Optical fiber amplifier test system and calibration test method thereof

Abstract

The invention discloses an optical fiber amplifier test system and a calibration test method thereof, belongs to the field of laser communication, is based on a brand-new optical fiber amplifier test system, realizes high-efficiency test, avoids the problems of frequent insertion and extraction of optical fibers, improper cleaning and easy burnout of the end surfaces of the optical fibers, and improves the index test efficiency at the same time. The device mainly comprises a plurality of light source lasers, the light source lasers are connected with a variable optical attenuator through an optical switch 1, the variable optical attenuator is connected with an optical switch 2, and the optical switch 2 is respectively connected with a tested high-power optical fiber amplifier and a tested low-power optical fiber amplifier. A measured high-power optical fiber amplifier is connected with the light absorption black body and the optical switch 3 through the optical coupler, the optical coupler outputs a part of high-power light to the light absorption black body, the high-power light is converted into heat and dissipated, the remaining output low-power light can meet the equipment measurement requirement, and the measured low-power optical fiber amplifier is connected with the optical switch 3. The method is mainly used for testing the optical fiber amplifier.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of laser communication, and more specifically, to a fiber optic amplifier testing system and its calibration testing method. Background Technology

[0002] In fiber optic communication systems, fiber optic amplifiers, as key core components, are widely used in long-distance, high-speed optical signal transmission, and their performance directly affects the transmission quality and stability of the entire system. Therefore, accurate and efficient testing and calibration of the performance parameters of fiber optic amplifiers are crucial for ensuring their reliability and overall system performance.

[0003] Currently, testing of fiber optic amplifiers typically employs relatively simple test systems and methods, lacking a systematic and standardized testing process. Existing testing methods largely rely on manual operation, resulting in low automation, cumbersome processes, and low efficiency. For example, during testing, operators need to frequently plug and unplug fiber optic connectors and manually adjust test parameters, which not only increases operational complexity but also easily leads to testing errors due to human factors, affecting the repeatability and accuracy of test results.

[0004] Furthermore, due to the lack of effective monitoring and protection measures for the fiber end face during the testing process, the fiber end face is easily contaminated or damaged under frequent insertion and removal and improper cleaning, which can lead to problems such as end face burnout, increased insertion loss, and reduced return loss. In severe cases, it can even damage the fiber amplifier or test equipment, increasing maintenance costs and system failure rate. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The purpose of this invention is to provide a fiber optic amplifier testing system and its calibration testing method. Based on a brand-new fiber optic amplifier testing system, it achieves efficient testing, avoids the problems of frequent fiber plugging and unplugging, improper cleaning, and easy burning of fiber end faces, and improves the efficiency of index testing.

[0006] This invention is achieved through the following technical solution:

[0007] A fiber optic amplifier testing system and its calibration testing method include several light source lasers. The several light source lasers are connected to an adjustable optical attenuator via an optical switch 1. The adjustable optical attenuator is connected to an optical switch 2. The optical switch 2 is connected to a high-power fiber optic amplifier under test and a low-power fiber optic amplifier under test, respectively. The high-power fiber optic amplifier under test is connected to a black body absorbing light and an optical switch 3 via an optical coupler. The optical coupler outputs a portion of the high-power light to the black body absorbing light, which is converted into heat and dissipated. The remaining low-power output light can meet the measurement requirements of the equipment. The low-power fiber optic amplifier under test is connected to the optical switch 3. The optical switch 3 is connected to a device for measuring optical power. The optical switches 2 and 3 are also directly connected via optical fibers.

[0008] Furthermore, the aforementioned light source laser, optical switch 1, adjustable optical attenuator, optical switch 2, high-power fiber amplifier under test, low-power fiber amplifier under test, optical switch 3, and optical power measurement device are all connected to a computer. The data collected by the computer is synchronized to the cloud storage in real time and monitored and intervened through remote commands, realizing unattended fully automatic measurement on site. The computer supports test script editing to adapt to diverse testing needs.

