Optical Power Meters and Measurement Tools

Multiport power meters

Standalone multiport instruments of the N774xC and predecessor N774xA families provide fast sampling, deep memory and fast data transfer, especially for multichannel applications.

Power sensor modules

Power sensor modules provide a front panel optical input that accepts various 81000xI connector interfaces for popular fiber connector types or bare fibers. Besides giving optical power in units of W or dBm or dB referred to a reference, calibrated for any wavelength in the available range, these advanced instruments provide high speed data logging of up to 20 k (100 k for the 81636B) values, triggered internally or externally.

Optical heads

Optical heads provide a 5 mm diameter detector area and allow flexible placement of the power meter which is then connected to the N7749C, 81618A or 81619A interface module in the mainframe. The functionality is the same as for the sensor modules and a choice of adapters allows input from popular connector types, bare fibers or open beams.

Return loss modules

Return loss modules use two power sensors and fiber couplers to provide a direct measurement of the optical return loss. One sensor measures the optical power reflected back to the instrument while the other monitors the optical power output from the instrument. The ratio provides the return loss. These modules can use an external light source and can also be provided with internal Fabry-Perot lasers for very stable measurements.

Featured Resources for the Optical Power Measurement Products

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS - Optical Power Meter

 

WHAT IS AN OPTICAL POWER METER?

An optical power meter is used to quantify the optical power in an optical signal. It is generally used in fiber optics and telecommunications to determine the intensity of light signals.

WHY IS MEASURING OPTICAL POWER IMPORTANT?

Optical power measurement is crucial for testing optical network performance and maintenance. It helps in verifying signal strength, troubleshooting network issues, and maintaining signal quality in applications such as data center networks which use optical cables for high-speed data transmission and processing.

HOW DOES AN OPTICAL POWER METER WORK?

Optical power meters use a photodetector, which converts incoming optical signals into electrical current. This current is then translated into a power measurement that can be displayed on the device. Some are attuned to observe transient fluctuations while others are designed to be calibrated to measure constant optical power levels.

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