FVD Series Digital Microscope

FiberCheck 2 Hardware/Software Platform

FiberCheck2 Test Report

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10 years of scope engineering and 6 years of image analysis software has led to the ideal system for precision fibre inspection with a PC. The FVD series is optically similar to the FV series but uses a high resolution digital camera over which the FiberCheck2 software maintains low level control.

As the hardware has been built from the ground up, Westover Scientific have done so hand-in-glove with the software that drives the microscope. Doing so has provided a package of a precision imaging system within the rugged, simple microscope design that has made the FV microscope product so popular. Each microscope includes a capture button on the top of the unit. The live image is seen on the computer monitor. Once focused, a single click triggers a series of sub-second actions resulting in a complete analysis of the fibre end face and a pass/fail result.

Upon triggering the Quick Capture button, the system uses the large format digital sensor to search a wide area to find the glass fibre. Once found, it captures a full resolution image over a smaller area that is centred exactly on the fibre. The low magnification image is analyzed separately from the high magnification image to provide exacting examination on, and near, the glass fibre but still evaluating a wider area for larger debris and damage. These are stitched together and compared to pass/fail criteria to provide a non-subjective grading of the image. All of this happens in less than a second.

Automating the analysis and removing subjectivity is a critical issue in our industry today. Stories of disputes between customers and vendors over what is acceptable have gone on for too long. The FVD series is an economical, repeatable, precision inspection solution that eliminates the subjectivity associated with humans grading microscopic images.

The Digital Microscopes operate via a USB2 computer connection; they are supplied complete with a USB connecting cable, the FiberCheck2 software and a Universal 2.5mm connector adaptor that accepts ST, SC and FC sytle connectors. Additional adaptors may be purchased from the list below.

The following table provides a sample of the adaptors available for both the hand held and the bench video microscopes. New adaptors are continually being developed as new connector styles are introduced.

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