Test & Inspection

FlexScan ® FS200 OTDR

With SmartAuto ®, FleXpress™ and LinkMap ®
User’s Guide

www.AFLglobal.com or (800) 321-5298, (603) 528-7780

 Contents
Safety Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Apple Inc. Legal Notice . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Hardware Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Controls, Display, Interfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Front Panel Buttons and Indicators . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Battery Charging . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Understanding Battery Charge Status . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Configuring FlexScan to Auto-Off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
User Interface Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Home Screen Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Test Modes and Features Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Utility Modes and Features Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
General Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
SmartAuto™ OTDR with LinkMap® Display . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Using Touchscreen Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
SmartAuto Settings Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
Configuring Pass/Fail Rule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
Configuring Fiber Type . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21

©2019 AFL , all rights reserved. FS200-00-1000 Revision AC, 2019-01-10

2
 Contents
Enabling Launch Quality Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Launch and Receive Cable Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Testing in SmartAuto™ OTDR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
To Start SmartAuto Test . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Live Fiber Detection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Launch Quality Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Understanding LinkMap Display Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Understanding Expert/Real-time OTDR Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Expert OTDR Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Real-Time OTDR Settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Testing in Expert and Real-Time OTDR Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
To Test in Expert or Real-Time OTDR Mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Understanding Trace Display Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Light Source and Power Meter Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Light Source Settings and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Power Meter Settings and Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Inspecting Fibers with FOCIS Flex and FlexScan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
FOCIS Flex Inspection Probe Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Pairing FlexScan with FOCIS Flex Inspection Probe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

3
 Contents
Enable Bluetooth on FlexScan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Enable Bluetooth on FOCIS Flex . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Inspecting Optical Connectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Saving, Recalling and Uploading Test Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Saving to a Newly Created Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Saving to the Current Folder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Viewing Saved Test Results . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Deleting Jobs/Cables/Files . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Transferring Files to a PC via USB . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Backing up Results to External USB Memory Stick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Restoring Results from External USB Memory Stick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
How to View Device Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
General Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Contacting Customer Service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Warranty Terms and Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51
Repair Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

4
 Safety Information
WARNING! Use of procedures or adjustments other than those specified herein may result in hazardous radiation
exposure.
1550 nm OTDR/OLS port This is a CLASS I LASER output.
1650 nm OTDR/OLS port
1310/1550 nm OTDR/OLS port
1310/1550/1650 nm OTDR/OLS port
VFL port This is a CLASS II LASER output. Do not stare into beam!
NOTE! FlexScan OTDRs equipped with Bluetooth/WiFi (option W1) contain one of the following two Bluetooth /
WiFi Transmitter Modules:
FCC ID: X3ZBTMOD FCC ID: X3ZBTMOD8
IC: 8828A-MOD7 IC: 8828A-MOD8
WARNING! Use only the specified AC adapter. Use of another type of AC adapter can damage the instrument and
create the danger of fire and electrical shock.
WARNING! To avoid the danger of fire and electrical shock:
•• Never use a voltage that is different from that for which the AC adapter is rated.
•• Do not plug the unit into a power outlet that is shared by other devices.
•• Never modify the power cord or excessively bend, twist, or pull it.
•• Do not allow the power cord to become damaged.
•• Do not place heavy objects on the power cord or expose it to heat.
•• Never touch the AC adapter while your hands are wet.
•• Should the power cord become seriously damaged (internal wiring exposed or shorted), contact the manufacturer

5
 Safety Information
to request servicing.
•• CAUTION! Do not run any tests or perform functions that activate a FlexScan laser unless fiber is attached to the
corresponding port.
•• CAUTION! To avoid serious eye injury, never look directly into the optical outputs of fiber optic network
equipment, test equipment, patch cords, or test jumpers. Refer to your company’s safety procedures when
working with optical systems.
•• NOTICE: FlexScan OTDR contains no user serviceable parts, it must be returned to AFL or authorized agents for
repair and calibration.
•• IMPORTANT: Proper care in handling should be taken when using any precision optical test equipment.
Scratched or contaminated optical connectors can impact the performance of the instrument. It is important to
keep the dust caps in place when the unit is not being used.
•• IMPORTANT: Always clean OTDR port and any mating connectors using approved cleaning supplies (e.g. One-
click cleaner) before mating the connectors.
•• CAUTION! Power levels in excess of +3 dBm may damage OTDR optics. Do not connect OTDR to network
connectors where received power level may exceed +3 dBm. If high power levels are suspected, verify power level
by connecting to OPM and measuring received power level.

Apple Inc. Legal Notice

AirPlay, iPad, iPhone, iPod, iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod touch, and Retina are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered
in the U.S. and other countries. iPad Air, iPad mini, and Lightning are trademarks of Apple Inc.

6
 Hardware Overview
Controls, Display, Interfaces

1 2 4

3 5

Ref Feature Description

1 Power button Press to power FlexScan OTDR on/off.
2 Power port (5 VDC) This is interface for the AC power adapter/charger.
3 AC/Charger indicator Illuminates when AC is connected and indicates battery charging status.
•• RED light = rechargeable battery is charging.
•• GREEN light = rechargeable battery is fully charged.
4 USB host port This USB port allows connection to a PC for transferring stored test results; also may
be used to connect USB Flash Drive for data storage and copying Internal files.
5 Micro-USB function With the supplied USB cable, this port may be used to connect OTDR to a USB host
port port on a PC.

