Optical cable performance on-line monitoring system and method

Abstract

The invention relates to an optical cable performance on-line monitoring system and method, and the system comprises a data collection and test unit which is used for testing a detected optical cable and transmitting the test data to a data processing unit; the data processing unit is used for processing the test data, judging the performance of the optical cable and positioning the optical cable fault if the optical cable fault is identified; the interaction unit is used for visually displaying an optical cable performance evaluation result and an optical cable fault positioning result in real time; and the data transmission unit is used for performing real-time data transmission between the data acquisition and test unit and the data processing unit and between the data processing unit and the interaction unit. Compared with the prior art, the method has the advantages that the optical cable performance can be monitored in real time, and the like.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of optical cable monitoring technology, and in particular to an online monitoring system and method for optical cable performance. Background Technology

[0002] With the continuous development of communication technology, optical cables are being used in more and more areas, such as:

[0003] 1. Communication Networks: The widespread application of fiber optic cables has driven the upgrading and popularization of communication networks, improved the network experience for individuals and businesses, and supported the development of emerging technologies such as the Internet of Things, cloud computing, and 5G. Whether it's high-definition video conferencing, telemedicine, or smart homes, all benefit from the high-speed and stable connections provided by fiber optic cables.

[0004] 2. Support for Data Centers and Cloud Services: With the rise of big data and cloud computing, data centers have an urgent need for high-speed and stable data transmission. Fiber optic cables, as a crucial bridge connecting data centers and users, provide a reliable infrastructure for data storage and processing, supporting global information interconnection.

[0005] 3. Intelligentization of Urban Infrastructure: The construction of smart cities relies on the transmission and processing of large amounts of real-time data. Fiber optic cables, by connecting various sensors, monitoring equipment, and data centers, support the realization of intelligent systems such as urban transportation, security monitoring, and environmental monitoring, thereby improving the efficiency and security of urban management.

[0006] However, optical cables may experience performance degradation during use. Monitoring optical cable performance allows for timely detection and maintenance of problems, preventing data transmission issues caused by performance degradation. Most existing optical cable monitoring methods directly use optical time-domain reflectometers (OTDRs) for fault location, obtaining the distance from the fiber optic break point to the test light source. However, this method is typically used only when a potential fault has been detected, and it cannot achieve real-time monitoring of optical cable performance for further precise fault location. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of this invention is to provide an online monitoring system and method for optical cable performance, which can realize real-time response to optical cable faults, display the fault location in real time and in a visual manner, and realize daily monitoring of optical cables.

[0008] The objective of this invention can be achieved through the following technical solutions:

[0009] An online monitoring system for optical cable performance includes:

[0010] The data acquisition and testing unit is used to test the optical cable under test and transmit the test data to the data processing unit.

[0011] The data processing unit is used to process test data, evaluate the performance of optical cables, and locate optical cable faults if they are detected.

[0012] The interactive unit is used to visualize and display the optical cable performance evaluation results and optical cable fault location results in real time.

[0013] The data transmission unit is used for real-time data transmission between the data acquisition and testing unit and the data processing unit, as well as between the data processing unit and the interaction unit.

[0014] The data acquisition and testing unit includes optical equipment for optical testing and a position acquisition device for acquiring three-dimensional position coordinate information. The optical equipment includes a fiber Bragg grating, an optical time domain reflectometer, a demodulator, an optical switch, and a WDM. The optical time domain reflectometer and the fiber Bragg grating are respectively connected to the two ends of the monitored optical cable. The optical time domain reflectometer is connected to the optical switch to realize the multiplexing of the optical time domain reflectometer. The optical switch and the demodulator are connected through the WDM.

[0015] Based on its reflection characteristics, the fiber optic grating serves as a passive optical device for monitoring whether the optical cable has experienced a crack or breakage fault. The optical time-domain reflectometer is used to detect the operating status of the optical fiber, calculate the loss distribution characteristic curve along the optical fiber, and analyze the location of the optical fiber breakage. The demodulator is used to analyze the center wavelength reflected back by the fiber optic grating to determine the state of the optical fiber.

[0016] The optical path of the system during testing is as follows: after the light wave is emitted by the optical time domain reflectometer, it is split into multiple monitored optical cable lines after WDM coupling. After being reflected by the fiber optic grating, the test data is obtained by the demodulator in real time.

[0017] The data processing unit performs the following steps: when the fiber grating wavelength is missing in the received test data, it controls the optical time domain reflectometer to be turned on to perform attenuation signal testing on the optical cable line with the missing wavelength; if the test result of the optical cable length is less than the pre-stored line result, it indicates that the optical cable is faulty.

[0018] The fiber grating and demodulator are both in the C-band, while the wavelength of the optical time domain reflectometer is not in the C-band.

