This optical fibre fusion splicer is a six-motor core alignment splicer with a 5 inch colour screen, offered as the AI-5Pro (8s splice, 18s heat, 5200mAh battery) or the AI-9 (5s splice, 15s heat, 7800mAh battery, built-in power meter and 15mW VFL). Both join single-mode and multimode fibre with a published typical splice loss of 0.02dB to 0.025dB on single-mode.
Six motors and auto focus align the fibre cores, and the screen shows the X and Y views together with the estimated loss after each splice. The 3-in-1 fibre holder takes bare fibre, pigtails, drop cable and multi-fibre cable without changing clamps, and the heater takes 60mm and 40mm sleeves. Splice records can be synced to a phone app.
Features and Benefits
- Six-motor core and cladding alignment - consistent low-loss joints on SM, MM, DS and NZDS fibre.
- 3-in-1 fibre holder - switch between bare fibre, pigtail and drop cable on site.
- Fast cycle - 5s splice and 15s heat on the AI-9, 8s and 18s on the AI-5Pro.
- Removable lithium battery - about 260 splice and heat cycles per charge (AI-9) or about 160 (AI-5Pro).
- AI-9 built-in OPM and VFL - check power at 6 wavelengths and trace breaks without extra tools.
- Built-in LED work light - easier splicing in cabinets, manholes and at night.
- Rated for -15 to +50°C, altitude to 5000m and wind up to 15m/s.
Applications
- FTTH drops and building fibre installs
- Trunk and backbone cable jointing and repairs
- CCTV and security monitoring fibre links
- Patch cord, pigtail and drop cable termination
In the box
- AI-5Pro: splicer, soft tool bag, S07 fibre cleaver, two strippers, alcohol bottle, belt, strap, power adapter, arc test fibre, manual, quality certificate and warranty card.
- AI-9: splicer in an orange hard carry case with tool drawer and stool, cleaver, strippers, alcohol bottle, brush, strap and power adapter (as pictured).
Note: Never look into the laser output or a live fibre end, and keep your eyes and fingers clear of the electrodes while the arc fires. The seller states the plug type for neither model; the pictured mains leads are non-UK.
Models offered: AI-5Pro or AI-9 (choose below). Alignment: Core/cladding alignment, or manual alignment. Motors and focus: Six motors, auto focus. Splicing time: AI-9: 5s; AI-5Pro: 8s. Heating time: AI-9: 15s; AI-5Pro: 18s; automatic heating with preheating. Typical splice loss: AI-9: 0.025dB SM, 0.01dB MM, 0.04dB DS/NZDS; AI-5Pro: 0.02dB SM, 0.01dB MM, 0.04dB DS/NZDS. Return loss: Better than 60dB. Applicable fibres: Single-mode G.652 and G.657, multimode G.651, dispersion-shifted G.653, non-zero dispersion-shifted G.655. Fibre diameter: Cladding 80 to 150µm, coating 100 to 1000µm. Fibre cleave length: 8 to 16mm (coating under 250µm); 16mm (coating 250 to 1000µm). Fibre holder: 3-in-1: bare fibre, pigtail, drop cable, multi-fibre cable. Magnification: AI-9: 300x single view, 150x; AI-5Pro: 320x single axis, 160x X and Y together. Splicing modes: Normal and high precision. Tension test: Standard 2N. Arc control: Real-time control of the fusion arc. Built-in OPM (AI-9): 850, 1300, 1310, 1490, 1550 and 1625nm; -70 to +6dBm; absolute error under 0.3dB from -50 to +3dBm. Built-in VFL (AI-9): 15mW, 2Hz flashing or steady. Display: 5 inch TFT colour, X and Y views with loss readout. Battery: AI-9: 7800mAh, about 260 splice and heat cycles, charge up to 3.5 hours; AI-5Pro: 5200mAh, about 160 cycles, charge up to 3.0 hours. Heat shrink sleeves: 60mm and 40mm. Power adapter: Input AC100 to 240V 50/60Hz; output DC13.5V, 4A (AI-9) or 4.8A (AI-5Pro). Mains plug: Not stated by the seller; pictured mains leads are non-UK, so use a UK adapter or a UK mains lead. Battery charging input: 13.5V ±0.5V, 4.8A (AI-5Pro battery); removable, push button level gauge. Operating conditions: -15 to +50°C, under 95% RH non-condensing, altitude 0 to 5000m, wind up to 15m/s. Dimensions (AI-5Pro): 135 x 198 x 122mm. Weight (AI-5Pro): 1.91kg with battery, 1.55kg without. Tool bag (AI-5Pro): 350 x 210 x 190mm; 3.50kg with splicer and accessories. Shipping box (AI-5Pro): 360 x 245 x 225mm; 4.05kg total. Splice records: Sync to a phone app and cloud storage. Menu languages: 11, including English, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Ukrainian, Russian, Thai and Arabic. Start-up: Quad-core processor, about 1 second to working state. Lighting: Built-in LED work light. Certification: CE (as listed by the seller). Q: What is a fusion splicer? A: A fusion splicer melts two cleaved fibre ends together with an electric arc to make a permanent low-loss joint. This one aligns the fibre cores with six motors and shows the estimated loss on its 5 inch screen.. Q: What is the difference between the AI-5Pro and the AI-9? A: The AI-9 splices in 5s and heats in 15s, has a 7800mAh battery and adds a built-in optical power meter and 15mW VFL. The AI-5Pro splices in 8s and heats in 18s with a 5200mAh battery.. Q: How many splices does one battery charge give? A: The seller quotes about 260 splice and heat cycles on the AI-9 and about 160 on the AI-5Pro. The battery is removable and can be charged in or out of the splicer.. Q: What splice loss can I expect? A: The published typical figures are 0.025dB (AI-9) or 0.02dB (AI-5Pro) on single-mode, 0.01dB on multimode and 0.04dB on DS/NZDS fibre. Real results depend on cleave quality and clean fibre.. Q: Can it splice drop cable and pigtails? A: Yes. The 3-in-1 fibre holder takes bare fibre, pigtails, drop cable and multi-fibre cable, with cleave lengths of 8 to 16mm..