7
 Hardware Overview

9 10

6 7 8

Ref Feature Description

6 OTDR/Light Source This is a CLASS I LASER output. 1550 nm only, 1650 nm only, 1310/1550 nm,
port or 1310/1550/1650 nm single-mode OTDR/Light Source port, depending on model.
7 Power meter port Optical Power Meter port. Used for power (dBm, W) or loss (dB) measurements.
8 VFL port This is a CLASS II LASER output. Do not stare into beam! The VFL (visual fault
locator) port is a 650 nm (visible red) laser. Used for short-range fault-location.
9 Dust cap Used to protect optical ports from dust/damage. It is important to keep the dust caps
in place when the unit is not being used.
10 Touchscreen Contains on-screen controls and menus. Used to show setup menus, test results, and
display saved test data information.

8
 Front Panel Buttons and Indicators

11

12

13
14

Ref Feature Description

11 Home button Press to access the Home screen.
12 Test start/stop button Press to start a new test; or, if a test is running, stop the current test.
13 VFL indicator When the VFL port is active this indicator illuminates as follows:
•• Flashing RED = VFL is on
•• Solid RED = CW
•• OFF = VFL is off
14 VFL button Use the VFL button to control the VFL laser:
Press and hold ~ 1 sec to turn VFL ON
Press and hold ~ 2 sec = CW
Press and hold ~ 1 sec to switch off

9
 Battery Charging

You may charge the battery while your FlexScan is switched on or

off by attaching the supplied AC charger. 1
•• Plug the included AC charger into AC outlet.
•• Connect charger plug to the Power port 1 .
•• AC/Charger indicator 2 will illuminate to indicate charging
status as follows:
RED - Charging battery
GREEN - Fully charged
OFF - AC disconnected 2
•• FlexScan charges while operating.
•• A fully-charged battery operates for approximately 12 hours of typical use.

Understanding Battery Charge Status

When FlexScan is ON, battery icon in front panel display indicates battery status as follows:
- Battery fully charged
- Battery partially charged
- Battery discharged
- Battery charging
Battery fully charged, Battery partially charged, and Battery discharged symbols will only be shown when unit is
operating without being connected to AC.

10
 Configuring FlexScan to Auto-Off

The Auto-Off feature is available for conserving battery power on your FlexScan.
To Configure the Auto-Off Timer:
•• Turn your FlexScan On.
•• From the displayed Home screen A , touch Settings menu B .
•• In the Settings menu, locate the Auto Off Timer option C .
–– Touch D to navigate to next/previous screen if the Auto Off Timer option is not displayed.
•• Touch the Auto Off Timer field to display the settings sub-menu E .
•• Select the desired power save option (5 min, 15 min, Never).

C
D

11
 User Interface Overview

Home Screen Features

The Home screen A is the FlexScan’s Main screen that is displayed at startup. While in any other screen, return to
Home by either pressing the Home button or touching and holding (if available) the Back soft key. This screen
contains menus of Test and Utility modes that allow users to set test parameters, select user preferences, manage
saved test results, configure general settings and perform other non-test functions.

Test Modes and Features Summary

1 SmartAuto™ OTDR: Configure and run

1. Home Screen A
SmartAuto OTDR test using multi-pulse
acquisition. 1 4
2 Expert OTDR: Configure and run Expert
2.
OTDR test with averaging. 2 5
3 Real Time OTDR: Configure and initiate
3.
OTDR test with real-time updates. 3
4. Power Meter & Source (OPM + OLS):
Enable light source and/or measure optical
power.
5 Connector Inspection: View connector
5.
inspection results received via Bluetooth from

12
 User Interface Overview

Utility Modes and Features Summary

FOCIS Flex auto-focus probe. 11 12
6 USB: Touch to enable file transfer. Enabling this
6. Home Screen
mode allows the user to connect to a PC to upload
results to the PC or download software updates from
the PC.
7 Last: Touch to view the most recent test results.
7.
8 Saved: Touch to recall and view saved test results.
8.
9 Settings: Touch to access General Settings menu
9.
that contains Unit settings, user preferences, and
common OTDR settings.
10
10. Menu: Touch to view Device Information screen.
11. Bluetooth: Indicates Bluetooth enabled.
11
12. USB: Indicates external USB memory stick detected.
12 6 7 8 9 10

13
 General Settings
While in the General Settings screen: A
B
•• Touch the desired setting field/tab (e.g. 2 Distance Units) to
display a sub-menu. 1 4
•• Touch A to display additional General Settings screen. A
•• Touch B to return to the previous menu. 2 5
Select and view/edit settings as follows
1 Language: touch to select the desired language.
1. 3 6
2 Distance Units: select kilometers, meters, kilofeet, feet, miles.
2. 3
3 Speaker Volume:
3.
–– If disabled, touch the on/off control / to turn the C
Speaker on C .
–– Touch and/or touch and drag the adjustment slider D right/left D
to increase/decrease the Speaker volume. Or, press controls E E
for precise adjustments of 10% by step. F
–– Press Done F to save changes and return to the General
Settings screen. 4
44. Date and Time:
–– Touch the desired Time/Date Parameter to enable it.
–– Use controls G to change the selected parameter value.
–– Press Done H to save changes and return to the General
Settings screen. G
H
5 Bluetooth:
5.

