Introduction to OTDR

Principles, Operation and Uses

Prepared By : Rahat Azim Chowdhury Junior Researcher Genesis Technologies Limited www.gtl.com.bd

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What is OTDR?
OTDR is Optical Time Domain Reflectometer

It is basically a Fiber Optic Tester

It is used to monitor loss characteristics of a link

It determines network status

It locates the fault It shows the degrading components of a link

Principles of OTDR
An OTDR is a fiber optic tester characterizing fibers and optical Networks The OTDRs ability to characterize a fiber is based on detecting small signals returned to OTDR in response to the injection of a large signal. An OTDR detects, locates and measures events at any location in the fiber optic link An OTDR can test a fiber from only one end. So it may be called as a one dimensional Testing Equipment. OTDR produces results from reflective events providing a pictorial and permanent record by saving it. The saved data may be used as a permanent baseline. OTDR tests fibers by the help of two types of Optical Phenomena: Rayleigh Backscattering Fresnel Reflections

Rayleigh Backscattering
Rayleigh scattering occurs for the intrinsic impurities present in the fiber Rayleigh scattering is intrinsic to the fiber material itself and is present all along the length of fiber If Rayleigh scattering is uniform along the length of fiber, then discontinuities in the back scatter can be used to identify anomalies in transmission along the length of fiber

Fresnel Reflection
Fresnel reflections are only point events

Fresnel reflections occur only where the fiber comes in contact with air or any other media such as at a mechanical connection/splice or joint
Connector Joint Splice

Reflected Light

Incident Light

Passed Light

OTDR Block Diagram

Operation of OTDR
Light from the source is coupled to the fiber using a coupling device If there are any impurities there will be a reflected ray from the fiber, which is coupled to the photodiode using a coupler

A pulse generator controls the LASER DIODE which sends powerful light pulses to the fiber.
Laser diodes are selected according to the wavelength i.e. 850 & 1300 for multimode and 1310, 1550 for single mode. These pulses can have a width in the order of 2ns up to 20msec and a reoccurrence of some KHz

The duration of the pulses can be selected by the operator for different measuring conditions (The repetition rate is limited to the rate at which the pulse return is completed, before any other pulse is launched).
The OTDR measures the time difference between the outgoing pulse and the incoming backscattered pulses and hence the word Time Domain The power level of the backscattered and reflected signal is sampled over time Each measured sample is called an Acquisition Point

Operation of OTDR (Cont.)

The control unit is the BRAIN of the OTDR. It takes all the acquisition points, performs the averaging, plots them as a log. function of time and then displays the resulting trace on the OTDR screen. The time base controls the pulse width, spacing between pulses and the signal sampling. The RI is inversely proportional to the velocity of propagation of light in the fiber

OTDR uses this data to convert time to distance on the OTDR display and divide this value by two to take round trip (or two way) into account
OTDR Time to Distance Conversion (Round Trip): L (Distance) = v (Group Delay) * t/2 = (c/n) * t/2 Where, V (Group Delay)=c/n C: Velocity of light in Vacuum n: Refractive Index

OTDR Specifications
Dynamic Range
Dynamic Range is the maximum observable length of a fiber. So we have choose suitable OTDR to analyze any particular network

Resolution
Resolution is of two types: Sampling resolution is the minimum distance between two acquisition points. It is dependent on pulse width and range. The more data points an OTDR can acquire and process, the more the resolution Distance resolution is very similar to sampling resolution, if OTDR samples acquisition points every 1meter,then only it can locate a fiber within (+/-) 1 meter. The distance resolution is then like sampling resolution, a function of pulse width and range

OTDR Specifications (Cont.)

Dead zone
OTDR receiver is very sensitive. Big reflections(1% percent of the outgoing signal) will saturate the receiver or overloads it.
When there is a strong reflection, then the power received by the photodiode can be more than 4000times higher than the normal back scattered power and can saturate the photodiode.

Once saturated, the receiver requires some time to recover, which is equivalent to 50 m to 1 km depending on the OTDR design, wavelength and magnitude of the reflection
During this time it will not detect any signal accurately This length of the fiber is termed as Dead Zone Spool (500 to 1000m) can be used. It allows the OTDR to settle down properly and to see the condition of the initial connector on the cable plant.

