Fibre splicing and OTDR testing
Fusion splicing, OTDR testing and signed per-fibre test reports for wind farms, solar plants, substations and industrial sites, plus fault finding and emergency repair when a fibre goes dark. CTTX works from Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) across the Eastern Cape wind corridor and South Africa, and hands over a test pack your engineer, lender or OEM can audit.
Request a fibre assessment Wind & solar communicationsWhat we do
- Fusion splicing in joint closures, patch panels, turbine bases, inverter stations, RMUs and substation racks.
- OTDR testing of every fibre, in both directions, with a certified report per fibre.
- Fault finding on live plants: the break, bend or bad splice located to the metre, then repaired.
- Emergency repair when a cable is cut and the plant is blind to its operators.
Wind turbine and solar plant SCADA fibre
A wind farm is a fibre ring with turbines on it. Each turbine base is spliced into the loop, and the loop closes at the substation. One bad splice raises the loss for every turbine behind it. One unrecorded fibre is a fault nobody can find in three years' time.
Solar plants are the same shape with different boxes: inverter stations and weather masts on a ring back to the control room, often with battery storage on its own leg. CTTX splices the ring, tests every core end to end and hands over a per-fibre record that matches the drawings. See wind and solar communications infrastructure.
Substation, OPGW and ADSS overhead fibre
Where the fibre leaves the plant it usually goes overhead. OPGW carries fibre inside the earth wire of a power line; ADSS cable hangs on its own between poles. Both end in joint boxes and a substation splice rack, and need the same splicing and testing standard as the ring inside the fence. CTTX records the overhead route in the same test pack, so the path from turbine to grid point is proven in one document.
What a CTTX test pack contains
A test pack is the proof that the fibre works and the record you use when it stops. Per fibre:
- The OTDR trace in both directions at each tested wavelength, launch and tail cords identified.
- Total loss and length end to end.
- An event table: every splice, connector and bend, its position, its loss and reflectance.
- Pass or fail against your specification, using your loss budget and per-event limits, not ours.
The pack also carries the cable schedule, closure layouts, test-set calibration status and the technician's sign-off. Failed fibres are listed with the corrective action and the retest.
How reports are delivered
Signed PDF reports with the native trace files. Each fibre is identified by cable, core, direction, wavelength and date, so a lender's adviser, the turbine OEM or an O&M contractor can open the trace and check it independently. Interim reports go out as sections complete; the final pack forms part of the as-built documentation.
Eastern Cape wind corridor and beyond
The coast between Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) and the Kouga carries a large share of South Africa's wind capacity, and CTTX has spliced and tested turbine, substation and overhead fibre there for years. Teams also travel to solar plants and to industrial and mining sites nationally. Where the plant also needs wireless backhaul or CCTV links, one contractor covers it.
Get a fibre scope or a fault attended
Send us the plant or site, the cable schedule if you have one, and what you need: splicing, testing of existing fibre, or a fault located and repaired. A site assessment costs R3,500 excluding VAT and is credited back if the work proceeds.
Request a fibre assessment Email sales@cttx.co.zaCommon questions
What is OTDR testing?
An OTDR (optical time-domain reflectometer) sends light pulses down a fibre and measures what reflects back. The trace shows the fibre's length, every splice and connector with its loss, and any break or bend and where it sits. It is how a fibre link is proven rather than just plugged in.
What splice loss is acceptable?
Typical figures, not a specification: a good fusion splice on single-mode fibre usually measures around 0.05 to 0.1 dB, and many project specifications set a maximum of 0.1 to 0.3 dB per splice, with connectors typically allowed up to about 0.5 dB. The acceptance limit is always the client's or OEM's specification; the report grades every fibre against it.
How long does splicing and testing take per wind turbine?
It depends on core count, whether the loop is spliced through or terminated at every turbine, and access to the tower base. A team usually completes splicing and bidirectional OTDR testing at a turbine in hours, so several turbines a day is realistic once access is arranged.
Can you test fibre that is already installed?
Yes. Existing fibre is tested as found, with a per-fibre trace and loss table showing which fibres pass and where any fault sits. This is common on plants being handed over, refinanced or taken on by a new O&M contractor.
Do you supply test reports the client can audit?
Yes. Every report identifies the cable, fibre number, direction, wavelength and date, and includes the trace, the loss table and the pass or fail result against your specification. Reports are signed PDFs issued with the native trace files, so a lender's engineer or the OEM can check them independently.