed cabling plant - Single-mode attenuation and optical return loss measurements (IEC 61280-4-2:2024)

Relations

• Replaces: EN 61280-4-2:2014 - Fibre-optic communication subsystem test procedures - Part 4-2: Installed cable plant - Single-mode attenuation and optical return loss measurement
• Effective Date: 23-Jan-2023

Standards Content (Sample)

SLOVENSKI STANDARD
01-september-2024
Postopki za preskušanje optičnih komunikacijskih podsistemov - 4-2. del:
Kabelska inštalacija - Meritve slabljenja v enorodovnih vlaknih in optičnih
povratnih izgub (IEC 61280-4-2:2024)
Fibre-optic communication subsystem test procedures - Part 4-2: Installed cabling plant -
Single-mode attenuation and optical return loss measurements (IEC 61280-4-2:2024)
Prüfverfahren für Lichtwellenleiter-Kommunikationsuntersysteme - Teil 4-2: Installierte
Kabelanlagen - Einmoden-Dämpfungs- und optische Rückflussdämpfungsmessung (IEC
61280-4-2:2024)
Procédures d’essai des sous-systèmes de télécommunication fibroniques - Partie 4-2:
Installations câblées - Mesure de l'affaiblissement de réflexion optique et de
l'affaiblissement des fibres unimodales (IEC 61280-4-2:2024)
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: EN IEC 61280-4-2:2024
ICS:
33.180.01 Sistemi z optičnimi vlakni na Fibre optic systems in
splošno general
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.

EUROPEAN STANDARD EN IEC 61280-4-2

NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM June 2024
ICS 33.180.01 Supersedes EN 61280-4-2:2014
English Version
Fibre-optic communication subsystem test procedures - Part 4-2:
Installed cabling plant - Single-mode attenuation and optical
return loss measurements
(IEC 61280-4-2:2024)
Procédures d'essai des sous-systèmes de Prüfverfahren für Lichtwellenleiter-
télécommunication fibroniques - Partie 4-2: Installations Kommunikationsuntersysteme - Teil 4-2: Installierte
câblées - Mesures de l'affaiblissement de réflexion optique Kabelanlagen - Einmoden-Dämpfungs- und optische
et de l'affaiblissement des fibres unimodales Rückflussdämpfungsmessung
(IEC 61280-4-2:2024) (IEC 61280-4-2:2024)
This European Standard was approved by CENELEC on 2024-06-10. CENELEC members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC
Internal Regulations which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
Up-to-date lists and bibliographical references concerning such national standards may be obtained on application to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre or to any CENELEC member.
This European Standard exists in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other language made by translation
under the responsibility of a CENELEC member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC Management Centre has the
same status as the official versions.
CENELEC members are the national electrotechnical committees of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic,
Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the
Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland,
Türkiye and the United Kingdom.

European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization
Comité Européen de Normalisation Electrotechnique
Europäisches Komitee für Elektrotechnische Normung
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2024 CENELEC All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved worldwide for CENELEC Members.
Ref. No. EN IEC 61280-4-2:2024 E

