FIBERLOOP is a simple and robust solution for protecting various types of professional equipment against theft.
It is indispensable in solar power plants, where it is employed to protect solar photovoltaic (PV) panel strings, inverters and even underground electrical cables against theft.
Outside of solar power plants, thanks to its ease of use, FIBERLOOP can be used to secure all types of professional equipment. It ensures 100% detection of attempted theft with zero false alarms.
Operating principle
FIBERLOOP devices monitor the continuity of the optical fiber.
A plastic optical fiber (POF) is run through a hole or opening on each item to be secured and its ends are connected to an optoelectronic controller (or two separate controllers). If the optical fiber is cut or disconnected, an alarm is generated immediately. The alarm signal can be directed to an alarm panel or used to directly activate local devices such as sounders and floodlights.
Zero false alarms
Vibration, extreme weather and any other possible event or action do not trigger an alarm. An alarm is only issued if the optical fiber is cut or disconnected.
Easy installation
FIBERLOOP does not require special knowledge or experience in fiber optics. Anyone can terminate the optical fiber simply by cutting the end with our low-cost handheld cutter. There is no polishing involved and no optical connectors — the fiber is inserted directly into the receptacles on the processors.
The light travelling through the fiber is an eye-safe, visible green light, which greatly simplifies installation and troubleshooting.
The controller indicates the intensity of the received optical signal, as well as the amount of any light ingress (e.g., due to a damaged optical fiber). It performs automatic calibration and requires no user adjustments.
Numerous applications
- Solar power plants: PV panels, inverters, manholes, underground cables
- Coffee and food establishments: Chairs and tables
- Beach establishments: Sunbeds, jet skis, water sports equipment & towables
- Live music events: Sound and light reinforcement, staging equipment
- Construction sites: Scaffolding, construction machines, cable or tube reels, tools, supplies
- Dealerships and long-term parking lots: Vehicles, motorcycles, boats
- Factories: Various supplies, temporarily stored items
- Your own application…
Technical characteristics
Fiber length: 300m per zone (incl. 2 splicings)
Zones per processor: 1 or 2
Relay outputs: 1 tamper, 1 or 2 alarm (NO/NC select)
Power supply: 9-24VDC/100mA (reverse-protected)
Surge protection: Electronic 3-stage networks on every connection (power input & all relay contacts)
No user adjustments — plug and play operation
Integrated metering of received optical signal and optical fiber light ingress
Operating temperature: -40 to +85 ºC
Immune to EMI/RFI
APPLICATION: Securing solar photovoltaic panels
In order to secure entire strings of solar PV panels, each panel is fitted with a special security fitting, which is attached by hand in less than 10 seconds. No tools are required and no drilling or adhesives are involved, hence the manufacturer’s warranty of the panels remains unaffected.
Once all panels are equipped with security fittings, the optical fiber is slid through them and connected to the respective controller. If desired, the optical fiber can be daisy-chained between two different controllers. In the same manner, the fiber can be run through a physical opening on the inverters and any other piece of equipment for that matter.
It is then impossible to remove an item without cutting or disconnecting the optical fiber, thereby triggering an alarm.
APPLICATION: Securing professional equipment
Any item can be secured by running the optical fiber through a hole or physical opening in it. Several items can be secured within one closed loop in this manner.
The controller is typically mounted at a convenient location and wired to the existing alarm panel or to local devices such as sounders and floodlights. The optical fiber can then be deployed and withdrawn repeatedly, as required by daily operations. Small couplings can be used anywhere along its length to connect it to the controllers as well as to combine different segments of optical fiber, making the process easy and customizable.
The types of equipment or supplies that can be protected in this way are unlimited and depend on the specific application.
APPLICATION: Securing copper cables in solar power plants
The most frequently stolen items from solar power plants are undoubtedly copper cables, which are usually forcefully extracted from underground conduits.
By running optical fiber through each conduit and fastening it to the cables using cable ties (ideally set back from the manholes), any action causing significant displacement of the cables will break the fiber, thereby triggering an alarm.
Taking this one step further, manhole covers can also be secured by attaching an eye bolt to their underside, running the optical fiber through it and adjusting its length so that unauthorized lifting of the cover breaks or disconnects the fiber.
Please note:
While this setup offers a significant degree of protection, alarm signals may not be generated until the cables are already being pulled from the conduit. For more efficient and earlier detection, you may want to consider the use of OPU-1 processors — as used in the OPTIFENCE solution, which detect not only cutting but also physical disturbance of the optical fiber.