Table of Contents
How does OTDR measure distance?
The OTDR measures distance to the event and loss at an event – a connector or splice – between the two markers. To measure splice loss, move the two markers close to the splice to be measured, having each about the same distance from the center of the splice.
How do you do the OTDR test?
Test Procedure
- Turn on OTDR and allow time to warm-up.
- Clean all connectors and mating adapters.
- Attach launch cable to OTDR. Attach receive cable (if used) to far end of cable.
- Set up test parameters on OTDR.
- Attach cable to test to end of launch cable. Attach receive cable (if used) to far end of cable.
- Acquire trace.
What is a gainer on an OTDR trace?
Akin to water flowing from a small pipe into a large pipe, gainers are essentially perceived increases in optical power that occur at splice points due to variations in fiber characteristics, including core diameter, numerical apertures, mode field diameters and backscatter coefficients.
How long does OTDR testing take?
It typically takes at least 3 minutes for a skilled OTDR technician with high-quality equipment to obtain one trace. Printing out the trace adds another 2 to 3 minutes per fiber. In a system of only 48 fibers, this adds approximately 5 man-hours, including set-up time, to the testing procedure.
What is the difference between a TDR and an OTDR?
Essentially an optical time domain reflectometer, OTDR is the equivalent of an electronic TDR, but for optical fibres. It then receives and analyses the light that is scattered by Rayleigh backscatter or reflected back from points along the fibre.
Who invented OTDR?
Using a tank of water with a pipe that ran out of one side, Babinet then shone a light into the tank, into the stream of water. An arc of light followed the water as it fell. An optical telephone system was patented in 1880 by Alexander Graham Bell.
How do I set up OTDR?
To select Manual OTDR mode, turn the rotary switch to AUTOTEST, press F3 Change Test; then select Manual. You can access these settings on the Fiber OTDR tabs in Setup. Tip: To see the settings used for an OTDR test, press F2 View Events on the OTDR Results screen, press F3 View Details; then press F1 OTDR Settings.
What is reflection in OTDR?
Reflectance (which has also been called “back reflection” or optical return loss) of a connection is the amount of light that is reflected back up the fiber toward the source by light reflections off the interface of the polished end surface of the mated connectors and air.
What is an OTDR test?
An Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) is a device that tests the integrity of a fiber cable and is used for the building, certifying, maintaining, and troubleshooting fiber optic systems.
How do I reset my OTDR?
To revert to the factory-default settings:
- Press Menu and select Setup > Power Meter, and then press Enter. OR. From the Power Meter pane, press Setup (F1/F2 key).
- Press Factory Settings (F1/F2 key).
- Answer Yes to confirm.
What is OTDR in networking?
An optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) is a device used to precisely detect faults in an optical fiber link of a communication network. Its function includes generation and transmission of a series of high-speed optical pluses within the fiber.
How to read OTDR report?
To get started viewing OTDR Traces, click on the OTDR menu link on the top of the page to center the OTDR on the screen then click the ‘Add Traces’ button. You can select one or more traces from your local file system by highlighting the traces in the file browser and clicking open.
What is OTDR test?
OTDR – Computer Definition. (Optical Time Domain Reflectometer) A test instrument that analyzes the light loss in an optical fiber. Used to find faults, splices and bends in the line, it works by sending out a light pulse and measuring its reflection.