User guide FTB 7000

An optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) is used to characterize a fiberoptic span, usually fiber sections joined by splices and connectors. An OTDR provides an inside view of the fiber, and can calculate fiber length attenuation, uniformity, breaks, as well as splice and connector losses. A wide variety of singlemode OTDR modules is offered at four essential wavelengths (1310 nm, 1410 nm, 1550 nm, and 1625 nm) to cover all fiber applications from longhaul or WDM networks to metropolitan networks. Each OTDR module provides a stable light source, as well as the option to add a visual fault locator. The FTB7000 OTDR is ideal for LAN applications since it can host multimode OTDR modules. The FTB7000B and FTB70000C OTDR Series modules can operate on an FTB400 Universal Test System platform, as well as on an FTB100B MiniOTDR. You can also use the OTDR test application on a personal computer for processing traces offline. For more information on the FTB400, refer to the FTB400 Universal Test System user guide.

Reflectometer Series

FTB-7000B/FTB-70000C

otherwise, without the prior written permission of EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc (EXFO).

Information provided by EXFO is believed to be accurate and reliable However, no responsibility is assumed by EXFO for its use nor for any infringements of patents or other rights of third parties that may result from its use No license is granted by implication or otherwise under any patent rights of EXFO

EXFO’s Commerce And Government Entities (CAGE) code under the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) is 0L8C3

The information contained in this publication is subject to change without notice

© 2002 EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc

Words that EXFO considers trademarks have been identified as such However, neither the presence nor absence of such identification affects the legal status of any trademark

