Generic Requirements for Outdoor Fiber Distribution Hubs

Outdoor fiber distribution hub (FDH) serve as the point between a service providers’s central office and the subscriber in a fiber-to-the-home setup. Depending on the size, and FDH can hold hundreds of fiber optical cables, allowing distribution to hundreds of subscribers.

Because the hub is placed outside, in and uncontrolled environment, the test requirements will be different compared to an indoor hub. Different requirements are tested such as optical monitoring, functional design and application-specific situations and environmental criteria. Some examples of tests are,

Aging – seals and gaskets are subjected to 90 degree celsius for 30 days.
Cable Flexing – flex cables at a 90 degree angle and at temperatures of 30 and 40 degrees celsius. Optical performance shall be measured before, during, and after the test at wavelengths of 1310, 1490, 1550, and 1625 nm.