Test-and-Measurement » Fiber Optic Test Equipment Guide

Fiber Optic Test Equipment Guide

fiber optic test equipment optical testing fiber testing measurement

This page covers fiber optic test equipment. It covers test equipment used for testing the fiber optic communication chain.

Fiber Optic Test Equipment

Fiber Optic Test EquipmentFunction
Optical Light SourceIt delivers a stable, continuous wave source of energy. It is required for attenuation measurements. Optical light sources can have either LEDs or Lasers. LEDs are used for multimode fiber applications, while Lasers are used for singlemode fiber applications.
Optical Power MeterTransmitted and received optical power is measured by an optical power meter. It displays the incident power on the photodiode.
OTDR Test EquipmentUsed for ORL (Optical Return Loss) Measurement. Used for pre-installation testing and restoration testing. Provides information such as attenuation, distance, the rate of attenuation, reflectance, etc. of fiber systems.
Loss Test SetThis equipment combines both a power meter and a light source. It is used to determine the total amount of loss in the fiber under test (FUT). Loss test sets are available for bi-directional insertion loss measurement.
Handheld Optical TesterIt is a handheld equipment used for optical fiber testing of various parameters.
Fiber Characterization TestIt performs complete characterization of fiber with the following tests: • Loss testing • optical return loss • OTDR • PMD (Polarization Mode Dispersion) • Chromatic Dispersion • Attenuation profile (or spectral attenuation)
Visual Fault LocatorUsed to determine the location of a fault in a fiber optic cable.
Fiber IdentifierThis fiber optic test equipment will identify an optical fiber by detecting the optical signal through a singlemode fiber. It detects live optical transmission, continuous wave, and modulated tones (e.g., 270 Hz, 1 KHz, 2 KHz).
Handheld Fiber Inspection MicroscopeIt produces details of scratches and contamination. It houses white LEDs for coaxial illumination. The fiber inspection microscopes are used to troubleshoot optical connectors. It is also used to examine polish quality.
Video Inspection ScopeIt is used as video microscopes to inspect fiber optic terminations.
Laser Component, Photodiode ComponentUsed as a light source and light detector in the fiber optic system.
OTDR Acceptance Reporting ToolIt is used for acceptance testing with the help of launch and receive cables.
Phase Shift AnalyzerUsed for differential phase shift measurement. It is used to measure the relative phase of amplitude modulation of an AM modulated signal.
Pulse Delay AnalyzerIt is used to measure propagation delay at selected wavelengths.

This page will help one identify the right fiber optic test equipment for their specific needs.

JDS Uniphase Corporation (known as JDSU) provides all the fiber optic test equipment mentioned in the table above.