Units of measurement in this document conform to SI standards and practices

Certification Information viii

1 Introducing the FTB-7000 OTDR 1

FTB-7000B and FTB-70000C OTDR Series 2

Bidirectional Averaging Feature .3

Template Trace Feature .3

OTDR Basic Theory .4

OTDR Internal Components .5

New Features of the OTDR 6

2 Safety Information 7

Safety Conventions .7

Laser Safety Information 7

3 Getting Started with Your OTDR 11

Installing the Application on an FTB-400 or PC 11

Inserting and Removing Test Modules .13

Launching the FTB-7000 OTDR Application .18

Adjusting Window Height .21

Exiting the Application .22

4 Setting Up Your OTDR 23

Selecting a Testing Mode .23

Setting Trace Display Parameters .24

Setting Acquisition Parameters .29

Setting the IOR, RBS Coefficient and Helix Factor .32

Setting Analysis Parameters .34

Setting a Default Span Start and Span End 39

Keeping the Span Start and Span End in Memory .41

Including the Loss Caused by Span Start and Span End Events 42

Setting Cable Parameters 43

Setting Event Table Parameters 61

5 Preparing Your OTDR for a Test .81

Connecting Optical Fibers 81

Installing the EXFO Universal Interface (EUI) 82

6 Testing Fibers in Auto Mode .83

Selecting the Auto Mode .83

Selecting a Test Wavelength .84

Setting Parameters .85

Acquiring Traces in Auto Mode 85

7 Testing Fibers in Advanced Mode .87

Selecting the Advanced Mode .87

Selecting a Test Wavelength .88

Setting the Autorange Acquisition Time .88

Setting Application Parameters 89

Acquiring Traces in Advanced Mode 90

8 Testing Fibers in Reference Creation/Template Mode .95

Description of Reference Creation Mode .95

Description of Template Mode 95

Restrictions of Reference Creation/Template Mode .96

Processing Traces Online vs Offline .96

Acquiring the Reference Trace .97

Selecting the Reference Creation/Template Mode .98

Acquiring Traces in Reference Creation/Template Mode 101

9 Analyzing Traces and Events .103

Trace Display and Event Table Description 104

Locating Events in the Trace Display and Event Table 108

Using Markers 109

Using Zoom Controls .110

Zooming with the Magnifying Glass 111

Changing the Loss and Reflectance .112

Inserting Events .114

Deleting Events 117

Analyzing or Reanalyzing a Trace 118

Analyzing the Fiber on a Specific Fiber Span 119

Entering Comments 121

Viewing and Changing Trace Parameters in the Trace Info Tab .122

Modifying Current Trace Settings .124

Displaying or Hiding a Trace .126

10 Performing Specific Measurements on Traces 129

Measuring Event Distances and Powers .129

Measuring Event Loss (Four-Point and Least-Square Approximation) 130

Measuring Attenuation (Two-Point and Least-Square Approximation) 132

Measuring Reflectance 133

Calculating Optical Return Loss (ORL) .134

11 Managing Trace Files 135

Changing the Storage Path 135

Naming Trace Files Automatically .139

Storing a Trace 140

Storing a Trace From the Main Window 142

Storing a Trace in a Different Format .143

OTDR Trace File Compatibility .145

Recalling a Trace File .147

Recalling a Reference Trace .149

Renaming a Trace File .150

Clearing Traces from the Display 151

Deleting a Trace File 152

12 Creating and Printing Trace Reports 153

Entering Report Information 153

Customizing the Report .156

Setting Up the Report Layout .158

Setting Printer Parameters .159

Printing a Report .161

13 Using the OTDR as a Light Source 163

Using the Light Source 163

Using the Visual Fault Locator .165

14 Analyzing Bidirectional Traces 167

Starting the Bidirectional Analysis Utility .168

Recalling Single-Wavelength Trace Files .169

Recalling Multiwavelength Trace Files .172

Modifying Current Trace Settings .184

Creating a Report .185

Storing Bidirectional Traces 186

Printing a Bidirectional Trace .187

15 Maintenance 189

Cleaning the Front Panel 189

Cleaning Fixed Connectors 190

Cleaning Connectors Equipped with EUI/EUA Adapters 192

Recalibrating the Unit 195

16 Troubleshooting 197

Error Messages .197

Measuring Deviation 199

Evaluating the Launch Level 200

Setting the OTDR to Zero 201

Measuring Dead Zones .202

Measuring the Dynamic Range .203

Determining the Measurement Range .205

Viewing Online Documentation 206

Finding Information on the EXFO Web Site .207

Contacting the Technical Support Group .208

Transportation 210

17 Warranty 211

General Information .211

Liability 212

Exclusions 212

Certification 212

Service and Repairs 213

EXFO Service Centers Worldwide .214

A Description of Event Types 215

Span Start .215

Span End .215

Continuous Fiber .216

End of Analysis .217

Non-Reflective Fault .218

Reflective Fault .219

Positive Fault .220

Launch Level .221

Fiber Section .222

Merged Reflective Fault .223

Echo .225

Reflective Fault (Possible Echo) .226

B Technical Specifications 227

Index 229

Certification Information

F.C.C Information

Electronic test equipment is exempt from Part 15 compliance (FCC) in the United States However, compliance verification tests are performed on all EXFO equipment

 Information

Electronic test equipment is subject to the EMC Directive in the European Union The EN61326 standard prescribes both emission and immunity requirements for laboratory, measurement, and control equipment This unit has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a Class A digital device Please refer to the Declaration of Conformity

Independent Laboratory Testing

This unit has undergone extensive testing according to the European Union Directive and Standards All pre-qualification tests were performed

internally, at EXFO, while all final tests were performed externally, at an independent, accredited laboratory This guarantees the unerring

objectivity and authoritative compliance of all test results

The AC adapter provided with this product is equipped with a shielded three-wire power cord and plug Use this power cord in conjunction with a properly grounded electrical outlet to avoid electrical shock and to reduce radio frequency interference that may emanate from the power cord.

I MPORTANT

Use of shielded remote I/O cables, with properly grounded shields and metal connectors, is recommended in order to reduce radio frequency interference that may emanate from these cables.

