IEC 60793-1-1:2017

Overview

IEC 60793-1-1:2017 - "Optical fibres - Part 1-1: Measurement methods and test procedures - General and guidance" is the fourth edition (2017) of the IEC guidance document that organizes and explains uniform measurement and test requirements for optical fibres. It assists manufacturers, test laboratories and purchasers in applying the IEC 60793 series of test methods for commercial (mainly telecommunications) fibre and cable inspection. This edition updates the standard with rounding rules and added packaging requirements.

Key topics and requirements

• Scope and structure
  • Lists and gives guidance on using the IEC 60793-1‑X family of measurement and test documents.
  • Applies generally to class A multimode and class B/C single‑mode fibres specified in IEC 60793‑2 (with exceptions noted per attribute).
• Rounding rules (Clause 4)
  • Specifies conventional rounding: round half away from zero (reference to ISO 80000‑1). Examples illustrate acceptance limits when results have extra digits.
• Measurement and test categories (Clause 5)
  • Defines three categories: parameter measurements, performance measurements, and compliance tests.
• Standard atmospheric conditions (Clause 6)
  • Recommends test ambient ranges to ensure consistent results (typical reference: 23 °C ± 5 °C; relative humidity 45 % ± 25 %; site ambient pressure).
• Calibration guidance (Clause 7)
  • Provides high‑level guidance on calibration concepts and need to follow specific test procedure requirements for calibration and adjustment.
• Packaging (Clause 10)
  • New packaging requirements added in this edition to ensure fibre integrity during shipment and storage.
• Normative and related documents
  • References multiple IEC 60793‑1‑XX parts (geometry, mechanical, optical and environmental tests) and IEC TR 61931 (terminology).

Practical applications and who uses this standard

• Manufacturers of optical fibre and cable use it to ensure test methods and reporting are consistent and compliant with product specifications.
• Independent test laboratories apply the guidance to perform accredited optical fibre testing, calibration and reporting.
• Telecommunications operators and specifiers rely on the standard to verify supplier claims and acceptance testing.
• Quality assurance engineers, procurement teams and standards writers use it to define test regimes, acceptance criteria and packaging rules.

Related standards (selection)

• IEC 60793 series (all parts) - Optical fibres (measurement methods by attribute)
• IEC 60793-2 - Optical fibres - Product specifications - General
• IEC TR 61931 - Fibre optic terminology
• ISO 80000-1 - Rounding/measurement rules reference

Keywords: IEC 60793-1-1:2017, optical fibres, measurement methods, test procedures, optical fiber testing, rounding rules, standard atmospheric conditions, calibration guidance, IEC 60793 series.