This part of IEC 60793 establishes uniform requirements for measuring the attenuation of optical fibre, thereby assisting in the inspection of fibres and cables for commercial purposes.

Four methods are described for measuring attenuation, one of which being that for modelling spectral attenuation:

– method A: cut-back;

– method B: insertion loss;

– method C: backscattering;

– method D: modelling spectral attenuation.

Methods A to C apply to the measurement of attenuation for all categories of the following fibres:

– class A multimode fibres;

– class B single-mode fibres.

Method C, backscattering, also covers the location, losses and characterization of point discontinuities.

To date, method D has been demonstrated only on class B fibres.

Information common to all three measurements, and to the modelling method, appears in clauses 1 to 8, and information pertaining to each individual method appears in annexes A, B, C, and D, respectively.