Electro-Optical Engineering

Application of Council Directive(s): 73/23/EEC - The Low Voltage Directive

89/336/EEC - The EMC Directive Manufacturer’s Name: EXFO ELECTRO-OPTICAL ENG

Manufacturer’s Address: 465 Godin Avenue

Vanier, Quebec Canada G1M 3G7 (418) 683-0211 Equipment Type/Environment: Industrial Scientific Equipment Trade Name/Model No.: FTB-7000B Optical Time Domain Reflectometer Year of Conformity Assessment: 2000

Standard(s) to which Conformity is Declared:

Canada Date: March 29, 2002

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

Electro-Optical Engineering

Application of Council Directive(s): 73/23/EEC - The Low Voltage Directive

89/336/EEC - The EMC Directive

Manufacturer’s Address: 465 Godin Avenue, Vanier, Quebec

Canada G1M 3G7

Equipment Type/Environment: Industrial Scientific Equipment Trade Name/Model No.: FTB-74000C Singlemode OTDR Module Year of Conformity Assessment: 2002

Standard(s) to which Conformity is Declared:

EN 60825-1:1993 / A11: 1996

Safety of laser products – Part 1: Equipment classifications, requirements, and user’s guide

Canada Date: February 25, 2002

DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY

An optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) is used to characterize a fiber-optic span, usually fiber sections joined by splices and connectors An OTDR provides an inside view of the fiber, and can calculate fiber length attenuation, uniformity, breaks, as well as splice and connector losses

A wide variety of singlemode OTDR modules is offered at four essential wavelengths (1310 nm, 1410 nm, 1550 nm, and 1625 nm) to cover all fiber applications from long-haul or WDM networks to metropolitan networks Each OTDR module provides a stable light source, as well as the option to add a visual fault locator The FTB-7000 OTDR is ideal for LAN applications since it can host multimode OTDR modules

The FTB-7000B and FTB-70000C OTDR Series modules can operate on an FTB-400 Universal Test System platform, as well as on an FTB-100B Mini-OTDR You can also use the OTDR test application on a personal computer for processing traces offline For more information on the

FTB-400, refer to the FTB-400 Universal Test System user guide.

SM OTDR

V.F.L

AVOID EXPOSURE LASER RADIATION

OS EMITTED FROM THIS APERTURE

Visual fault locator (VFL) port (optional)

Source emission LED indicator (optional)

FTB-7000B and FTB-70000C OTDR Series

The FTB-7000B and FTB-70000C OTDR Series offer an impressive dynamic range with short dead zones to meet today's stringent network test

requirements OTDR modules perform quick acquisitions with low noise levels to enable accurate low-loss splice location An OTDR trace, made of

up to 52 000 points, provides a sampling resolution as precise as 8 cm

FTB-7200B-C/DMultimode Dedicated to multimode applications and provides an event dead zone of only two meters.FTB-7300B-B

Singlemode Offers a 37.5 dB/35.5 dB dynamic range at high resolution with a three-meter event dead zone To provide an

accurate trace, it acquires up to 52 000 data points while sampling a single trace Ideal for production testing on typical short cable length and metro applications

FTB-7400B-BSinglemode Offers a 40 dB dynamic range with a three-meter event dead zone Acquires up to 52 000 data points while

sampling a single trace

FTB-74234C-BSinglemode High power 1310 nm, 1550 nm and 1625 nm triple-wavelength module Offers a 40 dB dynamic range

with a 3 m event dead zone; can acquire up to 52 000 data points while sampling a single trace Particularly suitable for measuring B-, C-, and L-band fiber attenuation when dealing with mixed networks (1310 nm and DWDM transmission)

FTB-7500B-BSinglemode

Offers a 45 dB dynamic range (on NZDSF with a 20 ns pulse) with a three-meter event dead zone The high-launch power level minimizes noise effects on the signal Acquires up to 52 000 data points while sampling

a single trace Even though it is particularly suitable for long-range applications, it is also recommended when measuring time becomes a key factor

Bidirectional Averaging Feature

Improve the accuracy of your loss measurements with the bidirectional averaging feature (available on singlemode OTDRs only), which uses OTDR acquisitions from both ends of a fiber span to average loss results for each event

