Determining Optical Attenuation
Optical attenuation (also known as loss) is one of the most fundamental characteristics of a transmission link. It can be measured either using an OTDR or via an end-to-end measurement.
For end-to-end measurements, a fiber-coupled light source is connected to the input side, and a power or loss meter is connected to the output side. By comparing the measured values to those of a reference link, the attenuation is determined and displayed directly by the device in decibels (dB).
Polytec offers a wide range of measurement equipment, from cost-effective entry-level models to high-end devices for single-mode and multi-mode applications. Specialized solutions for FTTx (Passive Optical Networks, PON) or power measurement in CWDM networks are also available.