Optical power meter using low-power measurement circuit

Apparatus for in-line measurement of optical power comprising:

• a housing;
• an input optical assembly attached to the housing and adapted to be placed in optical communication with an externally situated optical fiber;
• an optical tap contained within the housing and in optical communication with input optical assembly;
• an optical detection circuit, having an optical detector, contained within the housing and in optical communication with the optical tap such that optical energy carried by the input optical assembly and tapped off by the optical tap is subsequently detected by the optical detector, said optical detection circuit producing a signal in response to detected optical energy so as to provide a measurement of optical power carried through an output optical assembly;
• and
• the output optical assembly attached to the housing and in optical communication with the optical tap;
• wherein the apparatus further comprises:
• an optical fiber internally situated within the housing and extending between said input and output optical assemblies, and the optical tap is formed by introducing a permanent microbend in the internally situated optical fiber.

Apparatus for in-line measurement of optical power comprising:

• a housing;
• an input optical assembly attached to the housing and adapted to be placed in optical communication with an externally situated optical fiber;
• an optical tap contained within the housing and in optical communication with input optical assembly;
• an optical detection circuit, having an optical detector, contained within the housing and in optical communication with the optical tap such that optical energy carried by the input optical assembly and tapped off by the optical tap is subsequently detected by the optical detector, said optical detection circuit producing, in response to detected optical energy, a signal which represents a measurement of optical power carried through an output optical assembly;
• and
• the output optical assembly attached to the housing and in optical communication with the optical tap;
• wherein the total mass of the housing, the optical tap and the optical detector is less than 120 grams.

Low-power apparatus for sensing and displaying optical power comprising:

• a housing;
• a power source contained within the housing;
• a measuring circuit contained within the housing, said measuring circuit having an optical detector and producing a signal in response to and related to optical power sensed by the optical detector;
• and
• a control circuit contained within the housing and electrically connected to said measuring circuit, said control circuit comprising:
• i) a timing circuit for producing a first periodic voltage signal;
• and
• ii) an electrically controlled switch, responsive to said periodic voltage signal and connected to the power source for applying electrical power therefrom to said measuring circuit so as to successively energize the measuring circuit;
• wherein said power source is one selected from the group consisting of a battery and a solar cell.