Template Trace Feature

Save valuable testing time when commissioning a large number of fibers

by using the Template Trace feature This is a feature that dynamically compares new OTDR results with a trace you assign as a reference or template Check for abnormal loss and continue to add previously

undetected low-loss events to the reference trace Reference trace documentation is also automatically pasted onto new acquisitions to save you time

OTDR Basic Theory

An OTDR sends short pulses of light into a fiber Light scattering occurs in the fiber due to discontinuities such as connectors, splices, bends, and faults An OTDR then detects and analyzes the returned signals The signal strength is measured for specific intervals of time The time lapse between launch and detection, in relation to the speed of light in the glass material, allows distances to be calculated and events to be characterized The following equation demonstrates how an OTDR measures distance:

where

the pulse (which is divided by two)

is called backscattering

Fresnel reflections occur when the light traveling down the fiber

encounters abrupt changes in material density that may occur at

connections or breaks where an air gap exists A very large quantity of light

is reflected, as compared with the Rayleigh scattering The strength of the reflection depends on the degree of change in the index of refraction

D c t×2n -

=

The signal returned to the OTDR therefore consists of both Rayleigh scattering and Fresnel reflection components, but the Fresnel reflection is tens of thousands of times greater in power level than the backscatter.

OTDR Internal Components

In a typical OTDR setup, a microprocessor sends a set of instructions to the pulse generator and laser, which provide the light pulses used by the OTDR (An OTDR is usually equipped with two lasers, one specific to each transmission window of the optical fiber)

These pulses pass through an optical coupler that allows the pulses to travel through the OTDR port and out into the optical fiber being

characterized As reflections come back into the OTDR, they are directed away from the originating laser by the optical coupler and into the

avalanche photodetector (APD)

The signal is then converted by the analog-to-digital (A/D) converter, and sent into the microprocessor for analysis and display When the full trace is being displayed, each point on the screen represents an average of a dozen sampling points

Pulse generator

Laser diode couplerOptical

port

New Features of the OTDR

form your reference trace

Span Start and End fields in the Acquisition tab without having to

reenter the information later This allows for a more detailed analysis thresholds for splice loss, reflectance and end-of-fiber event detection

Note: Because of the new analysis method implemented in the OTDR test

application for ToolBox 6.5, traces acquired using modules with older OTDR cards are incompatible You can recall them in the OTDR, but you cannot reanalyze, resave, rename, delete, or use them as a reference trace All FTB-7XXXB-B, FTB-7XXXB-C/D, FTB-7XXXXC-B, and FTB-7XXX modules manufactured as of September 1999 are compatible For more information, call EXFO Technical Support.

Safety Conventions

You should understand the following conventions before using the product described in this manual:

Refers to a potential personal hazard It requires a

procedure which, if not correctly followed, may result

in bodily harm or injury Do not proceed unless you understand and meet the required conditions

Refers to a potential product hazard It requires a

procedure which, if not correctly followed, may result

in component damage Do not proceed unless you understand and meet the required conditions

All FTB-7000 and FTB-70000 OTDR modules display the following safety label on the faceplate.

On FTB-7200 OTDR modules, the following safety label is located on the side panel

When the laser safety light is flashing, one (or more) of your

modules is emitting an optical signal Please check all modules, as it might not be the one you are currently using.

On FTB-7400D, FTB-74000C and FTB-7500B OTDR Series modules, the following safety label is located on the side panel.

If your OTDR is equipped with a visual fault locator (VFL) option, the following safety labels are located on the module’s faceplate and side panel, respectively

Installing the Application on an FTB-400 or PC

If you have purchased an FTB-400 and a module, the software will have been pre-installed and configured at the factory

If you are using a PC for data post-processing, or if you ever need to reinstall the software, use the CD-ROM that came with your product and follow the instructions below

Note: For help with connecting an external CD-ROM to the FTB-400, refer to the

FTB-400 Universal Test System instruction manual.

