Optical link diagnostic system
AssigneeGoogle Inc.
InventorsJill Berger, Kevin Yasumura, Xiang Zhou, Pedram Z. Dashti, Ryohei Urata
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Abstract
An optical links diagnostic system (LDS) and its operation within an optical circuit switch (OCS) for measurement and diagnosis of fiber-optic network fiber performance and quality is disclosed. The LDS can contain two photodetectors, a laser source, and be coupled to an OCS. Optical circulators can further be linked to the OCS. The LDS can be used both as an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) or as an optical return loss (ORL) meter and can automate the diagnosis of the fiber optical network fiber insertion loss and return loss.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- an optical circuit switch (OCS) comprising:
- a first fiber collimator and a second fiber collimator;
- an OSC internal optical path coupling the first and second fiber collimators
- an optical circulator having a bidirectional port optically coupled to a port of the second fiber collimator;
- and
- a first transceiver optically coupled to the optical circulator;
- and
- a link diagnostic system comprising:
- a first photodetector and a second photodetector;
- a light source;
- an optical coupler, coupling the light source to the second photodetector;
- and
- wherein:
- the first photodetector is optically coupled to the optical circulator along a path comprising a fiber input to the first fiber collimator, the OSC internal optical path, and the port of the second fiber collimator.
A method of detecting signal loss in an optical fiber system, the method comprising:
- forming a path comprising a fiber input to a first fiber collimator, an optical circuit switch (OCS) optical path, and a port of a second fiber collimator,
- wherein a first photodetector of a link diagnostic system is optically coupled to an optical circulator along the path;
- generating, by a light source of at the link diagnostic system, an optical signal;
- transmitting the optical signal through at least a portion of the path;
- receiving a portion of the optical signal at the optical circulator connected to the port of the second fiber collimator;
- receiving at the first photodetector a reflected portion of the optical signal;
- and
- detecting signal loss based on the reflected portion of the optical signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.