ABSTRACT
National Bureau of Standards (NBS) Special Publication 637, Optical Fiber Characterization, is a two-volume compilation of previously published NBS Technical Notes concerning the characterization of optical fibers used for telecommunications. The Technical Notes appeared in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which was the period of commercial infancy of optical telecommunications fiber. The chapter describes the NBS’s Optical Fiber Characterization, relating the context in which the publication appeared, its impact on science, technology, and the general public, and brief details about the lives and work of the author. NBS staff attended the first Electronic Industries Association (EIA) organizational meetings where attendees determined the important technical areas and established a network of committees. It was soon evident that there was a role for NBS. Manufacturers had developed their own measurement methods, and in many instances different technical approaches were being employed. NBS acted as a neutral party to evaluate many procedures through round robin comparisons.
