Optical Time-Domain Reflectometry System and Method

An Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) comprising:

• a laser source operative, under the control of a processor via a pulse generator, for outputting a laser pulse to an optical fiber;
• a receiver for receiving a backscatter signal generated by the optical fiber in response to the laser pulse output to the optical fiber, wherein the processor is programmed or configured to:
• (a) determine from one or more values of samples of the received backscatter signal that at least one element of the receiver is operating in a saturated operating state;
• (b) in response to the determining in step (a), control the receiver to decrease one or more values of samples of the received backscatter signal sampled after step (a), whereupon the at least one element of the receiver is operating in an unsaturated operating state;
• (c) determine from one or more values of samples of the received backscatter signal sampled after step (b) that the at least one element of the receiver would not be operating in the saturated operating state if the values of samples of the backscatter signal were increased;
• and
• (d) in response to step (c), control the receiver to increase one or more values of samples of the backscatter signal sampled after step (c).

An Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) comprising:

• means for outputting a laser pulse to an optical fiber;
• means for receiving an optical backscatter signal generated by the optical fiber in response to the laser pulse output to the optical fiber;
• means for determining from values of samples of the received optical backscatter signal that at least one element of the means for receiving is operating in a saturated state;
• and
• means for controlling the means for receiving to decrease the values of the samples of the optical backscatter signal received by the means for determining such that the at least one element of the means for receiving is operating in an unsaturated state, wherein:
• the means for determining determines from the values of the samples of the optical backscatter signal acquired after decreasing the values of the samples that the at least one element of the means for receiving would not be operating in a saturated state if the values of samples were increased;
• and
• the means for controlling controls the means for receiving to increase the values of the samples of the optical backscatter signal acquired after the means for determining determines that the at least one element of the means for receiving would not be operating in a saturated state if the values of samples were increased.