High speed bidirectional optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR)-based testing of device under test

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12526044-B2
Application number	US-202418678356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 30, 2024
Priority date	Nov 4, 2020
Publication date	Jan 13, 2026
Grant date	Jan 13, 2026

Abstract

In some examples, high speed bidirectional OTDR-based testing may include transmitting data from a first end of a device under test (DUT) towards an optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) that is operatively connected to a second opposite end of the DUT. Further data that is transmitted by the OTDR may be received from the second opposite end of the DUT towards the first end of the DUT. Based on an amplitude of the further data, a direction of receiving of the further data may be adjusted towards a first receiver or towards a second receiver.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon machine readable instructions, the machine readable instructions, when executed by at least one hardware processor, cause the at least one hardware processor to:
transmit optical data for bidirectional testing of a fiber optic link from a first end of a device under test (DUT) towards an optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) that is operatively connected to a second opposite end of the DUT;
receive further optical data for the bidirectional testing of the fiber optic link that is transmitted by the OTDR from the second opposite end of the DUT towards the first end of the DUT;
receive, by an avalanche photodiode, the further optical data that is transmitted by the OTDR from the second opposite end of the DUT towards the first end of the DUT; and adjust, by a laser current controller, an output optical power of an optical source that is used to transmit the optical data.

2 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the at least one hardware processor to:
receive, by the avalanche photodiode, the further optical data that is transmitted by the OTDR from the second opposite end of the DUT towards the first end of the DUT.

3 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 2 , wherein the machine readable instructions, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the at least one hardware processor to:
receive, by a transimpedance amplifier operatively connected to the avalanche photodiode, the further optical data that is transmitted by the OTDR from the second opposite end of the DUT towards the first end of the DUT.

4 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the DUT includes a fiber optic link.

5 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the optical data includes data associated with at least one of synchronizing a measurement, exchanging setup information, and exchanging test result information.

6 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein the further optical data includes data associated with at least one of synchronizing a measurement, exchanging setup information, and exchanging test result information.

7 . The non-transitory computer readable medium according to claim 1 , wherein to receive the further optical data for the bidirectional testing of the fiber optic link, the machine readable instructions, when executed by the at least one hardware processor, cause the at least one hardware processor to implement a signal quantization function that converts a data signal into a data bit stream.

8 . A method comprising:
transmitting, by at least one hardware processor, data from a first end of a device under test (DUT) towards an optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) that is operatively connected to a second opposite end of the DUT; receiving, by the at least one hardware processor, further data that is transmitted by the OTDR from the second opposite end of the DUT towards the first end of the DUT; and receiving, by an avalanche photodiode, the further data that is transmitted by the OTDR from the second opposite end of the DUT towards the first end of the DUT.

9 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
adjusting, by a laser current controller, an output optical power of an optical source that is used to transmit the data.

10 . The method according to claim 8 , further comprising:
receiving, by a transimpedance amplifier operatively connected to the avalanche photodiode, the further data that is transmitted by the OTDR from the second opposite end of the DUT towards the first end of the DUT.

11 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the DUT includes a fiber optic link.

12 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the data includes data associated with at least one of synchronizing a measurement, exchanging setup information, and exchanging test result information.

13 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein the further data includes data associated with at least one of synchronizing a measurement, exchanging setup information, and exchanging test result information.

14 . The method according to claim 8 , wherein receiving the further data includes implementing a signal quantization function that converts a data signal into a data bit stream.

15 . An apparatus comprising:
a data transmitter, executed by at least one hardware processor, to transmit data from a first end of a device under test (DUT) towards an optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR) that is operatively connected to a second opposite end of the DUT; a data receiver, executed by the at least one hardware processor, to receive further data that is transmitted by the OTDR from the second opposite end of the DUT towards the first end of the DUT; and a laser current controller to adjust an output optical power of an optical source that is used to transmit the data.

16 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , further comprising:
an avalanche photodiode to receive the further data that is transmitted by the OTDR from the second opposite end of the DUT towards the first end of the DUT.

17 . The apparatus according to claim 16 , further comprising:
a transimpedance amplifier operatively connected to the avalanche photodiode to receive the further data that is transmitted by the OTDR from the second opposite end of the DUT towards the first end of the DUT.

18 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the DUT includes a fiber optic link.

19 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the data includes data associated with at least one of synchronizing a measurement, exchanging setup information, and exchanging test result information.

20 . The apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the further data includes data associated with at least one of synchronizing a measurement, exchanging setup information, and exchanging test result information.

Assignees

• Viavi Solutions Inc

Inventors

• Roux Charlène
• Barrier Julien

Classifications

• H04B10/66

  Non-coherent receivers, e.g. using direct detection · CPC title

• H04B10/50

  Transmitters · CPC title

• H04B10/40

  Transceivers · CPC title

• H04B10/25

  Arrangements specific to fibre transmission · CPC title

• H04B10/674

  using a variable optical attenuator · CPC title