Anomalies that commonly occur in manufacturing processes can affect signal performance in an optical connector. Scratches and/or contamination in the form of particles and even oil from fingerprints often negatively impact insertion loss (IL), return loss (RL), and bit-error rate (BER).

The National Electronics Manufacturing Initiative (NEMI) Fiber Optic Signal Performance project is working to quantify the severity of optical-signal loss due to common hazards in manufacturing. The goal of the project is to develop industry-standard criteria and specifications for fiber-connector end-face inspection. The project also plans to develop guidelines for cleaning procedures and contamination prevention.