14
 General Settings
–– If disabled, touch the Bluetooth field to display
Bluetooth menu.
–– Touch the Bluetooth radio button to enable .
–– In the device name field you will see Bluetooth ID displayed for
the FlexScan device. 5
6 Screen Brightness and Auto-dim:
6.
–– Touch the on/off control / to enable/disable the Auto 6
Brightness feature.
•• When the Auto Brightness feature is disabled , you
may adjust Brightness by touching and/or touching and J
dragging the adjustment slider J right/left to increase/
decrease the Brightness value. Or, you may press the [-]
and [+] controls K for precise adjustments
of 10% by step. K
•• When the Auto Brightness feature is enabled , you may
adjust several parameters: Auto-dim L , Brightness M ,
and Timer control N . Make adjustments using sliders O L M N
for dimmer, P for brightness or controls Q for all.
–– Press Done R to save changes and return to the General
Settings screen. O P
Q
R

15
 General Settings
7 Auto Off Timer: Touch to display a sub-screen and select Auto Off option: 5 min, 15 min, Never.
7.
8 Remote Control: Reserved for future remote control feature.
8.
9 Launch Quality Check: Touch the on/off control
9. / to enable/disable check of the OTDR connection
quality at start of each OTDR test.
10 Received Image: Touch to display a sub-screen and select an option for displaying inspection results
10.
transferred from the FOCIS Flex probe:
–– Display received FOCIS Flex results in popup window
–– Save received FOCIS Flex results in background and show notification in tray.

7 9
10
8

16
 General Settings
1. Screenshot Mode: Touch to enable/disable capture.
11
–– When enabled, press Home () to capture current screen.
2. Switch Mode: Touch to configure MPO switch settings.
12
–– MPO Switch control is available only when MPO Switch is enabled and connected to FlexScan via USB cable.
–– When MPO Switch connected, up to 12 fibers may be tested in a single SmartAuto or Expert mode test.

11 12

17
 General Settings
To configure automatic MPO Switch control:
•• Touch Switch Mode A .
•• A popup error message appears if Switch Mode selected with
no MPO switch connected and enabled.
•• Switch Settings B appears if switch connected and
enabled. A
•• Select Auto Switch Mode C .
•• Select Next Fibers D and configure fibers to be tested.
B
•• Touch Auto-save to Folder E , then select and configure
Job,OTDR End, Far End, Cable folder, and start Link (Fiber#)
where multi-fiber test results will be saved.

C D

C E E

18
 SmartAuto® OTDR with FleXpress™ and LinkMap® Display

Using Touchscreen Controls

While in the Settings Menu:
If no setting changes required:
•• Touch ‘Press to start’ A to initiate testing.
Notes:
1. Characterize mode: Standard multi-pulse acquisition.
2. FleXpress mode (FS200-300/304 only): Fast Test mode for Point-to-Point networks only.
If setting changes required:
•• Touch the desired setting field/tab (e.g. B Test Type) to display a sub-menu (where applicable).
•• Touch left/right arrows C to navigate to next/previous screen (where applicable).
•• Touch Back D to return to the previous menu.
•• Touch Use Defaults E (if displayed) to reset settings to the factory defaults as needed.
•• When done, touch ‘Press to start’ A to initiate testing.

D
B
C

A E A

19
 SmartAuto® OTDR with FleXpress™ and LinkMap® Display

SmartAuto Settings Summary

1 Test Type:
1.
–– Limited to Characterize in FS200-50B/100 models.
–– Select Characterize or FleXpress Fast Test in FS200-60/300/304 models when Network Type = Point-to-Point.
2 Pass/Fail Rule: Indicates selected LinkMap event pass/fail rules. Touch to select ITU G.671, TIA-568.3-D or
2.
User. Touch and hold to view/edit pass/fail event thresholds.
3 Network Type: Limited to Point-to-Point in FS200-50B /100 models. Select Point-to-Point or FTTH PON in
3.
FS200-60/-300/-304 models. If PON selected, configure split ratio settings to match expected network splitter
configuration.
4 Fiber Type: Touch to select SMF-28e or User fiber type. Touch and hold to view/edit associated Group Index of
4.
Refraction (GIR) and Backscatter Coefficient (BC) settings.
5 Launch Cord: Touch to configure length of Launch cable, if present.
5.
6 Tail Cord: Touch to configure length of Receive cable, if present.
6.
7 Launch Quality Check: Enable to check OTDR connection to launch cord or jumper cable at start of test.
7.

1 2 5 6
3 4 7

20
 A Configuring Pass/Fail Rule

B ITU G.671 Pass/Fail Settings may be viewed but NOT changed.

TIA-568.3-D Pass/Fail Settings may be viewed but NOT changed.
User Pass/Fail Settings may be viewed and changed.
To view ITU G.671 or TIA-568.3-D Pass/Fail Rule Settings
•• While in the SmartAuto Settings screen A , make sure the
C ITU G.671 or TIA-568.3-D Rule B is displayed in the Pass/Fail
Rule field.
D •• If not, touch the Pass/Fail Rule field to display the Rules menu C
and touch the ITU G.671 or TIA-568.3-D option D to select.
•• When back in the SmartAuto Settings screen, touch and hold the
E displayed Rule B to open one of the settings screen:
–– Either Splice Thresholds E or Connection Thresholds F
screen will be displayed.
G –– Touch keys G to toggle between screens.
–– View settings.
–– Touch H to return to the SmartAuto Settings screen.
F
H

21
 A To view and edit User Pass/Fail Rule Settings
•• While in the SmartAuto Settings screen A , make sure the User
B Rule label B is displayed in the Pass/Fail Rule field.
•• If not, touch the Pass/Fail Rule field to display the Rules menu C
and touch the User option D to select.
•• When back in the SmartAuto Settings screen, touch and hold the
displayed User Rule B to open one of the settings screen:
C –– Either Splice Thresholds E or Connection Thresholds F
screen will be displayed.
–– Touch keys G to toggle between screens.
D –– Touch the desired threshold field (e.g. H Fail: Loss) to display
its Editor screen J .
E –– Edit the threshold value using on-screen controls.
–– Touch Done to save changes and return to the
Thresholds screen.
G •• Touch K to return to the SmartAuto Settings screen.

