An optical fiber detector, and a method and system for optical fiber
detection are disclosed. One embodiment comprises a receptacle, to
receive and position an optical fiber connector, an infra-red ("IR")
source for providing an incident IR beam onto a cross-sectional face of
an optical fiber and a cross-sectional face of the optical fiber
connector, and an IR detector for receiving a reflected IR beam from the
face of the optical fiber and the face of the optical fiber connector and
generating a detector signal representative of the intensity of the
reflected IR beam, wherein the intensity of the reflected IR beam is
representative of the presence and type of the optical fiber. It is
contemplated that the optical fiber detector of this invention can be
implemented or incorporated in any machine or system requiring connection
of an optical fiber to a light source.