OTDR Specifications (Cont.)

Accuracy
The accuracy is the measurement of capacity to be compared with a reference value
Most OTDR have attenuation accuracy of 0.05dB/dBm & can go up to 0.02dB/dBm

Wavelength
OTDR measures according to wavelength The major wavelengths are: 850nm, 1310nm and 1550nm. A fourth wavelength is now appearing for monitoring live systems which is 1625nm Attenuation varies with wavelength and any measurement should be corrected to transmission wavelength or to the central wavelength

Using an OTDR
The use of an OTDR can be defined in two processes
Acquisition Step: In this step the unit acquires data and displays it graphically or numerically
Measurement Step: In this step the operator analyzes the data and makes a decision based on the results to either store, print or go to the next acquisition

There are three approaches to configure an OTDR

Automatic: A user may simply let the OTDR to auto configure and accept acquisition parameters selected by OTDR Semi Automatic: A user may allow the OTDR to auto configure, analyze the results and then change one or more parameters accordingly Manual: A more experienced user may choose not to use auto configuration feature and enter the parameters based on his experience

Parameters of an OTDR
Injection Level
Injection level is defined as the power injected into the fiber under test, the higher this level the higher the power level The presence of dirt on connector faces and damaged or low quality pigtails or patch cords are the primary cause of low injection levels Connecting a dirty connector to an OTDR may scratch the OTDR connector which may lead to degrading OTDR Injection Level

Wavelength
A fiber must be tested with same wavelength as that used for transmission For a given dynamic range 1550nm will see more distance than 1310nm Single mode fiber has more mode field diameter at 1550nm that at 1310nm

Parameters of an OTDR (Cont.)

Pulse Width
By reducing the pulse width, there is a reduction in the dead zone of the fiber, compared to that of a larger pulse width But with the reduction in the pulse width, there is a reduction in the dynamic range, a reduction in the sensitivity of the receiver and also the distance By proper selection of pulse width we can optimize the use of OTDR for making fiber measurements

Range
Range of an OTDR is the distance over which it can acquire data samples The longer this parameter the more distance OTDR will shoot the pulses This parameter is generally set to twice the distance of the end of fiber

Modes of operation of OTDR

Free Run Mode (Real Time):
In this mode OTDR continuously sends laser pulses down the fiber under test and obtains back scatter
This mode is useful for optimizing fiber alignment The waveforms obtained in free run mode contain unacceptable amounts of noise

Averaging Mode:
In the averaging mode each pulses are averaged from that of preceding pulses which makes the trace appear clear for each of the succeeding pulses The number of samples that are to be averaged can be predefined for an OTDR. The larger the number, the longer time the OTDR needs for displaying the results Recent OTDR specifies their averaging in terms of time taken for display, instead of number of samples

Uses of OTDR
Acceptance of Fiber (By measuring loss)
This loss measurement is wavelength dependent, so the OTDR must be set to the wavelength which matches with the fiber systems operating wavelength When using an OTDR to make any measurement reference markers should be placed correctly so that the OTDR can display the loss & distance between them

Measuring Span Loss and Length

This test has to be conducted in averaging mode, then a trace will be displayed in real time mode Then the first reference marker should be placed exactly where the back scatter starts, that is beyond dead zone
Then the second marker should be placed before the Refractive fiber end, the correct point is where the slope starts increasing faster than the normal slope of the trace

Then choosing the averaging mode will give the desired result

Uses of OTDR (Cont.)

Attenuation of Splice or Connector
OTDR can be used to measure splice or connector loss, in order to do this a marker is placed on either of the aberration of the OTDR trace
OTDR will then display the attenuation between the two points The vertical separation of the two marker points is the attenuation of the splice or the connector Fusion splice has a loss value which is very negligible, so to measure this value accurately the OTDR is used in averaging mode To measure the loss value, first amplify the slope the of the OTDR trace and then place the two reference points on either side of the aberration For accurate result horizontal and vertical zoom control should be used

Uses of OTDR (Cont.)