Note: Only administrator-level users can install software under Windows 2000.

To install the application:

1 Insert the installation CD in the CD-ROM drive.

2 Select Run from the Windows Start menu.

Minimum

Display Super VGA, 800 x 600 Super VGA, 800 x 600

3 Type E:\ToolBox 6 Setup.exe in the Open text field (the drive letter may

vary according to the location of your CD-ROM drive)

4 Click on OK to start the InstallShield Wizard and follow the on-screen

instructions If a previous version of ToolBox is found on your FTB-400, you will be requested to uninstall it before proceeding

5 In the Select Components window, select the component(s) you want

to install and click on Next to start the installation.

6 When the installation is complete, the Installation Completed

message appears Click on OK to reboot your FTB-400 or PC.

List of modules

may differ

from illustration

Inserting and Removing Test Modules

To insert a module into the FTB-400 Universal Test System:

1 Exit ToolBox and power off your unit.

2 Position the FTB-400 so that its right panel is facing you.

3 Take the module and place it so that the connector pins are at the

back, as explained and shown below

➤ (2-slot unit) identification sticker must be on left side and retaining

screw hole under connector pins.

➤ (7-slot unit) identification sticker must be facing down and connector pins at the left of retaining screw hole

Never insert or remove a module while the FTB-400 Universal Test System is powered on This will result in immediate and irreparable damage to both the module and unit.

When the laser safety light is flashing on the FTB-400, one (or more)

of your modules is emitting an optical signal Please check all modules, as it might not be the one you are currently using.

Retaining screw hole

at the back

FTB-400 right panel

(2-slot unit)

Protruding edges on top

Identification sticker facing down

Connector pins at the back

Retaining screw hole

at the back

FTB-400 right panel

(7-slot unit)

5 Push the module all the way to the back of the slot, until the retaining

screw makes contact with the unit casing

6 Place the FTB-400 so that its left panel is facing you.

7 While applying slight pressure to the module, turn the retaining screw

clockwise until it is tightened This will secure the module into its

“seated” position

FTB-400 left panel (2-slot unit)

Turn retaining screw knob(s) clockwise

FTB-400 left panel (7-slot unit)

To remove a module from the FTB-400 Universal Test System:

1 Position the FTB-400 so that the left panel is facing you.

2 Turn the retaining screw counterclockwise until it stops The module

will be slowly released from the slot

3 Place the FTB-400 so that the right panel is facing you.

FTB-400 left panel (2-slot unit)

Turn retaining screw knob(s) counterclockwise

FTB-400 left panel (7-slot unit)

4 Hold the module by its side or by the handle (NOT by the connector)

and pull it out

Pulling out a module by a connector could seriously damage both the module and connector Always pull out a module by its casing.

Launching the FTB-7000 OTDR Application

Your FTB-7000 OTDR module may be fully configured and controlled from its dedicated ToolBox application

Note: For details about ToolBox, refer to the FTB-400 Universal Test System user

guide.

To launch the FTB-7000 OTDR application:

1 From the Current Modules function tab, click on the row

corresponding to the module application you wish to launch It will turn white to indicate that it is highlighted

2 Click on the corresponding button in the Online Applications box to

start the application (you can also double-click on its row)

The main window (shown below) contains all the commands required to control the FTB-7000 OTDR:

The main window of the OTDR test application will differ from the figure illustrated above if you had traces recalled the last time you worked with the OTDR.

Note: You can also launch the OTDR test application to work on test results in

Title Bar

The title bar is located at the top of the main window It displays the module name and its position in the FTB-400 Universal Test System The module position is identified with a number in parentheses

Note: On some 7-slot backplanes, slots are marked with a letter (A to G).

Adjusting Window Height

A split bar divides the data display region and option sheets You can move

it up or down by dragging it to obtain a larger view of the graph or table display

Split bar

Exiting the Application

Closing any application that is not currently being used is a good way to free up system memory

To close the application from the main window:

➤ Click on (in the top right corner of the main window)

➤ Click on the Exit button located at the bottom of the function bar.