[0009] Furthermore, the devices for measuring optical power include, but are not limited to, spectrometers, optical power meters, and extinction ratio testers, which are equipped with computer remote control and data acquisition functions.

[0010] Furthermore, the high-power fiber amplifier under test is a fiber amplifier whose output power is higher than the device tolerance threshold of any downstream optical power measurement; the low-power fiber amplifier under test is a fiber amplifier whose output power is lower than the device tolerance threshold of all downstream optical power measurement.

[0011] Furthermore, the optical switch 1, optical switch 2, and optical switch 3 can be used as a single optical switch or a combination of multiple optical switches.

[0012] A calibration method for an optical fiber amplifier testing system specifically includes the following steps:

[0013] S1. Remove the device for measuring optical power from optical switch 3 and connect it to the input optical interface m on optical switch 2, and select optical switch 2 to the input optical interface m;

[0014] S2. Turn on the light source laser n and set the attenuation value of the adjustable optical attenuator to 0dB. After the output stabilizes, record the optical power count value Pin(n).

[0015] S3. Remove the device for measuring optical power from the input optical interface m on optical switch 2 and connect it back to the original position of optical switch 3.

[0016] S4. Use fiber optic patch cords to connect the input optical interface m on optical switch 2 to the output optical measurement interface m on optical switch 3. Select optical switch 3 to the output optical measurement interface m. After stabilization, record the optical power meter reading Pout(n,m).

[0017] S5. Set the attenuation value of the adjustable optical attenuator to 10dB, and record the optical power meter reading Pdc(n,m) after it stabilizes.

[0018] S6. Calculate the power correction factor Pcal(n,m) of the laser source n to the fiber amplifier m; calculate the attenuation correction factor Pclb(n) of the laser source n.

[0019] S7. Turn off the light source laser n, disconnect the optical fiber connecting the input optical interface m and the output optical measurement interface m, and the calibration is complete.

[0020] Furthermore, the formula for calculating the power correction coefficient is: Pcal(n,m)=Pin(n)-Pout(n,m); the formula for calculating the attenuation correction coefficient is: Pclb(n)=10-(Pout(n,m)-Pdc(n,m)).

[0021] A test method for an optical fiber amplifier test system specifically includes the following steps:

[0022] S1. Connect several fiber amplifiers under test to the test system and power them on. Turn on all the necessary light source lasers n and wait for the output to stabilize.

[0023] S2. Select the optical switch 1 to the corresponding light source laser n, and set the attenuation value of the adjustable optical attenuator to Pdcb, Pdcb=Pclb(n)+(Pin(n)-Pset), where Pset is the required input optical power;

[0024] S3. Select optical switch 2 as the input optical interface m, so that the m-th optical amplifier can obtain input light. Select optical switch 3 as the output optical measurement interface m, turn on the fiber amplifier under test to the specified working state, and wait for it to stabilize.

[0025] S4. Poll the optical power measuring devices on the optical switch 3 and collect and record the data;

[0026] S5. Calculate the actual output power of the fiber amplifier under test, Prel(n,m) = Pcal(n,m) + Pget(n,m), and record the value. For the m-th fiber amplifier under test, its input light source is the light source laser n. If the device for measuring optical power connected to the optical switch 3 measures its power as Pget(n,m);

[0027] S6. Archive all test equipment data and upload it to the cloud;

[0028] S7. Repeat steps S2-S5 as needed, polling and testing each light source and each light emitter in turn.

[0029] S8. Turn off all fiber optic amplifiers and all light source lasers under test, and remove all fiber optic amplifiers under test one by one. The test is now complete.

[0030] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0031] 1. The entire input and output optical switching process uses optical switches, eliminating the time spent on repeated plugging and unplugging and cleaning of fiber end faces during manual testing, significantly improving testing efficiency and avoiding the problem of fiber end face burnout due to improper cleaning.