For fault finding
OTDR can be used for finding the place of fiber cut
From the trace we can find the fiber cut point In the trace there is a sharp loss in the place of fiber cut We can also measure the distance of fiber cut directly from the OTDR in the analysis mode OTDR gives the result by trace, direct distance and by giving data in tabular manner It gives all the data in tabular form of any incident (Connector loss, Splice loss, Bending loss, Fiber loss, Cut point etc.) inside fiber in the fiber route

OTDR Trace

Observations from Trace

Non reflective event (Splice)

End of Fiber

Reflective event (Connector) Problem when two types of fibers are spliced (Extra loss is added shown in dotted line)

Reflective ghost

Slope of Fiber

Link Loss
Fiber Loss
Attenuation for 1310nm:0.3dB/km(G.652)

Attenuation for 1550nm:0.25dB/km

Largely due to impurities and imperfections in the glass of the fiber

Connector Loss
Connections at the termination points of fiber, patch panels in a site, Optical cross connects (OXC) This loss is typically 0.5dB/connection

Splice Loss
Splices due to construction and repair

Typical value of this type of loss is 0.1dB/splice

Total losses = (fiber length* loss/km) + (connector loss* No. of

connectors) + (No. of Splices)*(loss/splice) + (loss due to components) + other losses

Feature of OTDR
Introduction
The Corning 450 OTDR is a PC based equipment designed for field applications. It is a dedicated OTDR which offers best in class OTDR performance and user-friendly operation. It offers different wavelength and dynamic range options.

The OTDR is also available with a combination of power meter

and light source with the wavelengths of the OTDR. An optional Video Inspection Probe (VIP) for connector end face inspection is available. A battery, power supply and a hard shell transport case are included with all OTDR kits.

Feature of OTDR
Features / Benefits
Extremely high resolution: 0.5 m at 125 km and 1 m at 250 km
One of the fastest OTDR s in the industry: 60 to 80% of range is acquired in 15 to 30 seconds Up to 256,000 data points. Superior event analysis software provides accuracy and detection consistency Multiple test modes simplify and automate tests for several applications including fiber reel validation measurements of long-haul, metro or PON applications Automated reporting Large, color display with touch screen

Feature of OTDR
Features / Benefits
Hard buttons and application-specific soft keys
20 GB hard drive Multiple I/O ports for easy connection of accessories, including two USB ports, infrared interface and 10/100 MB Ethernet

network interface port

CD-RW and floppy drive options available Powering options: Li-ion battery or AC mains supply Built-in operators manual with help functions and explanation

screens

General Specification
Parameter
Display Type

Specification
Touch screen 10.4 in (26.4 cm) Active Matrix Color (TFT)

Units of Measure Operating Temp.

Meters, Feet (selectable) 0 to +45C (32 to 122F)

Storage Temp.
Humidity Altitude Power Supply Mains Supply

-25 to +60C (-13 to 140F)

95% RH maximum, non-condensing No limitation Battery: 4 hrs typical battery life Recharge time: less than 3 hrs; 100 to 250 V AC, 50 to 60 Hz Auto ranging

General Specification
Parameter
Weight Dimensions Processor System Memory

Specification
5.4 kg 24.1 x 34.3 x 9.5 cm (9.5 x 13.5 x 3.75 in) Ultra-low power 300 MHz Intel Celeron 256 MB

Operating System Windows XP embedded

Control Interface
I/O Ports

Touch screen, cursor control

Dedicated hard buttons and status LEDs USB (2), Ethernet 10/100 (1), IrDA (1), Parallel (1)

Data I/O (module) CD-RW (optional)

3.5-in 1.44 MB floppy drive (optional)

Data I/O (fixed) Loss Resolution 20 GB hard drive 0.001 dB

New Feature of OTDR

In the new version of OTDR called Corning 500 OTDR has the following extra features
It has Chromatic Dispersion Compensating capabilities. Corning 500 OTDR does this by phase shift method It can be used in WDM network

Maintenance of OTDR
The connector face of OTDR should be cleaned every 7 days Clean patch cord should be used for measuring purpose The OTDR should be charged in every week It should be calibrated every year The screen should be cleaned regularly

Prepared and Presented By : Prepared By : Rahat Azim Chowdhury Junior Researcher Genesis Technologies Limited www.gtl.com.bd