Fibre management firmware speeds OTDR tests on multicore cables

New firmware for the Yokogawa family of OTDRs (optical time-domain

reflectometers) offers powerful new capabilities for measurements on multicore fibre cables.

The new fibre management firmware allows users to keep track of which individual fibres have been tested, thereby eliminating the potential confusion between tested and untested fibres. As a result, the risk of errors in field operation is significantly reduced.

With the aid of a user-friendly software wizard, the firmware opens a project folder in a selected destination, which can be internal or external memory. Measurement settings are selected in a familiar menu¸ and are applied to all fibres in the cable. The measurement results are then saved to this location, and the operator can recall an overview of the chosen measurement settings on a single screen.

The complete fibre bundle is managed by using a matrix table, which allows selection of specific fibres that need to be skipped. For each fibre and for each wavelength, the OTDR trace needs to be confirmed. A check mark is placed behind the wavelength of the confirmed trace. After all wavelengths have been approved, a check mark will appear in the matrix table.