[0032] 2. Design an output optical power calibration process to eliminate the error introduced by system loss in optical power measurement; design an input light self-calibration algorithm to eliminate the need for manual adjustment, measurement and confirmation of various input light parameters, facilitate the traversal of multiple sets of input conditions, and significantly reduce test operation steps and test time.

[0033] 3. Different optical power measuring devices can quickly poll readings through optical switches, which significantly saves waiting time compared to manual testing, improves equipment utilization, and greatly enhances testing efficiency.

[0034] 4. The computer supports test script editing to adapt to diverse testing needs; the measurement process is executed automatically, allowing for unattended operation and remote monitoring, significantly saving testing manpower.

[0035] 5. Automatic data processing and cloud storage facilitate integration with information management systems, enabling the expansion of more functions and further improving automation efficiency. Attached Figure Description

[0036] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the fiber optic amplifier testing system of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0037] The present invention will now be further described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0038] like Figure 1 As shown in Embodiment 1, a fiber optic amplifier testing system includes several light source lasers. The several light source lasers are connected to an adjustable optical attenuator via an optical switch 1. The adjustable optical attenuator is connected to an optical switch 2. The optical switch 2 is connected to a high-power fiber optic amplifier under test and a low-power fiber optic amplifier under test, respectively. The high-power fiber optic amplifier under test is connected to a blackbody absorber and an optical switch 3 via an optical coupler. The optical coupler outputs a portion of the high-power light to the blackbody absorber, converting it into heat and dissipating it. The remaining low-power light output can meet the measurement requirements of the equipment and is output as the test signal to the optical switch 3. The low-power fiber optic amplifier under test is directly connected to the optical switch 3. The optical switch 3 is connected to a device for measuring optical power. The optical switches 2 and 3 are also directly connected via optical fiber for optical power calibration.

[0039] The high-power fiber amplifier under test and the low-power fiber amplifier under test are collectively referred to as the fiber amplifier under test.

[0040] Lasers from different light sources are selected via optical switch 1, and then attenuated by an adjustable optical attenuator to reduce the optical power to the required test level. The single signal light output from the adjustable optical attenuator is selected via optical switch 2 and used as input light to the corresponding fiber amplifier under test. Multiple measurement devices can be connected in parallel for polling tests. The fiber amplifier under test outputs light with appropriate power, which is then selected via optical switch 3. Optical switch 3 selects one output light, which is then polled and used to measure various test devices.

[0041] Example 2: A fiber optic amplifier testing system, wherein several light source lasers, optical switch 1, adjustable optical attenuator, optical switch 2, high-power fiber optic amplifier under test, low-power fiber optic amplifier under test, optical switch 3, and optical power measuring equipment are all connected to a computer. The data collected by the computer is synchronized to a cloud storage in real time, and can be monitored and intervened through remote commands, realizing unattended fully automatic measurement on site. The computer supports test script editing to adapt to diverse testing needs. The optical power measuring equipment includes, but is not limited to, spectrometers, optical power meters, and extinction ratio testers, etc., which have computer remote control and data acquisition functions. To ensure the accuracy of polarization extinction ratio testing, the fiber optic connection from the output of the optical amplifier to the extinction ratio tester should be as short as possible, passing through as few devices as possible, and mechanical optical attenuators should not be used for attenuation. The high-power fiber optic amplifier under test is a fiber optic amplifier whose output power is higher than the threshold of any downstream optical power measuring equipment. The low-power fiber optic amplifier under test is a fiber optic amplifier whose output power is lower than the threshold of all downstream optical power measuring equipment. The optical switches 1, 2, and 3 can be used as a single optical switch or a combination of multiple optical switches, and other aspects are the same as in Example 1.

[0042] Example 3: A calibration method for an optical fiber amplifier test system, using the optical fiber amplifier test system described in any one of Examples 1-2, specifically includes the following steps:

[0043] S1. Remove the optical power meter from the optical switch 3 and connect it to the input optical interface m on the optical switch 2, and select the optical switch 2 to the input optical interface m;

[0044] S2. Turn on the light source laser n and set the attenuation value of the adjustable optical attenuator to 0dB. After the output stabilizes, record the optical power count value Pin(n), unit: dBm.

