Abstract: There is provided a test method and system for characterizing an optical fiber link. At least one OTDR acquisition or at least one OLTS acquisition is performed on the optical fiber link. From the acquisition, a value of an excess insertion loss and/or an excess optical return loss associated with the optical fiber link under test is derived, i.e. in excess of a nominal value associated with a hypothetical optical fiber link having a length corresponding to the total length of the optical fiber link under test. A rating value associated with the optical fiber link under test can then be derived and displayed, e.g., as a five-star rating.

Abstract: Fronthaul monitoring systems and methods include a Radio Frequency (RF) analysis module configured to receive an optical RF signal for RF testing thereof; a fiber monitoring module configured to perform fiber monitoring testing; an optical switch configured to switch a port connected to the RF analysis module and the fiber monitoring module between one or more Remote Radio Heads (RRH); and a test coordinator software module configured to coordinate the RF testing and the fiber monitoring testing. The optical RF signal is at different wavelengths than a fiber test signal for the fiber monitoring testing, such that the RF testing and the fiber monitoring testing can be performed concurrently.

Abstract: There are provided techniques for characterizing and testing a cable routing connection configuration connection arrangement comprising a plurality of optical fiber links connected between at least a first connection device at a first end and a second multi-fiber connection device at a second end. Test light is injected into one or more of the optical fiber links via corresponding optical fiber ports of the first connection device. At least one image of the second multi-fiber connection device is captured. Test light exiting the optical fiber link(s) through optical fiber port(s) of the second multi-fiber connection device is imaged as light spot(s) in the captured image. Positions on the second multi-fiber connection device that corresponds to the optical fiber port(s) are determined based on a pattern of the light spot(s) in the captured image. In some implementations, the provided techniques allow detection or verification of cable routing connection configurations at multi-fiber distribution panels.

Abstract: There is provided an OTDR method and device for characterizing an optical fiber link. At least a first OTDR acquisition is performed toward the optical fiber link. From the at least one first OTDR acquisition, one or more events are identified along the optical fiber link and a value of at least one characteristic associated with each event is estimated. A second OTDR acquisition is performed toward the optical fiber link in order to target a specific event among the identified events. Values of one or more OTDR acquisition parameters for the second OTDR acquisition are determined such that the OTDR acquisition parameters comprise a second pulse width different from the first pulse width used in the first OTDR acquisition.

Abstract: There is provided a method, system and image capture device for determining a polarity of a multi-fiber cable link comprising a plurality of optical fiber links each connected between a first multi-fiber connector and a second multi-fiber connector, according to said polarity. Test light is injected into one or more of the optical fiber links via corresponding injection ports of the first multi-fiber connector, in accordance with a defined injection pattern; at least one polarity-testing image of the second multi-fiber connector is generated in which test light exiting at least one of the optical fiber links through one or more exit ports of the second multi-fiber connector is imaged as one or more spotlight spots in the polarity-testing image; and the polarity of the multi-fiber cable link is determined based on a pattern of said one or more spotlight spots in said polarity-testing image.

Abstract: A device and method for optical power measurement in an optical network supporting upstream and downstream signal propagation along an optical transmission path. An upstream wavelength analyzer receives upstream light extracted from the optical transmission path and is configured to determine an upstream spectral characteristic of the extracted upstream light. A downstream optical power meter assembly receives downstream light extracted from the optical transmission path and is configured to measure an optical power parameter of a downstream signal. A processing unit is configured to determine, based on the upstream spectral characteristic, at least one pass/fail threshold associated with the measured optical power parameter of the downstream signal.

Abstract: There is provided an optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope system comprising optical power measurement capability, wherein optical power measurement is provided via an optical power meter device implemented within an extension unit positioned along an optical path between the inspected optical-fiber connector endface and the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope, i.e. between the inspected optical-fiber connector endface and objective optics of the optical-fiber connector endface inspection microscope.

