As data rates increase and systems become more complex, there are more factors that can impair system performance. This advanced course helps you master the fibre optic tests required to prove that modern fibre infrastructures are of high quality and support direct detection and coherent systems for high data rate applications from 10 Gb/s to 400 Gb/s and beyond. You will also be able to assess support for Raman amplification as well as extended wavelength operation for DWDM and CWDM systems. Typically it is necessary to characterise fibres when dark fibre contracts are signed, to prove that the fibres will operate satisfactorily for the duration of the contract period.

You’ll learn to apply the full power of multi-purpose test platforms and their measurement capabilities including insertion and return loss, bi-directional OTDR testing, chromatic dispersion, Polarisation Mode Dispersion (PMD) and spectral attenuation. You’ll also learn how to check the validity of measurements, avoid costly mistakes, and process results using test report software for full system documentation.

Features

Key Outcomes

• Explain the significance of fibre specifications and performance grades, including all G.65n.x fibre types
• Identify infrastructure characteristics that can impair system performance
• Design and plan test programmes to meet customer and operational requirements
• Interpret test specifications
• Inspect connector end faces and assess against IEC 61300.3.35 criteria
• Perform accurate and reliable insertion loss and return loss measurements
• Describe the purpose of OTDR testing and analyse traces, event tables and link maps
• Measure chromatic dispersion accurately and describe PMD and its measurement
• Perform full fibre characterisation on installed fibre systems
• Interpret results to report on infrastructure quality and map against application support criteria

Prerequisites: This is an advanced course and assumes previous experience of ILM and OTDR testing.

Course Syllabus