The common types of OTDR

OTDR (optical time domain reflectometer) is a classic fiber optic test equipment used to characterize an optical fiber. It is most easy to use but also one of the most expensive fiber optic tester. OTDR could give you an overview of the whole system you want to test. It may be used for estimating the fiber optic cable length and fiber optic cable overall attenuation. It may also be used to locate faults, such as breaks, bend and so on by measuring the return loss. There are four types of OTDR. They are Full-feature OTDR, Hand-held OTDR, Fiber break locator, and Remote Test Unit (RTU).

First, Full-feature OTDRs are traditional, optical time domain reflectometers. They are feature-rich and usually larger, heavier, and less portable than either the hand-held OTDR or the fiber break locator. Despite being characterized as large, their size and weight is only a fraction of that of early generation OTDRs. Often a full-feature OTDR has a main frame that can be fitted with multi-functioned plug-in units to perform many different fiber measurement tasks. Larger, color displays are common. The full-feature OTDR often has a greater measurement range than the other types of OTDR-like equipment. Often it is used in laboratories and in the field for difficult fiber measurements. Most full-feature OTDRs are powered from an AC source and or battery source.
Second, Hand-held (formerly mini) OTDRs and fiber break locators are designed to troubleshoot fiber networks in a field-type environment often using battery power. The two types of instruments cover the spectrum of approaches to fiber optic plant taken by the communications providers. Hand-held, inexpensive (compared to full-feature) OTDRs are intended to be easy-to-use, light-weight, sophisticated OTDRs to collect field data and perform rudimentary data analysis upon. They may be less feature rich than full-feature OTDRs. Often they can be used in conjunction with PC-based software to perform easy data collection with the hand-held OTDR and sophisticated data analysis with the PC-based software. The hand-held OTDRs are commonly used to measure fiber links and locate fiber breaks, points of high loss, points of high reflectance, link end-to-end loss, and Optical Return Loss (ORL) for the link. One of the best example of Hand-held OTDR is jdsu mts4000. The JDSU MTS-4000 OTDR is a small, compact and handheld test platform designed for all phases of the network lifecycle, from the installation to the maintenance of Access/FTTx networks and triple-play services. Modular in design, the MTS-4000 offers field service technicians the highest performance and superior levels of scalability and upgradeability.

Third, Fiber break locators are intended to be low-cost instruments specifically designed to locate the position of a catastrophic fiber event, e.g., fiber break, point of high reflectance, or high loss. The fiber break locator is an opto-electronic tape measure that is designed to measure only distance to catastrophic fiber events.

Last, the RTU is the testing module of the RFTS described in GR-1295, Generic Requirements for Remote Fiber Testing Systems (RFTSS). An RFTS enables fiber physical plant to be automatically tested from a central location. A central computer is used to control the operation of OTDR-like test components located at key points in the fiber network. These test components will scan the fiber to locate problems. If a problem is found, its location is noted and the appropriate Operations Systems (OSs) are notified to begin the repair process. The RFTS can also provide direct access to a corporate database that contains a historical repository for the OTDR fiber traces and any other fiber records for the physical fiber plant.

In general, hand-held OTDRs and fiber break locators are lighter and smaller, simpler to operate, and more likely to operate using battery power than full-feature OTDRs. The intent is for hand-held OTDRs and fiber break locators to be inexpensive enough for optical technicians to be equipped with one as part of their standard tool kit. The best Chinese fiber optic products supplier FiberStore is able to meet all of your needs.