Interrogation of optical fiber sensor networks

A system for interrogating sensors in a fiber optical sensor network, the fiber optical sensor network comprising several groups of sensors, wherein the sensors in one group are operating at different wavelengths and the sensors of different groups may have overlapping wavelengths, the system comprising:

• a light source for generating a broadband light signal, the broadband light signal spanning a wavelength range, so that the broadband light signal is suitable for activating a response of the sensors to be measured within the fiber optical sensor network,
• an input and output means for guiding the broadband light to the fiber optical sensor network for illuminating the sensors and for coupling the light signal coming from the sensors of the fiber optical sensor network to the detection system,
• a detection system for detecting the received light signal, during a detection integration time, the system being arranged for selecting pre-dominantly the received light coming from the different sensors of a selected group of sensors using a code-division multiplexing technique and the system being arranged for simultaneously detecting sensors of the selected group of sensors using a wavelength-division multiplexing technique and for deriving based thereon a measurement of the sensor response of sensors of the selected group of sensors.