[0045] S3. Remove the optical power meter from the input optical interface m on optical switch 2 and reconnect it to the original position of optical switch 3.

[0046] S4. Use a fiber optic patch cord to connect the input optical interface m on optical switch 2 to the output optical measurement interface m on optical switch 3. Select optical switch 3 to the output optical measurement interface m. After stabilization, record the optical power meter reading Pout(n,m), unit: dBm.

[0047] S5. Set the attenuation value of the adjustable optical attenuator to 10dB. After stabilization, record the reading of the optical power meter Pdc(n,m), unit: dBm.

[0048] S6. Calculate the power correction coefficient Pcal(n,m) = Pin(n) - Pout(n,m) for the laser source n to the fiber amplifier m; calculate the attenuation correction coefficient Pclb(n) = 10 - (Pout(n,m) - Pdc(n,m)).

[0049] S7. Turn off the light source laser n, disconnect the optical fiber connecting the input optical interface m and the output optical measurement interface m, and the calibration is complete.

[0050] Example 4: A test method for an optical fiber amplifier test system, using the calibration method for the optical fiber amplifier test system described in Example 3, further includes the following steps:

[0051] S1. Connect several fiber amplifiers under test to the test system and power them on. Turn on all the necessary light source lasers n and wait for the output to stabilize.

[0052] S2. Select the optical switch 1 to the corresponding light source laser n, and set the attenuation value of the adjustable optical attenuator to Pdcb, unit: dBm, Pdcb=Pclb(n)+(Pin(n)-Pset), where Pset is the required input optical power, unit: dBm;

[0053] S3. Select optical switch 2 as the input optical interface m, so that the m-th optical amplifier can obtain input light. Select optical switch 3 as the output optical measurement interface m, turn on the fiber amplifier under test to the specified working state, and wait for it to stabilize.

[0054] S4. Poll the optical power meters on the optical selector switch 3 and collect and record the data;

[0055] S5. Calculate the actual output power of the fiber amplifier under test, Prel(n,m) = Pcal(n,m) + Pget(n,m), in dBm, and record the value. For the m-th fiber amplifier under test, its input light source is laser n. If the power measured by the optical power meter connected to optical switch 3 is Pget(n,m), in dBm;

[0056] S6. Archive all test equipment data and upload it to the cloud;

[0057] S7. Repeat steps S2-S5 as needed, polling and testing each light source and each light emitter in turn.

[0058] S8. Turn off all fiber optic amplifiers and all light source lasers under test, and remove all fiber optic amplifiers under test one by one. The test is now complete.

[0059] Figure 1 The dashed box indicates the installation locations for the high-power and low-power fiber optic amplifiers under test (FAPA), and multiple units can be connected simultaneously. A laser source provides a stable signal light as the input light for the FAPA. The laser source can be a single-frequency source or a broadband source. The output power of the laser source must not be less than the maximum input power required by the FAPA.

Claims

1. A fiber optic amplifier testing system, characterized in that: The device includes several light source lasers, which are connected to an adjustable optical attenuator via optical switch 1. The adjustable optical attenuator is connected to optical switch 2. Optical switch 2 is connected to a high-power fiber amplifier under test and a low-power fiber amplifier under test, respectively. The high-power fiber amplifier under test is connected to a black body absorbing light and optical switch 3 via an optical coupler. The optical coupler outputs a portion of the high-power light to the black body absorbing light, which is converted into heat and dissipated. The remaining low-power light output can meet the measurement requirements of the equipment. The low-power fiber amplifier under test is connected to optical switch 3. Optical switch 3 is connected to the equipment for measuring optical power. Optical switch 2 and optical switch 3 are also directly connected via optical fiber.

