Solihull, United Kingdom – Arden Photonics, a leading manufacturer of optical fiber measurement solutions, is proud to announce a significant and comprehensive upgrade to its renowned nPA-600 Refractive Index Profiler. The latest updates deliver faster, more reliable, and more customisable measurements, an enhanced user experience, an extended fiber guide, and new optional software plug-ins for bend-insensitive multimode (BIMM) fibers and multi-core fibers. These enhancements help users characterise and validate their specialty fibers more efficiently, supporting the development of better fibers for a brighter tomorrow.

1. Enhanced Software (nPA v4.0)
   • The latest nPA v4.0 software is a major software upgrade offering:
     • Increased Speed: Measurement speed is improved, particularly for smaller fibers.
     • Greater Customisation: Integration of new options for refractive index scales, measurement areas, and report outputs, making day-to-day measurement standardised, faster and more intuitive for both R&D and production environments.
     • Seamless Integration: An application programming interface (API) simplifies integration of the nPA-600 into users’ systems, streamlining data collection and analysis across multiple systems.
2. New Software Plug-ins (BIMM Fiber & Multi-core Fiber)
   • In addition to the existing optional software plug-ins for Polarisation-Maintaining (PM) fibers and single-mode fibers, Arden introduces two newly developed software plug-ins: nPA-SPI03 for measuring the refractive index and geometry of bend-insensitive multimode (BIMM) fibers, and nPA-SPI04 for measuring the refractive index and geometry of multi-core fibers.
   • Apart from measuring key parameters such as cladding and core diameter, non-circularity, and concentricity, nPA-SPI03 also measures alpha-profile characteristics, making it essential for fiber manufacturers validating complex BIMM fiber designs. To address growing demand, Arden also introduces the plug-in nPA-SPI04 for refractive index and fiber geometry measurement for multi-core fibers, which are becoming increasingly popular in a wide range of photonics applications.
3. Expanded Fiber Guide Range
   • Arden has expanded its fiber guide range to support emerging applications that use smaller fiber diameters. The new nPA-F0160 guide, designed for fibers with outer diameters from 125 µm to 160 µm, extends the existing portfolio (125 µm to 620 µm) and allows users to handle and accurately position a wider variety of standard and specialty fibers.
   • The new fiber guide supports accurate positioning and measurement of smaller fibers. For example, PM fibers with a 135 µm coating are often used for winding long fiber coils into compact, small-diameter packages, compared to standard 125/250 µm fibers. This reduced size provides robust environmental and mechanical robustness needed for high-performance applications such as fiber optic gyroscopes (FOGs) used in navigation systems for aerospace and defence.
4. Traceable Calibration Fiber
   • Designed for use with the nPA-600’s calibration tool, the nPA-CP01 calibration fiber is traceable to the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) in the United Kingdom, ensuring accurate, repeatable, and reliable refractive index measurements. It supports traceable in-field re-certification, eliminating the need to send instruments to Arden’s service centres.

“Reliability and precision are critical for our customers. With this nPA-600 major upgrade, we have not only added features, but we have also fundamentally refined the tool to enhance user experience,” said David Robinson, Founder and CEO at Arden Photonics. “The combination of the traceable calibration fiber and the v4.0 software ensures that every measurement is reliable and repeatable, giving our customers peace of mind. With the new software architecture in place, we will continue developing new features to meet the ever-changing measurement requirements of our customers, helping them stay ahead of the competition.”

To learn more about the nPA-600 refractive index profiler, please visit our product page.