[0019] The optical time domain reflectometer is multiplexed by using a multi-channel optical switch and a wavelength division multiplexer. By switching the multi-channel optical switch, a single optical time domain reflectometer can be used to test multiple monitored optical cable lines.

[0020] The data collected by the location acquisition device is transmitted to the data processing unit via a wireless communication network, and the data collected by the optical device is transmitted to the data processing unit via a USB interface.

[0021] The interactive unit matches the length of the optical cable fault interruption in the result of the data processing unit's judgment on the optical cable fault with the pre-stored map information and displays it visually, showing a warning sign at the corresponding fault location point.

[0022] A method for online monitoring of optical cable performance, based on the system described above, includes the following steps:

[0023] Acquire test data collected by the data acquisition and testing unit;

[0024] Determine whether there is a loss of fiber Bragg grating wavelength in the test data. If the fiber Bragg grating wavelength is lost in the received test data, control the activation of the optical time domain reflectometer to perform attenuation signal testing on the optical cable line with the lost wavelength.

[0025] The presence of an optical cable fault is determined based on the attenuation signal test results. If the test result for the optical cable length is less than the pre-stored line result, it indicates an optical cable fault.

[0026] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following beneficial effects:

[0027] 1. This invention enables real-time monitoring of optical cable attenuation through fiber optic gratings and uses a light origin reflector for precise fault location, so that when an optical cable malfunctions during daily use, its performance information can be reflected in real time and automatically.

[0028] 2. This invention, through real-time monitoring of optical cables, can reduce the number of optical cable faults, shorten fault repair time, and improve the communication reliability of the optical cable network. Attached Figure Description

[0029] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the system structure of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the data acquisition and testing unit structure of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0031] The present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings and specific embodiments. These embodiments are based on the technical solution of the present invention and provide detailed implementation methods and specific operating procedures. However, the scope of protection of the present invention is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0032] This embodiment provides an online monitoring system for optical cable performance, such as... Figure 1 As shown, it includes:

[0033] The data acquisition and testing unit is used to test the optical cable under test and transmit the test data to the data processing unit.

[0034] The data processing unit is used to process test data, evaluate the performance of optical cables, and locate optical cable faults if they are detected.

[0035] The interactive unit is used to visualize and display the optical cable performance evaluation results and optical cable fault location results in real time.

[0036] The data transmission unit is used for real-time data transmission between the data acquisition and testing unit and the data processing unit, as well as between the data processing unit and the interaction unit.

[0037] The data acquisition and testing unit includes optical equipment for optical testing and a position acquisition device for acquiring three-dimensional position coordinate information, such as... Figure 2 As shown, the optical equipment includes a fiber Bragg grating, an optical time domain reflectometer, a demodulator, an optical switch, and a WDM. The optical time domain reflectometer and the fiber Bragg grating are respectively connected to the two ends of the monitored optical cable. The optical time domain reflectometer is connected to the optical switch to realize the multiplexing of the optical time domain reflectometer. The optical switch and the demodulator are connected through the WDM.

[0038] Based on its reflection characteristics, the fiber optic grating, as a passive optical device, is used to monitor whether the optical cable has cracked or broken. The optical time domain reflectometer is used to detect the operating status of the optical fiber, calculate the loss distribution characteristic curve along the optical fiber, and analyze the location of the optical fiber break. The demodulator is used to analyze the center wavelength reflected back by the fiber optic grating to determine the state of the optical fiber.

[0039] The optical path of the system during testing is as follows: after the light wave is emitted by the optical time domain reflectometer, it is split into multiple monitored optical cable lines after WDM coupling. After being reflected by the fiber optic grating, the demodulator performs real-time demodulation to obtain the test data.

[0040] The data processing unit performs the following steps: when the fiber grating wavelength is missing in the received test data, it controls the optical time domain reflectometer to perform attenuation signal testing on the optical cable line with the missing wavelength; if the test result of the optical cable length is less than the pre-stored line result, it indicates that the optical cable is faulty.

[0041] In this embodiment, both the fiber optic grating and the demodulator operate in the C-band (1530-1565nm), while the optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) operates in a wavelength outside the C-band. In this embodiment, a 1625nm wavelength signal is selected.

[0042] To reduce costs, this embodiment uses a multi-channel optical switch and a wavelength division multiplexer to multiplex the optical time domain reflectometer. By switching the multi-channel optical switch, a single optical time domain reflectometer can be used to test multiple monitored optical cable lines.

[0043] In this embodiment, the data collected by the location acquisition device is transmitted to the data processing unit through a wireless communication network, and the data collected by the optical device is transmitted to the data processing unit through a USB interface.

[0044] Based on the data processing unit's judgment of the optical cable fault, the interaction unit matches the length of the optical cable fault interruption in the result with the pre-stored map information and displays it visually, showing a warning sign at the corresponding fault location point.