F J
K
H

22
SmartAuto Settings Screen A Configuring Fiber Type

G.65x Fiber Settings may be viewed but NOT changed.

User Settings may be viewed and changed.

B To view G.65x Fiber Settings

•• While in the SmartAuto Settings screen A , make sure a G.65x
fiber type B is displayed in the Fiber Type field.
•• If not, touch the Fiber Type field to display the Fiber Type menu
C and touch one of the G.65x fiber types D to select.
C
•• When back in the SmartAuto Settings screen, touch and hold
D the displayed G.65x fiber type B to open and view the default
settings E as follows:
–– Group Index of Refraction (GIR)
–– Backscatter Coefficient (BC)
–– Fiber Attenuation (A; Loss-per-Distance)
•• Touch Back F to return to the SmartAuto Settings screen.
E

23
 To view and edit User Fiber Type Settings
SmartAuto Settings Screen A
•• While in the SmartAuto Settings screen A , make sure the User
Fiber Type label B is displayed in the Fiber Type field.
•• If not, touch the Fiber Type field to display the Fiber Type menu
C and touch the User option D to select.
B •• When back in the SmartAuto Settings screen, touch and hold
the displayed User label B to open the User Fiber Type settings
screen E and configure settings as follows:
–– Group Index of Refraction (GIR)
C –– Backscatter Coefficient (BC)
–– Fiber Attenuation (A; Loss-per-Distance)
D
•• Touch the desired parameter field (e.g. F GIR @1550) to display
its Editor screen G .
•• Edit the value using on-screen controls.
•• Touch Done to save changes and return to the User Fiber Type
settings screen.
•• Touch Back H to return to the SmartAuto Settings screen.
E G
H
F

24
SmartAuto Settings Screen A Enabling Launch Quality Check

When Launch Quality Check feature is enabled, FlexScan checks

C D loss and reflectance of OTDR connection to network enabling the
user to detect dirty, damaged, poorly seated, or mismatched (UPC
B to APC) connectors.
To Enable Launch Quality Check
•• While in the SmartAuto Settings screen A , touch the on/off
control B to enable .
E
F Launch and Receive Cable Settings

To Configure Length of Launch and Receive Cables

•• While in the SmartAuto Settings screen A , touch the Launch
Cord field C or Tail (Receive) Cord field D to display the
length editor screen E .
•• Using on-screen controls, enter the desired length F .
•• Touch Done to save changes and return to the SmartAuto
Settings screen.

25
 Testing in SmartAuto® OTDR

To Start SmartAuto Test

Initiate the SmartAuto test by touching ‘Press to start’ A soft key or

pressing Test start/stop button.
1. FlexScan begins testing with the Live Fiber check and if a live fiber is
NOT detected, proceeds to next step.
B
2. If the Launch Quality check is enabled B , FlexScan checks loss and
reflectance of the OTDR connection. A
3. If launch quality is ‘Good’, FlexScan starts testing at both wavelengths
using SmartAuto settings.
4. When testing is completed, FlexScan displays the LinkMap® screen,
which is a primary display in SmartAuto OTDR mode.

Live Fiber Detection

To prevent service disruption on live PONs, FlexScan performs a Live Fiber C

check prior to every OTDR test. If a live fiber is detected,
FS200-50B/100/300 models display a warning screen and do not allow
testing; FS200-60/-304 displays a warning C and allows the user to
complete a test at 1650 nm only.

26
 Testing in SmartAuto® OTDR

Launch Quality Check

An optional launch quality check enables users to detect dirty,
damaged, poorly seated, or mismatched (UPC to APC) connectors.
To perform the launch quality check:
1. With the Launch Quality Check option A enabled in the OTDR
or General Settings screen, initiate an OTDR test. A
2. The FlexScan will assess the loss and reflectance at the OTDR’s
connection to the launch cord (fiber ring) or fiber under test.
3. If excess loss or reflectance is detected, the OTDR displays the
‘Launch Quality is Poor’ warning screen B . B
From this screen the user may chose to perform one of the
following:
–– Cancel a test by touching either Cancel C or Back D . D
–– Clean and reconnect connectors and repeat the launch quality
C E F
check by touching Re-check E .
–– Continue testing without checking and cleaning the
connection by pressing Continue F .
Note: Testing a fiber with poor launch quality may produce
poor test results.

