Which tool would you use for assessing the quality of fiber optic connector interfaces?

The correct choice is the inspection microscope because this tool is specifically designed to assess the quality of fiber optic connector interfaces by providing a detailed view of the connector end face. A clean and properly polished connector is critical for optimal performance in fiber optic systems, as contaminants or imperfections can lead to significant signal loss.

Using an inspection microscope, technicians can magnify and examine the end face of the connectors for issues such as dirt, scratches, and chips. This analysis is essential because many problems in fiber optic networks can be traced back to poor connector quality.

In contrast, the fiber optic power meter is primarily used for measuring optical power levels in a fiber optic link, while a light source and power meter setup is utilized for end-to-end testing of a fiber optic link's loss. An OTDR (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer) is primarily used to analyze the overall integrity and performance of the fiber span, including identifying faults and measuring overall link loss, but it does not provide a direct inspection of the connector's end face. Thus, the inspection microscope is the best tool specifically for evaluating the quality of fiber optic connector interfaces.