What is PD CLC/TR 50682 - Consideration on the use of OTDRs to measure return loss of single-mode optical fibre connections about?
PD CLC/TR 50682 discusses consideration on the use of OTDRs. OTDR is a device that tests the integrity of a fiber cable and is used for the building, certifying, maintaining, and troubleshooting fiber optic systems. PD CLC/TR 50682 to describe a round robin on return loss of single mode optical fibre connections. This includes the description of the samples, the test procedures and test instrumentation, results, and conclusions.
Who is PD CLC/TR 50682 - Consideration on the use of OTDRs to measure return loss of single-mode optical fibre connections for?
PD CLC/TR 50682 on consideration on the use of OTDRs is useful for:
- Telecommunication component manufacturers
- Telecommunication equipment manufacturers
- Design engineers
- Quality control personnel
Why should you use PD CLC/TR 50682 - Consideration on the use of OTDRs to measure return loss of single-mode optical fibre connections?
The introduction of new types of optical fibre (i.e., ITU-T G.657, EN 60793-2-50 B6 type) and the differences between manufacturers’ products cause a spread of up to 3 dB in the backscatter values (Bs) of available telecommunications single mode fibre. The variation in this parameter can lead to large differences in measured return loss (RL) of connections. This can give issues in field measurement where the fibre type and manufacturer may be unknown and the Bs may not be updated for each measurement in the OTDR.
To evaluate the real impact of this spread of backscatter vales on return loss measurement, a Round Robin Test (RRT) was designed by CLC TC86BXA in 2015. “Black-box” connections (i.e., closed boxes with a connection of two plugs and fibre with similar or different Bs values) were circulated for testing in 2016 and 2017 around several laboratories. The result of this Round Robin as described in PD CLC/TR 50682 is intended to contribute to future specification of return loss requirements on optical components.
The test described in PD CLC/TR 50682 also specifies the backscatter value that is the backscattering level of the OTDR trace is a constant (K) that includes both the Rayleigh backscattering of the fibre and the OTDR pulse duration. Using PD CLC/TR 50682 you can describe a round robin on return loss of single mode optical fibre connections.