Abstract: Method and systems for characterizing an optical signal propagating along a communication link are disclosed. The signal includes a data-carrying signal contribution, modulated at a symbol frequency, and a noise contribution. The method includes measuring an optical power spectrum of the signal, which includes a data-carrying signal spectrum component and a noise spectrum component. The method also includes determining a measured spectral correlation function within pairs of spectral components of the signal as a function of center frequency of the pairs, the spectral components in each pair being spectrally separated from each other by the symbol frequency. The method further includes obtaining a solution for the data-carrying signal spectrum component based on the measured optical power spectrum, such that a calculated spectral correlation function based on the solution matches the measured spectral correlation function.

Abstract: A device and method for optical power measurement in an optical network supporting upstream and downstream signal propagation along an optical transmission path. An upstream wavelength analyzer receives upstream light extracted from the optical transmission path and is configured to determine an upstream spectral characteristic of the extracted upstream light. A downstream optical power meter assembly receives downstream light extracted from the optical transmission path and is configured to measure an optical power parameter of a downstream signal. A processing unit is configured to determine, based on the upstream spectral characteristic, at least one pass/fail threshold associated with the measured optical power parameter of the downstream signal.

Abstract: There is provided a method and a system for identifying or verifying the fiber arrangement and/or the cable type of multi-fiber array cables (such as MPO cables) which employs an OTDR acquisition device at the near end of the MPO cable, a loopback device at the far end and an array of signatures detectable by the OTDR, either at the far or the near end. The loopback device allows performing bidirectional OTDR measurements with a single OTDR acquisition device (without moving it from one end to the other) and the signature array provides fiber arrangement/cable type identification or verification.

Abstract: There is provided a method, system and image capture device for determining a polarity of a multi-fiber cable link comprising a plurality of optical fiber links each connected between a first multi-fiber connector and a second multi-fiber connector, according to said polarity. Test light is injected into one or more of the optical fiber links via corresponding injection ports of the first multi-fiber connector, in accordance with a defined injection pattern; at least one polarity-testing image of the second multi-fiber connector is generated in which test light exiting at least one of the optical fiber links through one or more exit ports of the second multi-fiber connector is imaged as one or more spotlight spots in the polarity-testing image; and the polarity of the multi-fiber cable link is determined based on a pattern of said one or more spotlight spots in said polarity-testing image.

Abstract: There is provided a system and a test instrument for identifying or verifying the fiber arrangement and/or the cable type of multi-fiber array cables (such as MPO cables) which employs a light source and a polarity detector at the near end of the multi-fiber array cable under test, and a loopback device at the far end. The polarity detector comprises light presence detectors used to detect which one of the optical fibers of the multi-fiber array cable returns light looped back at the far end and thereby determine the fiber arrangement and/or the cable type of the multi-fiber array cable.

Abstract: A device and method for optical power measurement in an optical network supporting upstream and downstream signal propagation along an optical transmission path. The device includes an upstream wavelength analyzer receiving upstream light extracted from the optical transmission path and configured to determine an upstream spectral characteristic of the extracted upstream light. The device also includes a downstream filter assembly receiving downstream light extracted from the optical transmission path and configured to spectrally split the extracted downstream light into a plurality of downstream signals, one of which corresponding to a downstream signal of interest.

Abstract: A multimode launch system to be connected to an Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) for use in performing at least one OTDR measurement on a multi-fiber array Device Under Test (DUT), the multimode launch system comprising: an optical switch being connectable to the OTDR during use; a launch array device having an end being connectable to the optical switch and another end being connectable to the multi-fiber array DUT during use, the launch array device having a plurality of multimode launch optical fibers each having at least one first guidance parameter being smaller than a corresponding one of at least one second guidance parameter of at least one multimode optical fiber of the optical switch; and a multi-fiber mode conditioner along the launch array device for inducing a preferential attenuation of higher-order optical modes of test light propagated into the multi-fiber array DUT during use.