What type of test equipment can measure both ORL and reflectance?

What type of test equipment can measure both ORL and reflectance?

• A. OTDR
• B. Optical Power Meter
• C. Continuity Tester
• D. Oscilloscope

Answer: (A)

An Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer can measure both optical return loss and reflectance. It works by sending short light pulses into the fiber and watching the light that returns from along the fiber back to the source. The resulting trace shows backscatter from the fiber as well as sharp spikes at points where there is a reflection, such as connectors or faults. The height of those spikes corresponds to how much light is reflected, i.e., the reflectance. The overall amount of light that comes back toward the source between events provides the optical return loss (ORL) measurement. Because the OTDR analyzes where and how much light is reflected along the link, it can quantify both ORL and reflectance in one test. The other instruments either measure forward power, check continuity, or capture electrical signals, and they don’t provide the same back-reflection mapping along the fiber.

An Optical Time-Domain Reflectometer can measure both optical return loss and reflectance. It works by sending short light pulses into the fiber and watching the light that returns from along the fiber back to the source. The resulting trace shows backscatter from the fiber as well as sharp spikes at points where there is a reflection, such as connectors or faults. The height of those spikes corresponds to how much light is reflected, i.e., the reflectance. The overall amount of light that comes back toward the source between events provides the optical return loss (ORL) measurement. Because the OTDR analyzes where and how much light is reflected along the link, it can quantify both ORL and reflectance in one test. The other instruments either measure forward power, check continuity, or capture electrical signals, and they don’t provide the same back-reflection mapping along the fiber.