Luciol Instruments has launched its first fully portable high resolution optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR), the LOR-200. The device is similar in shape and feel to a standard portable OTDR, but uses scanning photon counting, a technology developed by Luicol, to achieve higher resolutions than other models.
The LOR-200 distinguishes events with 20cm separation and has a sub-metre attenuation dead zone. It features a very high contrast (defined as the ratio between the highest signal and the noise on a trace), which allows the detection of both high reflections and Rayleigh Back Scattering on a single trace. The device is therefore a well-suited instrument for characterisation of optical fibre assemblies with both loss and high reflections at connectors.
The device's dynamic range for short pulse lengths (up to 15dB for a 2ns pulse) enables users to see through optical splitters, even over very short distances. This combination of high resolution and high dynamic range makes the device suitable passive optical network (PON) installation and monitoring. The 1625nm option with matched filter allows the use of the LOR-200 on live PONs, without disturbing the transmission.
The LOR-200 is available for a variety of fibre types and wavelengths as a custom system. Luciol Instruments OTDRs are available from AMS Technologies in Germany.