European foreword
The text of document 86C/1912/FDIS, future edition 3 of IEC 61280-4-2, prepared by SC 86C "Fibre
optic systems and active devices" of IEC/TC 86 "Fibre optics" was submitted to the IEC-CENELEC
parallel vote and approved by CENELEC as EN IEC 61280-4-2:2024.
The following dates are fixed:
• latest date by which the document has to be implemented at national (dop) 2025-03-10
level by publication of an identical national standard or by endorsement
• latest date by which the national standards conflicting with the (dow) 2027-06-10
document have to be withdrawn
This document supersedes EN 61280-4-2:2014 and all of its amendments and corrigenda (if any).
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some of the elements of this document may be the subject of
patent rights. CENELEC shall not be held responsible for identifying any or all such patent rights.
Any feedback and questions on this document should be directed to the users’ national committee. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found on the CENELEC website.
Endorsement notice
The text of the International Standard IEC 61280-4-2:2024 was approved by CENELEC as a
European Standard without any modification.
In the official version, for Bibliography, the following notes have to be added for the standard indicated:
IEC 60793-1-40 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60793-1-40
IEC 60793-2 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60793-2
IEC 60793-2-50 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 60793-2-50
IEC 61280-1-3 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 61280-1-3
IEC 61280-4-3:2022 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 61280-4-3:2022 (not modified)
IEC 61280-4-5 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 61280-4-5
IEC 61300-3-4 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 61300-3-4
IEC 61300-3-6 NOTE Approved as EN 61300-3-6
IEC 61745 NOTE Approved as EN 61745
IEC 61753-1 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 61753-1
IEC 61754-19 NOTE Approved as EN 61754-19
IEC 61755-1 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 61755-1
IEC 61755-2-1 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 61755-2-1
IEC 61755-2-2 NOTE Approved as EN IEC 61755-2-2
IEC 61755-2-4 NOTE Approved as EN 61755-2-4
IEC 61755-2-5 NOTE Approved as EN 61755-2-5
Annex ZA
(normative)
Normative references to international publications
with their corresponding European publications
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments)
applies.
NOTE 1  Where an International Publication has been modified by common modifications, indicated by (mod),
the relevant EN/HD applies.
NOTE 2  Up-to-date information on the latest versions of the European Standards listed in this annex is available
here: www.cencenelec.eu.
Publication Year Title EN/HD Year
IEC 60825-2 - Safety of laser products - Part 2: Safety of - -
optical fibre communication systems
(OFCSs)
IEC 61300-3-35 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and EN IEC 61300-3-35 -
passive components - Basic test and
measurement procedures - Part 3-35:
Examinations and measurements - Visual
inspection of fibre optic connectors and
fibre-stub transceivers
IEC 61315 - Calibration of fibre-optic power meters EN IEC 61315 -
IEC 61746-1 2009 Calibration of optical time-domain EN 61746-1 2011
reflectometers (OTDR) - Part 1: OTDR for
single mode fibres
- - + AC 2014
IEC/TR 62627-01 - Fibre optic interconnecting devices and - -
passive components - Part 01: Fibre optic
connector cleaning methods
IEC 61280-4-2 ®
Edition 3.0 2024-05
INTERNATIONAL
STANDARD
NORME
INTERNATIONALE
Fibre- optic communication subsystem test procedures –

Part 4-2: Installed cabling plant – Single-mode attenuation and optical return

loss measurements
Procédures d’essai des sous-systèmes de télécommunication fibroniques –

Partie 4-2: Installations câblées – Mesures de l'affaiblissement de réflexion

optique et de l'affaiblissement des fibres unimodales

INTERNATIONAL
ELECTROTECHNICAL
COMMISSION
COMMISSION
ELECTROTECHNIQUE
INTERNATIONALE
ICS 33.180.01  ISBN 978-2-8322-8789-7

– 2 – IEC 61280-4-2:2024 © IEC 2024
CONTENTS
FOREWORD . 8
INTRODUCTION . 10
1 Scope . 11
2 Normative references . 11
3 Terms, definitions, graphical symbols and abbreviated terms. 12
3.1 Terms and definitions . 12
3.2 Graphical symbols . 14
3.3 Abbreviated terms . 16
4 Measurement methods . 16
4.1 General . 16
4.1.1 Document structure . 16
4.1.2 Attenuation . 17
4.1.3 Optical return loss . 17
4.2 Cabling configurations and applicable test methods . 18
4.2.1 Cabling configurations and applicable test methods for attenuation
measurements . 18
4.2.2 Cabling configurations and applicable test methods for optical return
loss measurements . 22
5 Overview of uncertainties for attenuation measurements . 22
5.1 General . 22
5.2 Sources of significant uncertainties . 22
5.3 Consideration of the power meter . 22
5.4 Consideration of test cord and connector grade . 23
5.4.1 General . 23
5.4.2 Mode field diameter variation . 23
5.5 Reflections from other interfaces. 23
5.6 Optical source . 24
5.7 Output power reference . 24
5.8 Bi-directional measurements . 24
5.9 Typical uncertainties for attenuation methods A, B, C, and D . 24
5.10 Typical uncertainty values for single-mode attenuation testing for method E . 26
6 Apparatus . 26
6.1 General . 26
6.2 Light source . 26
6.2.1 Stability . 26
6.2.2 Spectral characteristics . 27
6.3 Launch cord . 28
6.4 Receive or tail cords . 28
6.5 Substitution cord . 28
6.6 Power meter – LSPM methods only. 28
6.7 OTDR apparatus . 29
6.8 Return loss test set . 29
6.9 Connector end-face cleaning and inspection equipment . 30
6.10 Adapters . 30
7 Procedures . 31
7.1 General . 31
7.2 Common procedures . 31

IEC 61280-4-2:2024 © IEC 2024 – 3 –
7.2.1 Care of the test cords . 31
7.2.2 Make reference measurements (LSPM and OCWR methods only) . 31
7.2.3 Inspect and clean the ends of the fibres in the cabling . 31
7.2.4 Make the measurements . 32
7.2.5 Make the calculations . 32
7.3 Calibration
...