Optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) mapping method

Abstract

A method is provided for mapping a position of a customer fiber end on a passive optical network (PON). The method comprises the steps of connecting an optical reflector to a specific customer fiber end; carrying out an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) trace of the a passive optical network utilising a central office OTDR device; identifying a target reflection event in the OTDR trace having an increased amplitude relative to other reflection events in the OTDR trace, consequent upon the presence of the optical reflector; and mapping data associated with the target reflection event to the specific customer.

Description

technical field [0001] The present invention relates to a mapping method characterized by an enhanced Optical Time Domain Reflectometry (OTDR) measurement technique for use in Passive Optical Networks (PON) for Fiber to the Home (FTTH). The method enables a specific customer fiber end, and an optical network terminal (ONT) located at that customer fiber end, to be positively mapped to a target reflection event in an OTDR trace. [0002] The term "mapping" as used herein refers to the association of data in an OTDR trace originating from a target reflection event with a particular customer fiber end on the network, and the recording of this data and said association. Background technique [0003] In fiber-to-the-home (FTTH) networks, a single fiber from a service provider's central office is typically split into 64 customer fibers to economically provide fiber broadband to a large number of customers. It is conceivable that the next generation of fiber optic networks will in...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

This implementation is wasteful because it requires the use of lengths of fiber that are not required to provide broadband services to users