A NEW APPROACH TO REMOTE

FIBER TESTING IN OPTICAL

NETWORKS
Kreo mak

University of Zagreb, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing

Outline

Introduction
New approach to RFTS
System architecture
Error correction method
Measurement results
Summary

Introduction

Optical communication systems (OCS) form the

basis of all telecommunication networks

The development of OCS was followed by the

development of Remote Fiber Testing Systems
(RFTS)

The price of the current RFTS exceeds the price of

local and access networks

Error-detection and error-correction raise to few

days, even weeks

New RFTS a low-cost and reliable tool for error

detection in local and access networks

Measurement system

The new system represents the fundamental (simplest) form

of the future test system

Main purpose

Error detection in OCS (mechanical faults or quality losses

in optical fibers or connectors)

Main idea

Modification of the current RFTS in order to lower its price

Current RFTS
OTDR as main
measurement unit
Optical Switch
Software control

New RFTS
OTDR as main
measurement unit
Optical power splitter
Software control

Measurement system architecture

Measurement unit
OTDR
Optical power splitter
Control unit
PC
Software
Pre-measurement
management
Post-measurement
management
Serial interface connection
(RS232)

Measurement process
1.

Measurement setup

2.

OTDR launches the pulse

3.

Input power is divided

4.

Output pulses travel through

the fiber

5.

All scattered and reflected

signals form a complex
measurement trace

6.

OTDR trace saved in the

computer memory

7.

Measurement analysis

Error detection reference measurement

Based on comparison of reference and test measurements

Reference measurements performed after the installation of

the OCS

Measurement points defined at characteristic events on the

OTDR trace (splices, fiber end, connector reflections)

Error detection measurement comparison

Error :

The difference of the power level between the test and

reference measurements, at the measurement points,
exceeds a predefined treshold level

Test measurements automaticaly performed in time

intervals which vary from 1 min to 1 hour

RFTS management software

Specially developed for the new system

The program was developed using the

MicrosoftTM Visual BasicTM software package

Three modules

Main module

Comparison module

Automatic test module

The program partition enables a simple and fast

software management

Main module

Functions :

Measurement setup (OTDR setup)

Wavelenght
(nm)

Output pulse width

(ns)

Averaging
time (s)

Spatial resolution
(number of samples)

1310,1550

10,20,50,100

1 to 9999

5000,50000

Reference measurement control

Measurement points definition

User-friendly interface easy and efficient

measurement points definition

Main module user interface

Comparison module

Functions :

Test measurement control

Test measurement result analysis
Error detection

Automatic error detection based on comparison of test

and reference measurement results

Graphical User interface :

reference waveform window

test waveform window
difference waveform window
both waveform window

Comparison module user interface

Automatic test module

Modified version of the comparison module

Fully automatized test measurements and error
detection
Module parameters :

Measurement repetition time interval

Error treshold level

Measurement results

Wavelenght, pulse width and power ratio dominantly

influence the measurement results

Measurement parameters values :

Power splitter

Pulse width
(ns)

Wavelength (nm)

Test fibers (m)

50/50
75/25
90/10

10
100

1310
1550

1000/3000
3000/3000
(5m difference )

Power splitter 90/10 simulates the case where the power

is equally divided to 10 fibers
As error case we disconnected one fiber

Error detection for fibers with similar lenght

Test fiber (m)

3000/3000

Power splitter
Wavelength
(nm)

50/50
1310

72/25
1550

1310

90/10
1550

1310

1550

Pulse width
(ns)

10

100

10

100

10

100

10

100

10

100

10

100

Error
detection

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Yes

No

Error detection for fibers with different lenght

Test fiber
(m)

1000/3000

Power
splitter
Wavelength
(nm)
Pulse width
(ns)
Error
detection

50/50
1310

72/25
1550

1310

90/10
1550

1310

1550

10

100

10

100

10

100

10

100

10

100

10

100

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Summary

The new RFTS a modification of the current

RFTS
Parralel fiber testing using the power splitter
Tests confirmed the system efficiency
Future :
Active optical network
Error location method