27
 Understanding LinkMap Display Features
LinkMap is an icon-based representation of the analyzed network.

x/y or x1-x2/y, where

x = number of the selected event
Link map thumbnail view with x1-x2 = link section between events x1 and x2,
proportionally spaced events y = total events

File name: consists of cable Link Length

name and fiber number, or
Battery icon indicates battery
“New Trace” if file has not
state
been saved
Back key: touch to return to
LinkMap detail view: shows the previous menu
summary and first 4 events,
or up to 5 events. White Touch to move to next or
highlighted area in thumbnail previous event or link section
view indicates region of fiber
for which events are shown in
the detail view.
Menu key: touch to navigate
to Save As screen

28
Link Summary icon: may be Event icon: event icons may be green (pass), red
green (all events passed), red (fail), or black (major fault). Pass/fail/major fault
(one or more events failed, A B is based on event loss and reflectance thresholds
but no major fault detected), configured by the currently selected Pass/Fail Rule.
or black (one or more major
faults detected)
C Link Section between events

Selection marker indicates

active icon: Summary, Event,
or Section Touch to move to next or
previous event or link section
Details of the currently
selected Summary, Event,
or Section Info tab: touch to display
summary of OTDR settings
used for this test
LinkMap tab: when in any
other test results viewer
(Event Table, Trace view, Trace tab - touch to display Trace view
Info view), touch to return to that depends on active icon:
LinkMap view Icon Display View
Summary Trace of entire network
Event Trace around event
Event Table tab: touch to display measurements for the currently
selected Link Summary A , Event B , or Section C Section N/A

29
 Understanding Expert/Real-time OTDR Settings
Parameter Description
Trace Length The Trace Length parameter determines the distance range of the full (unzoomed) trace. It
also determines the distance between data points in the trace: the longer Trace Length, the
wider the data point spacing. We recommend selecting the shortest Trace Length that is
longer than the fiber under test. For example, to test a fiber that is 2.5 km long,
select the 5 km range.
Available Range values: 250 m, 500 m, 1, 2, 5, 10, 15, 20, 40, 80, 160, 240 km.
Pulse Width The FlexScan can operate using different pulse widths. Short pulse widths provide the
shortest event and attenuation dead zones. Long pulse widths provide the range needed to
test long fibers. Available Pulse values: 3, 5, 10, 30, 100, 300 ns, 1, 3, 10 µs.
Note: Longer pulse widths only available on longer Trace Lengths.
Averaging Time The Averaging Time parameter determines the duration of a timed test and the number of
trace averages performed. Longer averaging time produces a smoother trace.
Available Averaging Time values: 5, 10, 30, 60, 90, 180 sec.
Fiber Type Available: User or G.65x. Press and hold the currently selected User or SMF-28E option to
view Group Index of Refraction, Backscatter Coefficient, and Attenuation coefficient.
User values can be edited.
Wavelength FS200-50B: 1550 nm only
Settings FS200-60: 1650 nm only
FS200-100: 1310, 1550, 1310/1550 nm
FS200-300: 1310, 1550, 1310/1550 nm
FS200-304: 1310, 1550, 1650, 1310/1550, 1310/1650, 1550/1650, 1310/1550/1650 nm

30
 Expert OTDR Settings
The Expert OTDR mode is accessed from the Home screen by touching
the Expert OTDR tab A . While in the Expert OTDR screen B :
•• Touch the desired test setup parameter to display a sub-screen.
•• While in a sub-screen, touch the desired field to set the value. A
•• Touch C to toggle between Expert settings screens.
•• Touch D to return to the Home screen.

Choose wavelength(s) at Select

Select Trace
Trace Length
Length inin
which to test Distance
Distance units
units that
that are
are set
set inin
B the
the General
General Settings
Settings screen
screen.
Select Pulse Width: 3, 5, 10,
20, 30, 50, 100, 200 ns.
Longer pulse width settings C
up to 20 µs may be selected
for longer Trace Length Select Averaging Time: 5, 10,
settings. 30, 60, 90, 180 sec

Select G.65x or User Touch to enable/disable

Launch Quality Check

D
Set the Launch Cord length Set the Tail Cord length

31
 Real-Time OTDR Settings
The Real-Time OTDR mode is accessed from the Home screen by
touching the Real-Time OTDR tab A . While in the Real-Time OTDR
screen B :
•• Touch the desired test setup parameter to display a sub-screen.
•• While in a sub-screen, touch the desired field to set the value. A
•• Touch C to toggle between Expert settings screens.
•• Touch D to return to the Home screen.

Choose wavelength(s) at Select

Select Trace
Trace Length
Length inin
which to test Distance
Distance units
units that
that are
are set
set inin
B the
the General
General Settings
Settings screen
screen.
Select Pulse Width: 3, 5, 10,
20, 30, 50, 100, 200 ns.
Longer pulse width settings C
up to 20 µs may be selected
for longer Trace Length Select Update Rate: 1, 2, 4 Hz
settings.

Select G.65x or User Touch to enable/disable

Launch Quality Check

D
Set the Launch Cord length Set the Tail Cord length

32
 Testing in Expert and Real-Time OTDR Mode

To Test in Expert or Real-Time OTDR Mode

Initiate an OTDR test by pressing the Start/Stop button.
1. FlexScan begins testing with the Live Fiber check and if a live fiber is NOT detected, proceeds to next step. For
details, see section “Live Fiber Detection” on page 26.
2. If the Launch Quality check is enabled, FlexScan checks loss and reflectance of the OTDR connection. For details
see section “Enabling Launch Quality Check” on page 25 and section “Enabling Launch Quality Check” on
page 25.
3. If launch quality is ‘good’, FlexScan starts testing using settings configured in Expert OTDR (Real-Time OTDR)
settings screen.
4. When testing is completed, FlexScan displays the Trace screen, which is the only view shown in Expert and Real-
Time modes. For details, see section “Understanding Trace Display Features” on page 34.