The ToolBox main interface will appear on the screen

Note: Traces that are in the OTDR test application memory when you exit will be

recalled automatically upon startup, even if they were not previously stored This allows you to recover inadvertently unsaved trace files Traces are not stored in memory, should the unit crash or malfunction.

To configure the OTDR operation mode according to your requirements,

press the Setup button in the main window

Note: This chapter refers to the parameters set for Advanced mode only

The relevant parameters set in Advanced mode are also used in Auto mode.

Selecting a Testing Mode

The FTB-7000 OTDR provides three test modes for acquiring traces:

acquisition parameters, acquires traces, and displays event tables and

acquired traces For more information, see Testing Fibers in Auto Mode

on page 83

integral OTDR tests and measurements manually and gives you control over all test parameters Use the Advanced mode to set parameters for

the Auto mode For more information, see Testing Fibers in Advanced

Mode on page 87.

compare them to a reference trace that was previously acquired and analyzed While operating in Template mode, the reference trace can also be updated by adding events detected on newly acquired traces

For more information, see Testing Fibers in Reference

Creation/Template Mode on page 95.

Note: You select the desired testing mode from the Mode tab in the

Setup window.

Setting Trace Display Parameters

You can set display preferences such as the measurement unit, the grid and zoom window display, the pulse width

Zoom window

Grid Filename

Unit used

Selecting the Measurement Unit

To select the unit of measurement for your display:

1 From the main window, press the Setup button or F5.

2 From the Setup window, select the General tab.

3 In the Distance Unit list box, scroll down to select the measurement

unit to appear in your display The options available are: Kilometers,

Miles, and Kilofeet

Once you exit the Setup window, on the bottom right-hand corner of the trace display, you will notice that the distance unit abbreviation has

Displaying or Hiding the Grid

You can choose to display or to hide the grid By default, the grid is

displayed

To display or hide the grid from your trace display:

1 From the main window, press the Setup button or F5.

2 From the Setup window, select the General tab.

3 To display the grid, toggle the Grid button to the On position Once you

exit the Setup window, the grid will be visible

OR

To hide the grid, toggle the Grid button to the Off position Once you

exit the Setup window, the grid will no longer be visible

Displaying or Hiding the Zoom Window

The zoom window is displayed on the upper right-hand corner of the trace display

To display or hide the zoom window:

1 From the main window, press the Setup button or F5.

2 From the Setup window, select the General tab.

3 To display the zoom window, toggle the Zoom Window button to the

On position Once you exit the Setup window, the zoom window will

be visible

OR

To remove the zoom window, toggle the Zoom Window button to the

Off position Once you exit the Setup window, the zoom window will

no longer be visible

Note: The zoom window is only visible in the display when the Measure tab or

the Change/Insert window is selected.

Displaying or Hiding the Filename

By default, the filename is displayed at the top of your trace display

To display or hide the filename from the trace display:

1 From the main window, press the Setup button or F5.

2 From the Setup window, select the General tab.

3 Toggle the Trace Name in Graph button to the On position to display

the filename It will appear once you exit the Setup window.

OR

To remove the filename, toggle the Trace Name in Graph button to the

Off position Once you exit the Setup window, the filename will no

longer be visible

Note: You can move the filename on the trace display by dragging it to the desired

location.

Selecting a Trace Display Mode

To select a trace display mode:

1 From the main window, press the Setup button or F5.

2 From the Setup window, select the General tab.

3 Press the Trace Display Mode list box arrow and scroll down the list to

select the mode you want to display The available options are:

➤ Complete Trace: displays the whole trace and full acquisition

distance

Selecting the Pulse Width Unit

To select the pulse width unit:

1 From the main window, press Setup or F5.

2 From the Setup window, select the General tab.

3 Press the Pulse Width list box arrow and scroll down the list to select

your preference The available options are Time or Distance

Once you exit the Setup window, your selection will be displayed in the

Trace Info tab, under Pulse/Time.