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Effects of VpCIs on Fiber Optic Cables

Background: Cortec has been questioned on multiple occasions on the effects of VpCIs on equipment that utilizes fiber optics.

Purpose: Determine if VpCIs have a negative effect on the performance of components using Fiber Optics.

Materials: VpCI-130 series foam

VpCI-125 film

VpCI-105 emitter

VpCI-111 emitter

Method: Fotec Source and Meter

Procedure: TEST SAMPLES & ENVIRONMENT:

Cortec has three (3) VCI products. There will be 3 test bags. Three (3) cables of A112-62 (orange-multi mode) and three (3) cables of A112-SM (yellow-single mode) will be placed in each of the closed bags with the inhibitor unit. Cable ends need to be exposed. In addition, one (1) of each of the two (2) types will be sitting inside a bag without the inhibitor to be used as a control.

Note: Only two (2) A112-62 (orange) cables subjected to VCI-130.

The cables are periodically removed from the bags and the attenuation is measured.

Results: The results were taken at the following intervals, 2 weeks, 1 month, 6 months, and finally at 1 year. The data recorded is listed in Appendix.

Conclusion: The fiber optic cables show no indication of attenuation change other than normal variability. This shows that VpCI product have no negative affects on the performance of fiber optic cables and are an excellent choice for corrosion protection of electronic items containing fiber optics.

Project #: 01-049-1725

Estimated Cost of Project: 2 Hours + Cost of testing performed at The Specialty Lab Inc. (15 hours)

From: Brian L. Wuertz

Date: 5-10-2002

cc: Boris Miksic

Anna Vignetti

Art Ahlbrecht

Margarita Kharshan

Cliff Cracauer

Vanessa Schultz

Bob Boyle

Mark Bosiacki

APPENDIX

THE SPECIALTY LAB, INC.

S/N's 240-249 = A112-62-LC/LC-01(Orange)

PROJECT #

21-3042

DATE

S/N's 1202-1221 = A112-SM-LC/SMA-01(Yellow)

CUSTOMER

Cortec

TESTED BY

DAT

PART DISC.

Fiber Optic Cables, VCI

EQUIPMENT

Fotec Source and Meter

Date

5/3/2001

5/18/2001

6/8/2001

11/8/2001

5/8/2002

5/3/2001

5/18/2001

6/8/2001

11/8/2001

5/8/2002

Test

Initial

168 Hrs

1 Month

6 Months

12 months

Initial

168 Hrs

1 Month

6 Months

12 months

Meas. Freq.

665nm

665nm

665nm

665nm

665nm

850nm

850nm

850nm

850nm

850nm

Attenuation

dbm

-31.0

-31.0

-31.0

-31.0

-31.0

-15.0

-15.0

-15.0

-15.0

-15.0

Cable S/N

VCI

240

VCI-125

-32.1

-31.8

-31.9

-31.7

-31.7

-16.2

-16.0

-16.2

-16.3

-15.5

241

VCI-125

-31.6

-31.5

-31.3

-31.6

-31.7

-15.9

-15.5

-15.6

-15.7

-15.6

242

VCI-125

-32.1

-31.7

-32.1

-31.8

-31.9

-16.0

-16.1

-16.1

-16.1

-15.8

243

VCI-130

-31.9

-31.7

-32.0

-32.0

-31.9

-15.8

-15.7

-16.0

-16.1

-15.6

244

VCI-130

-31.9

-31.9

-31.9

-31.8

-31.9

-15.8

-16.1

-16.0

-16.0

-15.6

245

1-MUL

-32.0

-31.9

-31.7

-31.8

-32.0

-16.0

-16.0

-15.6

-15.7

-15.6

246

1-MUL

-32.1

-32.0

-32.1

-32.0

-32.1

-16.3

-16.2

-16.0

-16.3

-16.2

247

1-MUL

-32.1

-32.2

-32.0

-32.3

-32.3

-16.6

-16.6

-16.2

-16.1

-16.1

249

Control

-31.8

-31.9

-31.7

-32.0

-32.1

-15.8

-15.7

-15.9

-15.7

-15.8

Attenuation

dbm

-50.0

-50.0

-50.0

-50.0

-50.0

-40.0

-40.0

-40.0

-40.0

-40.0

1202

VCI-125

-51.6

-51.6

-51.2

-52.0

-51.9

-41.8

-41.6

-42.0

-42.4

-41.7

1203

VCI-125

-50.4

-50.4

-50.4

-51.0

-51.1

-40.6

-40.6

-40.5

-41.0

-40.9

1205

VCI-125

-50.7

-50.8

-50.8

-51.0

-50.9

-40.8

-41.0

-41.3

-41.4

-40.8

1206

VCI-130

-50.9

-51.3

-50.9

-51.4

-51.8

-41.5

-41.2

-41.2

-41.8

-41.5

1207

VCI-130

-50.9

-50.9

-50.9

-51.2

-51.1

-40.9

-40.7

-40.7

-41.2

-41.2

1210

VCI-130

-50.6

-50.9

-50.6

-50.9

-51.1

-40.7

-40.8

-40.8

-41.0

-41.1

1211

1-MUL

-50.8

-51.2

-50.9

-51.0

-51.1

-41.6

-41.5

-41.6

-41.8

-41.4

1213

1-MUL

-50.7

-50.8

-50.5

-51.0

-51.1

-40.9

-40.9

-40.6

-41.1

-41.0

1216

1-MUL

-50.5

-50.3

-50.3

-50.7

-50.6

-40.6

-40.5

-40.3

-40.8

-40.9

1221

Control

-50.9

-50.9

-50.8

-51.1

-51.2

-41.0

-41.0

-41.1

-41.4

-41.5

The

Specialty SPL No. 21-3042

Lab Inc.

May 8, 2002

Cortec Corporation

Attn.: Brian Wuertz

4119 White Bear Parkway

St. Paul, MN 55110

Email: [email protected]

Phone #: (651) 429-1100 Ext. 191 Fax #: (651) 429-1122

PURPOSE:

Cortec's product is a unit that is placed into enclosures and cabinets. This unit emits a chemical inhibitor that micro-coats everything with a few molecules of chemical . This is just due to the proximity of the inhibitor unit.

Cortec’s customer needs to know whether this inhibitor can affect the exposed ends of fiber optic cables with respect to time (as far as attenuation).

TEST SAMPLES & ENVIRONMENT:

Cortec has three (3) VCI products. There will be 3 test bags. Three (3) cables of A112-62 (orange-multi mode) and three (3) cables of A112-SM (yellow-single mode) will be placed in each of the closed bags with the inhibitor unit. Cable ends need to be exposed. Also, one (1) of each of the two (2) types will be sitting inside a bag without the inhibitor to be used as a control. Note: Only two (2) A112-62 (orange) cables subjected to VCI-130.

Mr. Wuertz,

Attached are the test results after 12 month of exposure to the three (3) VCI formulations.

Results show no indication of attenuation change other than normal variability.

If you have any questions please feel free to call me at 651-482-2778.

Thanks,

 

David A. Theis

David A. Theis

Test Engineer

The Specialty Lab Inc.

Phone (651) 482-2778

FAX (651) 482-2780

www.thespecialtylab.com

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