33
 Understanding Trace Display Features

A and B cursors 1310 nm trace is red;

1550 nm trace is blue
File name: consists of cable
name and fiber number, or White background indicates
“New Trace” if file has not the currently selected
been saved (active) wavelength. Cursor
measurements apply to active
Grid units display dB/div on wavelength.
vertical axis and distance/div
on horizontal axis Used for cursor position and
fine adjustments. Touch or
touch and hold arrows to
A cursor location (A is move the active cursor.
inactive cursor). Touch non-
highlighted cursor box to
Touch to select LinkMap view
make the A cursor active.
Touch to toggle active traces
B cursor location (B is active). (for multi-wavelength tests)
•• Yellow highlight indicates
the currently active cursor Touch to enable and display
•• Touch the screen where ‘zoom control’ mode
you want to reposition the
currently active cursor

34
 Understanding Trace Display Features

Fiber under test Receive cable (if present)

Launch cable (if present)

Loss-per-distance between A
Distance from A to B cursor
and B cursors

Loss between A and B cursor Maximum Reflectance

between A and B cursor

Horizontal zoom: Touch the

right/left arrow to zoom trace Vertical zoom: Touch the up/
view horizontally around the down arrow to zoom trace
currently active cursor view vertically around the
currently active cursor

Touch the cursor select key

to enable and display the Touch the LinkMap icon to
‘cursors control’ mode display the LinkMap view

35
 Light Source and Power Meter Operation

Light Source Settings and Features

1 Touch to enable/disable light source. RED dot indicates that source is ON.
1.
2.
2 Touch to select test mode: Wave ID, CW, Tone (270 Hz, 330 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz).
–– Select Wave ID mode for fastest loss measurements.
While in this mode, the FlexScan source transmits wavelength information, enabling a Wave ID power meter
to synchronize and measure power at received wavelength(s).
–– Use CW mode to generate continuous wave light at a single wavelength.
–– Generate Tone for fiber identification (270 Hz, 330 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz).
3.
3 Touch to select test wavelength: 1310, 1550 or 1650 nm (depending on model).

Power Meter Settings

Light Source Settings

1 2 3

36
 Light Source and Power Meter Operation

Power Meter Settings and Features

1.
4 If used with non Wave ID source, touch to select wavelength. If used with Wave ID source, power meter
automatically synchronizes to and indicates received wavelength(s).
5 Hold to store new reference(s) at received wavelength(s). Touch Ref/Set to view stored reference(s).
2.
3.
6 Touch to toggle between power (dBm or nW) and loss (dB) mode.
Note: Power meter detects and indicates fiber identifying tones when used with a light source capable of
generating a modulated Tone signal.

6
Power Meter Settings
5
4

Light Source Settings

37
 Inspecting Fibers with FOCIS Flex and FlexScan
Optical connectors may be inspected using FOCIS Flex auto-focusing
connector inspection probe with IEC pass/fail analysis. Captured fiber
end-face images and pass/fail results are immediately displayed on
the FOCIS Flex and on the paired FlexScan OTDR and may be saved in
either FOCIS Flex or FlexScan. A micro-USB port on either FOCIS Flex or
FlexScan supports fast upload of internally stored results to PC.
2
FOCIS Flex Inspection Probe Overview
1
For detailed instructions on how to operate FOCIS Flex inspection probe,
please refer to the FOCIS Flex User's Guide
(available on www.AFLglobal.com) or the FOCIS Flex Quick Reference
Guide provided with your FOCIS Flex inspection probe.
3
Controls
1.
1 Power button.
2.
2 Power On/Off indicator (GREEN when On).
3.
3 Image Capture button.
4 F1 soft key (typically Back function).
4.
5.
5 F2 soft key (typically Select function). 4 5
6 Navigation and Edit functional keys.
6.
6

38
 FOCIS Flex Inspection Probe Overview

Display (2-inch Color LCD [320 x 240])

13
7 Screen title.
7.
8.
8 Battery status icon. 12
9.
9 Image and information display area.
10.
10 F1 and F2 soft key labels area. 11
Interfaces
11.
11 Optical inspection port.
12.
12 Adapter tip.
13.
13 Dust cover. 8
14.
14 Micro-USB port.
15 6 VDC input jack.
15. 7
16.
16 Charging indicator.
9

14 10 10

15 16

39
 Pairing FlexScan with FOCIS Flex Inspection Probe
To transfer fiber-end images from the FOCIS Flex inspection probe and display inspection results on FlexScan, you
need to pair your FOCIS Flex probe with FlexScan.

Enable Bluetooth on FlexScan

Home Screen General Settings Screen Bluetooth Screen

C
D
B
A

•• From the Home screen, touch Settings A .

•• In the General Settings screen: If Bluetooth is disabled B , touch its field to display the Bluetooth screen.
•• Touch the Bluetooth radio button to enable C .
•• In the device name field D you will see Bluetooth ID displayed for the FlexScan device.

40
 Enable Bluetooth on FOCIS Flex

1 2 3 4

1
1. From FOCIS Flex Main Menu, select Settings, then press Select.
2.
2 From the displayed Settings Menu, select Bluetooth, then press Select.
3.
3 Highlight Pair with New Device, then press Select.
4
4. When a list of devices is displayed, navigate to and select Bluetooth ID of the FlexScan device, and then press
Select to ‘Set as Default Device’.

