Optical time-domain reflectometer
AssigneesAFL Telecommunications LLC, Lifodas, UAB
InventorsPiotr Anatolij Levin, Chris Blair
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) which sends and receives pulses for multiple frequencies down a fiber under testing (FUT). These frequencies can include frequencies for testing a live FUT and frequencies for testing a dark FUT. The pulses of the various frequencies are sent and received through a single optical connection with the FUT. The number of connections necessary to test the fiber is thus reduced. The OTDR may also include a built in passive optical network (PON) power meter, which measures the power level of the fiber over the same single optical connection.
Claims15
An optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR), the OTDR comprising:
- a pulse generator;
- a multi-wavelength detector which comprises a plurality of detectors, each detector corresponding to a different wavelength of light;
- a coupler which simultaneously couples the plurality of detectors of the multi-wavelength detector to a fiber under test at a single optical port;
- a controller which controls an operation of the pulse generator and the multi-wavelength detector, and
- a plurality of power detectors, each power detector corresponding to a different wavelength of light,
- wherein the coupler simultaneously couples the plurality of detectors of the multi-wavelength detector and the plurality of power detectors to the fiber at the single optical port.
A method of operating an optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) comprising:
- coupling a pulse generator to a fiber under test at a single optical port;
- coupling a multi-wavelength detector which comprises a plurality of detectors, each corresponding to a different wavelength of light to the fiber under test at the single optical port;
- coupling a plurality of power detectors, each power detector corresponding to a different wavelength of light, to the fiber under test at the single optical port;
- using the plurality of power detectors to detect a power level of light from the fiber at each wavelength of light corresponding to each power detector;
- using the plurality of power detectors to determine whether light at each wavelength of light corresponding to each power detector exists on the fiber;
- and
- controlling the operation of the pulse generator and the multi-wavelength detector based on the determination of whether light exists on the fiber.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.