x2 FASTER TROUBLE SHOOTING

RANGE: control up to 2mi  away,
no direct line of sight

AUTONOMY: possess autonomy to perform programmed  tasks, like:

• plug and scan all ports

• search VFL  from operator

• recover  from failed connections

ENDURANCE: 9 hours on standby 

SPEED: connect adjacent  port within 2.5 sec,  close to human performance (1.7 sec)

LoRa UART MODEM: Sep 9, 2026, Concord NC test. LoRa transparent UART link between the test laptop and the M2 confirms bidirectional control at ~ 1000ft and ~2000ft, but with delay/drop outs at 2,700 ft with hilly/sloping terrain blocking line of sight. 
This map did not have cellular service for LTE based video link.

CASSETTE ADAPTORS: 2026 June. Clip-on, printed adapters to attach the 12-port Clearfield cassettes directly to the machine frame, bypassing the cabinet altogether.

PORT AIMING:  2025 upgrade, placed a camera into the toolhead. OpenCV handles micro adjustments to respond to port position variations. 12-port fiber cassettes do not have uniformly spaced connector jacks. There is considerable play, resulting in +/- 1.2mm difference in positions from port to port.
Open loop control fails insertion test as errors accumulate. 

2025 Nov update, introduced dust cap detection based on edgeImpulse ML model.

2025 May.  Linear Hall position sensor  has been removed . The sensor does not  yet add repeatability to  augment camera. An absolute position sensor is desired.

DARK FIELD ILLUMINATION. 2026 Mar - with OpenCV algorithm, a consistent illumination is needed. An illumination close to a darkfield is now used selectively highlight the edges of the SC-connector, darkening the background.
This approach is not reliable. 
Current implementation assumed close-door work in darkness, or when used outside of a cabinet - assumes a cover to cut off stray light.

LTE LINK. 2025 Feb  - Mobile hotspot broadcasting wifi, running on ATT LTE/3G service, is able to maintain connection inside a fully closed and locked, metal cabinet.
This opens fully teleoperated machine with visual backing and troubleshooting. 

SETUP:  Designed to fit tightly into limited space of a cabinet, it  is time consuming to install and secure it. There is  no space to  fit a power meter or  an OTDR next  the device inside the cabinet.

LIMITING FORM FACTOR: this form is designed around the 288 Clearfield cabinet, but does not easily fit other types of FDH closures.

DUST CAPS: this prototype does  not have a way to automatically remove the caps on the patch panel. Furthermore, currently the caps cast shadow that interferes with the vision algorithms.

COMMS: reliable communication with M2 remains a problem , as no cell coverage areas prevent use of  LTE. Where cellular coverage is present, an integrated hotspot  creates  a VNC connection;  LORA modem is to serve as 2nd backup communication link; optical link communication is considered.

ENDURANCE: full endurance is not possible with a standard cordless battery; stepper motors would require replacement with BL motors, hotspot consumes too much power for a full day standby operation.

CAMERA: vision and aiming is not yet reliable