41
 Inspecting Optical Connectors

Once FlexScan is paired to FOCIS Flex with Bluetooth enabled on both units, perform the following steps.
On FOCIS Flex:
•• If testing an optical fiber connector, slide the ferrule of the optical fiber into the adapter tip installed on the FOCIS
Flex inspection port. Use caution not to contaminate the end-face of the fiber connector.
•• If testing an optical fiber connector mounted in a bulkhead adapter, slide the adapter tip into the bulkhead
adapter.
•• You will see a Live fiber-end image appears on the FOCIS Flex display.
•• Capture the displayed image by pressing the Capture button. (Refer to section “FOCIS Flex Inspection Probe
Overview” on page 38).
•• Once captured, the fiber end-face image gets analyzed by the FOCIS Flex.
•• Once analysis is done, inspection results will appear on the FOCIS Flex display.
•• Simultaneously, FOCIS Flex will be sending results to the FlexScan paired to it.

42
 Inspecting Optical Connectors

On FlexScan: General Settings Screen

•• If the Received Image option A is set to Popup Window B in
General Settings, inspection results received from FOCIS Flex will
be immediately displayed on FlexScan D screen even if Connector A
Inspection mode E is not enabled.
•• If the Received Image option A is set to Show in Tray C in General
Settings, inspection results will only be displayed when Connector
Inspection mode E is enabled.
•• Once displayed, view image and results on FlexScan D .
•• Inspection results can be stored in FOCIS Flex or FlexScan. To save
results in FlexScan, select Menu F , then Save As G .
B C
E D
Home Screen Inspection Mode Screen

F G

43
 Saving, Recalling and Uploading Test Results
Test results A may be stored in the FlexScan Internal memory B or on USB C . Saved test results are organized
into a Cable sub-folder D within a Job folder E .
Results, Internal Results, USB Cables, Internal Jobs, Internal

E
A
D
B C

A name of the saved result consists of several parameters, which are defined in the Save As screen F .

OTDR End G _Far End H _Cable J _Link K _Wavelength

Cable Name D Link Number S13 for 1310 nm

S15 for 1550 nm
Save As Screen F
S16 for 1650 nm

G H
Touch Results to select
Internal memory or USB (if
present) and navigate to the J K
desired Job and Cable folder

44
 Saving, Recalling and Uploading Test Results
Save As Screen
Touch Results to select Internal memory or USB (if
present) and navigate to the desired Job and Cable folder
A
•• Job A , OTDR End B , Far End C , and Cable D
B C
fields are user-defined and may be set and/or edited in
the String Editor screen: D F
–– Touch the desired field to display String Editor E .
–– Make edits using on-screen controls.
String Editor E
–– Touching Done will save edits and return to the
Save As screen.
–– Touching Back or Cancel will return to the Save
As screen with no edits saved.
•• Link number F auto-increments after each save,
but can be modified in the Number Editor screen as
needed.
–– Touch the Link field F to display the
Number Editor G
Number Editor G .
–– Make edits using on-screen controls.
–– Touching Done will save edits and return to the
Save As screen.
–– Touching Back or Cancel will return to the Save
As screen with no edits saved.

45
 Saving to a Newly Created Folder

1.
1 While in the Results view, touch Menu soft key.
2.
2 From the displayed sub-screen, touch Save As to
display the Results Manager screen.
3.
3 Define <Job>, <OTDR End>, <Far End>, <Cable>,
and <Link> fields used to name saved results. Touch 1
Done when finished.
Note: this will make the newly created Job, OTDR End,
Cable, or Fiber current.

Saving to the Current Folder

1.
1 While in the Results view, touch the Menu soft key.
2
2.
2 From the displayed sub-screen, touch Save As to
display the Results Manager screen.
3.
3 Review <Job>, <OTDR End>, <Far End>, <Cable>,
and <Link> fields used to name saved results. Touch
Done when finished.

46
 Viewing Saved Test Results

1. From the Home screen, touch the Saved icon A to display the Home Screen
Results Manager, which may be displayed as Jobs screen, Cables
screen, or Results screen.
2. Navigate through Job/Cable/Results screen to locate the desired
test result and touch to display it.
–– In Jobs screen: use Up/Down arrow keys B to navigate to A
the desired folder, then touch it to display saved folders.
–– In Cables screen: navigate to the desired folder, then touch it
to display saved results.
–– In Results screen: navigate to the desired test record, then
touch it to display test results.

Touch the desired folder to open Touch to move up one directory level Touch to display test results
Jobs Screen Cables Screen Results Screen

Touch this icon to toggle between Internal Memory & USB (if a USB stick is present)

47
 Deleting Jobs/Cables/Files

1.
1 From the Home screen, touch the Saved icon to display the
Results Manager, which may be displayed as Jobs screen,
Cables screen, or Results screen.
2.
2 Navigate through the Jobs/Cables/Results screen to locate the
desired results.
1
3.
3 Press Add Files control to enable ‘select’ function.
4.
4 Touch as many files as needed to select.
5.
5 Touch the Menu soft key to display a sub-menu A .
6.
6 Touch Delete.
7.
7 Then touch Ok to confirm deletion.

