How to Use OTDR Fiber Tester

 OTDR, short for Optical Time Domain Reflectometer, is a professional instrument for optical fiber line maintenance and detection. OTDR is widely used in the installation, maintenance, repair and monitoring of optical fiber and optical fiber lines. As one of the important instruments for maintenance in the field of optical communication test, OTDR can measure the length, attenuation, connection quality and fault of optical fiber and cable.

Parameter Settings of OTDR

In order to get good and accurate fiber trace analysis, it is suggested to set the following basic data parameters of OTDR.

1. Wavelength

Different wavelengths is related to different characteristics of light (such as attenuation and micro-bend), so the test wavelength generally follows the principle of corresponding to the transmission wavelength of the system. For example, if the system is to 1550nm wavelength, so should be the test wavelength.

2. Pulse Width

Larger pulse width provides larger dynamic range and can measure longer fiber length, but will also generate a larger blind zone in the OTDR curve waveform. The pulse width duty cycle is usually expressed in ns (nanosecond). The smaller the pulse width, the higher the test accuracy, but requires higher power consumption.

3. Test Range

OTDR test range refers to the maximum distance from which OTDR can obtain data samples. The choice of this parameter determines the size of the sampling resolution. Always choose a test range larger than the target test value. The optimal test range is 1.5 to 2 times the length of the optical fiber to be measured. Read more on How to Use OTDR Fiber Tester.

EDFA-Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifier, DWDM EDFA Amplifiers|GLsun

EDFA, short for Erbium-doped Fiber Amplifier, is one of the most commonly deployed amplifiers, featuring the capability of directly amplifying optical signals without the optical - electrical - optical signal converting process, which greatly boosts the capacity of fiber optic communication.

 

Advantages of EDFA

 

EDFA is a preferable option for long-haul DWDM systems, owing to its high pump power utilization, stable performance and mature technology.

 

1. High Gain

 

Gain value is one of the most important parameters of optical amplifier. The max gain of a qualified optical amplifier should reach 33dB, while that of an EDFA can reach 30~40dB. In addition, it provides good gain flatness over a wide wavelength band.

 

2. Low Noise

 

EDFA can spontaneously radiate noise, so it has low noise usually at 4~7dB. The crosstalk between each channel is minimal and multiple amplifiers can be cascaded. Its low noise feature makes it very suitable for long-haul application.

 

3. Low Loss

 

The working wavelength of EDFA is within the optimal waveband region (1500~1600nm) with minimum loss in fiber optic communication. The loss of coupling with optical fiber link is also minimum. Therefore, with low loss, EDFA can support longer transmission distance.

 

4. Wide Wavelength Band

 

EDFA frequency bandwidth is 20~40nm at 1550nm wavelength, and can realize multichannel transmission, thus increases transmission capacity.

 

5. Easy Deployment

 

Its simple structure makes it easier to couple with transmission fiber, making it more affordable compared with other signal amplification methods. Read more on Applications of EDFA.

MEMS Optical Switch: Advantages and Applications

 MEMS (Micro-Electro-Mechanical System) is a micro device or system integrating micro-machinery, micro-actuator, signal processing and control circuits, etc. Micro-mechanical structures are prepared by photo-lithography, ion beam etching, chemical etching, wafer bonding, etc., while electrodes are prepared on the mechanical structure for electronic control. Traditional switches with electricity as the core technology gradually lag behind the demand for high speed and large capacity optical communication, which gave rise to all-optical switches in the market. Among them, MEMS optical switches are widely used featuring compact size, low power consumption and good expansibility. 

Advantages of MEMS Optical Switches

Featuring main advantages of integration, low power consumption and low cost, MEMS optical switches can realize the overall remote control of all-optical network. MEMS optical switches combine the advantages of mechanical optical switches, such as low insertion loss, low crosstalk, low polarization sensitivity, high extinction ratio, and the advantages of waveguide optical switches, such as high switching speed, compact size and easy integration. The performance of MEMS optical switches can meet the technical requirements of DWDM all-optical network. MEMS devices have high single-batch yield, good economical efficiency, and good repeatability between devices, providing more possibilities for reducing system costs. Read more on Applications of MEMS Optical Switch. 

DFB Laser Diode Chip, Optical Laser Chips Manufacturer|GLsunMall

GLSUN manufactures uncooled distributed feedback (DFB) laser diode chips 1270nm/1310nm modulated 2.5G, 10G, 25G and packaged in single mode and multimode edge-emitting laser diode chip for use in uncooled applications such as PON, ACCESS, Optical Ethernet, SDH....