Fiber Numbering Procedure

This page was created by Andrew Sampino, whose logbook for Spring 2016 can be found here

The fiber numbering system is the means by which the fused and unfused waveguides are identified.

Original System

Originally the fibers were collected in groups of thirty and given a group identifier with colored straps. Each strap color corresponds to a bundle number, the number to strap color conversion can be found in the first page of this google sheet. Within the bundles each fiber had a relative identifier consisting of two colored rubber bands. The two colors corresponded to a two digit base six number, which allowed for thirty six (six squared) unique fiber identification numbers (only thirty were used). The band color to number conversion is as follows:

Purple = 0
Pink = 1
Orange = 2
Yellow = 3
Green = 4
Blue = 5

The rubber band closest to the fused end (or to be fused end) of the waveguide is the sixes place and the rubber band closest to the non fused end is the ones place. For example, from upstream (towards fuse end) to downstream a purple band followed by a blue band corresponds to a zero in the sixes place and a five in the ones place giving a relative fiber number of five (0*6 + 5*5 = 5), yellow green corresponds to twenty two (3*6 + 4*1 = 22), and orange purple corresponds to twelve (2*6 + 0*1 = 12). This method allows identification within bundles, but once it is separated from the bundle it cannot be uniquely identified. This posed two issues; first, if for some reason a fiber was separated from its bundle it would've been difficult to identify. Second, if fibers needed to be moved from one bundle to another there would be no way to discern that fiber from the fiber that shares its relative identification number in the destination bundle. For these reasons the numbering scheme was switch to the current system.