3 4 5
A
7

48
 Transferring Files to a PC via USB

To transfer files from your FlexScan to a PC using a USB cable, perform Home Screen
the following:
•• Connect your FlexScan to a PC using the supplied micro-USB to USB
cable. Make sure the micro-plug is fully seated in your FlexScan.
•• Touch the USB A soft key on the FlexScan’s Home screen.
•• On your PC, open My Computer. A new removable drive named FS200
X: will appear, where ‘X:’ is the drive letter assigned to your FlexScan.
•• Under FS200 X: you should see two folders: RESULTS and SOFTWARE.
•• Copy the RESULTS folder to your PC.
–– Under RESULTS you will see: TRACES. A
–– Under TRACES you will see all of the folders containing OTDR
traces or OPM results.
Note:
Before removing the USB cable connecting your FlexScan to your PC,
or pressing the Cancel soft key on the USB screen, left click the Safely
Remove Hardware icon in the Start bar of your PC, then left click the
Safely remove USB Mass Storage Device – Drive (X:) message, where ‘X’
is the drive letter assigned to your FlexScan.

49
 Backing up Results to External USB Memory Stick

To back up internally stored results to USB memory stick:

•• Turn on the FlexScan OTDR.
•• Plug in an external USB memory stick.
•• From the Home screen, touch the Saved icon A .
•• When in test results screen, verify that Internal Memory B option is currently selected.
–– If the USB option is selected, touch the USB memory icon to toggle to the Internal Memory option.
•• Touch the Menu icon C .
•• Touch the Backup icon D .
•• Wait until the Backup progress indicated by the “Writing backup to USB drive…” label E completes.

Home Screen Results Screen Menu Screen

A B C D E

50
 Restoring Results from External USB Memory Stick

Use a PC to restore backed up FlexScan results from the USB memory stick:
•• Turn on the FlexScan OTDR and connect to a PC via USB cable. Home Screen
•• Touch the USB icon A on the FlexScan’s Home screen.
•• Plug the USB memory stick containing test results into a PC.
•• Open ‘My Computer’ and double-click on the FS200 drive B .
•• Open 2nd instance of ‘My Computer’ and double-click on the USB drive.
–– Within USB drive, double-click on ‘backup’ folder, then select date/time-
stamped folder C .
–– Drag contents of the desired backup folder from the USB to the FS200\
Results\Traces folder. A
•• PC will prompt to confirm overwrite of folders or files having the same names.

B C

51
 How to View Device Information
FlexScan software revision, serial number, and calibration date can be Home Screen
viewed from the Device Information screen, which is accessed from
the Home screen.
1.
1 From the Home screen, touch the Menu soft key.
2.
2 From the displayed sub-screen, touch the Info tab.
3.
3 View FlexScan Info displayed on the Device Information screen.
1

Model Number:
•• FS200-50B: 1550 nm OTDR 2
•• FS200-60: 1650 nm OTDR
•• FS200-100: 1310/1550 nm Pt-to-Pt OTDR
•• FS200-300: 1310/1550 nm PON & Pt-to-Pt OTDR
•• FS200-304: 1310/1550/1650 nm PON & Pt-to-Pt OTDR
Cal Date: Date of last
3 calibration

Device Software: Revision Optical Software: Revision

of the current User Interface of current optical firmware
software

Bluetooth Software:
Serial Number: FlexScan Revision of current Bluetooth
serial number firmware

52
 General Information
This user’s guide provides operating instructions for testing fiber optic networks with your FlexScan OTDR and
assumes that you have basic knowledge about testing fiber optic networks. The purpose of this user’s guide is to
explain how to use and maintain your FlexScan OTDR. Please check our web site at www.AFLglobal.com, Test
and Inspection for updates to this user’s guide and additional application information. If you have questions
about your FlexScan OTDR and recommended accessories, or if you need technical or sales support, please contact
AFL Customer Service.

Contacting Customer Service

You may call AFL Customer Service between 8 AM and 5 PM, United States Eastern Time.
Phone 800-321-5298
603-528-7780
Fax 603-528-2025

Warranty Terms and Conditions

AFL products are warranted against defective material and workmanship for a period of (1) one year from the date
of delivery to the end user.
Any product that is found defective within the warranty period will, at the discretion of AFL, be repaired or replaced.
Warranty will be voided if the product has been repaired or altered by other than an authorized AFL product repair
facility, if the void sticker has been compromised, or which have been subject to misuse, negligence, or accident.
In no case shall AFL liabilities exceed the original purchase price.

53
 Repair Services

AFL has an authorized calibration/repair facility for AFL products in the USA, Europe and Asia Pacific. Please
contact customer service for a return authorization number prior to sending your AFL test equipment in for repair
or calibration.
Fujikura Europe LTD is an Authorized European Repair and Calibration facility for AFL Test and Inspection products
and should be contacted directly for service.
Fujikura Asia LTD is an Authorized Asia Pacific Calibration facility for AFL Test and Inspection products and should
be contacted directly for product calibrations. Please contact customer service for a return authorization number
prior to sending your test equipment in for repair.

USA Europe Asia

AFL Test & Inspection Division Fujikura Europe Ltd Fujikura Asia Ltd
16 Eastgate Park Road C51 Barwell Business Park 438A Alexandra Road,
Belmont, NH 03220 Leatherhead Road #08-03 Blk A,
603-528-7780 Chessington, Surrey, KT9 2NY Alexandra TechnoPark
800-321-5298 +44 (0) 208 240 2020 Singapore 119967
support@fal.com.sg
+65 62711312

54
 Test & Inspection

Thank you for choosing AFL Test & Inspection!

www.AFLglobal.com or (800) 321-5298, (603) 528-7780