The installation and termination of optical fibers used to be regarded as somewhat of a 'Black Art' but with standardization and easier terminating techniques this is no longer true. A basic knowledge of the subject, together with a quick lesson and some practice can get you started in fibre optics, but to really understand the subject and gain full in-depth knowledge will require some formal training.
There are lots of Fibre Optic training companies offering recognised qualifications and a quick search on the net should find one in your area.
If you are in the UK, Optical Technology Training Ltd offer several different courses to choose from including a City & Guilds qualification.
There are also hundreds of books on fibre optics and a search on the Barnes and Noble web site will find nearly 600 titles. Without reviewing them all it is difficult to know what to recommend, but two of the best sellers in this category seem to follow on quite nicely from this page without getting too involved with mathematics. The two books are the Introduction to Fibre-Optics by John Crisp and Understanding Fiber Optics, Third Edition by Jeff Hecht.
November 12, 2011