[0045] This embodiment also provides a method for online monitoring of optical cable performance, based on the system described above, and the method includes the following steps:

[0046] Acquire test data collected by the data acquisition and testing unit;

[0047] Determine whether there is a loss of fiber Bragg grating wavelength in the test data. If the fiber Bragg grating wavelength is lost in the received test data, control the activation of the optical time domain reflectometer to perform attenuation signal testing on the optical cable line with the lost wavelength.

[0048] The presence of an optical cable fault is determined based on the attenuation signal test results. If the test result for the optical cable length is less than the pre-stored line result, it indicates an optical cable fault.

[0049] The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above. It should be understood that those skilled in the art can make numerous modifications and variations based on the concept of the present invention without creative effort. Therefore, all technical solutions that can be obtained by those skilled in the art based on the concept of the present invention through logical analysis, reasoning, or limited experimentation on the basis of existing technology should be within the scope of protection defined by the claims.

Claims

1. An online monitoring system for optical cable performance, characterized in that, include: The data acquisition and testing unit is used to test the optical cable under test and transmit the test data to the data processing unit. The data processing unit is used to process test data, evaluate the performance of optical cables, and locate optical cable faults if they are detected. The interactive unit is used to visualize and display the optical cable performance evaluation results and optical cable fault location results in real time. The data transmission unit is used for real-time data transmission between the data acquisition and testing unit and the data processing unit, as well as between the data processing unit and the interaction unit.

2. The online monitoring system for optical cable performance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data acquisition and testing unit includes optical equipment for optical testing and a position acquisition device for acquiring three-dimensional position coordinate information. The optical equipment includes a fiber Bragg grating, an optical time domain reflectometer, a demodulator, an optical switch, and a WDM. The optical time domain reflectometer and the fiber Bragg grating are respectively connected to the two ends of the monitored optical cable. The optical time domain reflectometer is connected to the optical switch to realize the multiplexing of the optical time domain reflectometer. The optical switch and the demodulator are connected through the WDM.

3. The online monitoring system for optical cable performance according to claim 2, characterized in that, Based on its reflection characteristics, the fiber optic grating serves as a passive optical device for monitoring whether the optical cable has experienced a crack or breakage fault. The optical time-domain reflectometer is used to detect the operating status of the optical fiber, calculate the loss distribution characteristic curve along the optical fiber, and analyze the location of the optical fiber breakage. The demodulator is used to analyze the center wavelength reflected back by the fiber optic grating to determine the state of the optical fiber.

4. The online monitoring system for optical cable performance according to claim 3, characterized in that, The optical path of the system during testing is as follows: after the light wave is emitted by the optical time domain reflectometer, it is split into multiple monitored optical cable lines after WDM coupling. After being reflected by the fiber optic grating, the test data is obtained by the demodulator in real time.

5. The online monitoring system for optical cable performance according to claim 2, characterized in that, The data processing unit performs the following steps: when the fiber grating wavelength is missing in the received test data, it controls the optical time domain reflectometer to be turned on to perform attenuation signal testing on the optical cable line with the missing wavelength; if the test result of the optical cable length is less than the pre-stored line result, it indicates that the optical cable is faulty.

6. The online monitoring system for optical cable performance according to claim 2, characterized in that, The fiber grating and demodulator are both in the C-band, while the wavelength of the optical time domain reflectometer is not in the C-band.

7. The online monitoring system for optical cable performance according to claim 2, characterized in that, The optical time domain reflectometer is multiplexed by using a multi-channel optical switch and a wavelength division multiplexer. By switching the multi-channel optical switch, a single optical time domain reflectometer can be used to test multiple monitored optical cable lines.

8. The online monitoring system for optical cable performance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The data collected by the location acquisition device is transmitted to the data processing unit via a wireless communication network, and the data collected by the optical device is transmitted to the data processing unit via a USB interface.

9. The online monitoring system for optical cable performance according to claim 1, characterized in that, The interactive unit matches the length of the optical cable fault interruption in the result of the data processing unit's judgment on the optical cable fault with the pre-stored map information and displays it visually, showing a warning sign at the corresponding fault location point.

10. A method for online monitoring of optical cable performance, characterized in that, Based on the system implementation as described in any one of claims 1-9, the method includes the following steps: Acquire test data collected by the data acquisition and testing unit; Determine whether there is a loss of fiber Bragg grating wavelength in the test data. If the fiber Bragg grating wavelength is lost in the received test data, control the activation of the optical time domain reflectometer to perform attenuation signal testing on the optical cable line with the lost wavelength. The presence of an optical cable fault is determined based on the attenuation signal test results. If the test result for the optical cable length is less than the pre-stored line result, it indicates an optical cable fault.

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