Test instruments and methods for emulating optical network terminal (ONT) devices and testing optical networks based on the emulation

A method comprising:

• in response to receiving a test flow that indicates one or more service tests to be performed across an optical network at a specific customer premises where a particular Optical Network Terminal (ONT) is installed, accessing, by a processor of a test instrument, a data storage in the test instrument to obtain a first ONT model of the particular ONT, wherein the first ONT model includes customized configuration of the particular ONT and customized authentication information of the particular ONT;
• obtaining, by the processor, the customized authentication information of the particular ONT from the first ONT model of the particular ONT;
• emulating, by the processor, the particular ONT installed at the specific customer premises by communicatively connecting the test instrument to an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) that controls information flow to the specific customer premises through the optical network and transmitting the customized authentication information of the particular ONT to the OLT for the OLT to authenticate the test instrument as if the test instrument is the particular ONT installed at the specific customer premises;
• and
• upon the test instrument being authenticated to be the particular ONT installed at the specific customer premises, performing, by the processor, the one or more service tests on the optical network for the particular ONT via the connection between the test instrument and the OLT, wherein performing the one or more service tests include testing a physical layer of data communication through a fiber optic cable connecting the specific customer premises to the optical network by measuring power levels of optical signals received by an optical detector of the test instrument.

A portable field-deployable test instrument comprising:

• a fiber optic interface to connect the test instrument to an optical network at a specific customer premises where a particular Optical Network Terminal (ONT) is installed;
• data storage to store a first ONT model of the particular ONT, wherein the first ONT model includes customized configuration of the particular ONT and customized authentication information of the particular ONT;
• a processor;
• and
• a memory storing instructions that, when executed, cause the processor to:
• in response to receiving a test flow that indicates one or more service tests to be performed across the optical network, access the data storage to obtain the first ONT model of the particular ONT, including obtaining the customized authentication information of the particular ONT;
• emulate the particular ONT installed at the specific customer premises by communicatively connecting the test instrument to an Optical Line Terminal (OLT) that controls information flow to the specific customer premises through the optical network and transmitting the customized authentication information of the particular ONT from the test instrument to the OLT for the OLT to authenticate the test instrument as if the test instrument is the particular ONT installed at the specific customer premises;
• and
• upon the test instrument being authenticated to be the particular ONT installed at the specific customer premises, perform the one or more service tests on the optical network for the particular ONT via the connection between the test instrument and the OLT, wherein the one or more service tests include testing a physical layer of data communication through a fiber optic cable connecting the specific customer premises to the optical network by measuring power levels of optical signals received by an optical detector of the test instrument.