2. The fiber optic amplifier testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The aforementioned light source laser, optical switch 1, adjustable optical attenuator, optical switch 2, high-power fiber amplifier under test, low-power fiber amplifier under test, optical switch 3, and optical power measurement equipment are all connected to a computer. The data collected by the computer is synchronized to the cloud storage in real time, and can be monitored and intervened through remote commands, realizing unattended and fully automatic measurement on site. The computer supports test script editing to adapt to diverse testing needs.

3. The fiber optic amplifier testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The equipment for measuring optical power includes a spectrometer, an optical power meter, and an extinction ratio tester.

4. The fiber optic amplifier testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The high-power fiber amplifier under test is a fiber amplifier whose output power is higher than the threshold of any device that measures optical power at the back end; the low-power fiber amplifier under test is a fiber amplifier whose output power is lower than the threshold of any device that measures optical power at the back end.

5. The fiber optic amplifier testing system according to claim 1, characterized in that: The optical switches 1, 2, and 3 can be used as a single optical switch or in combination of multiple optical switches.

6. A calibration method for an optical fiber amplifier testing system, characterized in that: The fiber optic amplifier testing system according to any one of claims 1-5 specifically includes the following steps: S1. Remove the device for measuring optical power from optical switch 3 and connect it to the input optical interface m on optical switch 2, and select optical switch 2 to the input optical interface m; S2. Turn on the light source laser n and set the attenuation value of the adjustable optical attenuator to 0dB. After the output stabilizes, record the optical power count value Pin(n). S3. Remove the device for measuring optical power from the input optical interface m on optical switch 2 and connect it back to the original position of optical switch 3. S4. Use fiber optic patch cords to connect the input optical interface m on optical switch 2 to the output optical measurement interface m on optical switch 3. Select optical switch 3 to the output optical measurement interface m. After stabilization, record the optical power meter reading Pout(n,m). S5. Set the attenuation value of the adjustable optical attenuator to 10dB, and record the optical power meter reading Pdc(n,m) after it stabilizes. S6. Calculate the power correction coefficient Pcal(n,m) of the laser source n to the fiber amplifier m. Calculate the attenuation correction factor Pclb(n) for the laser source n; S7. Turn off the light source laser n, disconnect the optical fiber connecting the input optical interface m and the output optical measurement interface m, and the calibration is complete.

7. The calibration method for the fiber optic amplifier test system according to claim 6, characterized in that: The formula for calculating the power correction coefficient is: Pcal(n,m)=Pin(n)-Pout(n,m); the formula for calculating the attenuation correction coefficient is: Pclb(n)=10-(Pout(n,m)-Pdc(n,m)).

8. A test method for an optical fiber amplifier test system, characterized in that: The calibration method using the fiber optic amplifier test system of claim 6 further includes the following steps: S1. Connect several fiber amplifiers under test to the test system and power them on. Turn on all the necessary light source lasers n and wait for the output to stabilize. S2. Select the optical switch 1 to the corresponding light source laser n, and set the attenuation value of the adjustable optical attenuator to Pdcb, Pdcb=Pclb(n)+(Pin(n)-Pset), where Pset is the required input optical power; S3. Select optical switch 2 as the input optical interface m, so that the m-th optical amplifier can obtain input light. Select optical switch 3 as the output optical measurement interface m, turn on the fiber amplifier under test to the specified working state, and wait for it to stabilize. S4. Poll the optical power measuring devices on the optical switch 3 and collect and record the data; S5. Calculate the actual output power of the fiber amplifier under test, Prel(n,m) = Pcal(n,m) + Pget(n,m), and record the value. For the m-th fiber amplifier under test, its input light source is the light source laser n. If the device for measuring optical power connected to the optical switch 3 measures its power as Pget(n,m); S6. Archive all test equipment data and upload it to the cloud; S7. Repeat steps S2-S5 as needed, polling and testing each light source and each light emitter in turn. S8. Turn off all fiber optic amplifiers and all light source lasers under test, and remove all fiber optic amplifiers under test one by one. The test is now complete.

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