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Last updated on 2024年5月20日

What are the advantages and disadvantages of using OTDR for fiber fault location?

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If you work with optical fiber networks, you know how important it is to locate and fix any faults that may affect the performance and reliability of your system. One of the most common tools for fiber fault location is the optical time-domain reflectometer (OTDR). This device sends pulses of light along the fiber and measures the reflections that occur at any discontinuities, such as breaks, bends, splices, or connectors. By analyzing the time and intensity of the reflections, the OTDR can determine the distance and location of the faults, as well as the attenuation and loss of the fiber.

But is the OTDR always the best option for fiber fault location? In this article, we will discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of using OTDR for this purpose, and how to overcome some of the challenges and limitations that it may present.

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1 Advantages of OTDR

One of the main advantages of OTDR is that it can test long lengths of fiber from one end, without requiring access to the other end. This can save time and resources, especially in situations where the fiber is buried, aerial, or inaccessible. Another advantage of OTDR is that it can provide a graphical representation of the fiber characteristics, such as attenuation, loss, and reflectance, along the entire length. This can help identify and locate any anomalies or defects that may affect the quality of the signal. Moreover, OTDR can store and compare the results of different tests, which can help monitor the changes and degradation of the fiber over time.

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Nandit Soni

Associate Officer, Quality Assurance STL
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Portable OTDRs are compact to carry, can be carried anywhere and can be used where power supply is not available at testing location.

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2 Disadvantages of OTDR

One of the main disadvantages of OTDR is that it can be affected by noise and interference, which can reduce the accuracy and resolution of the measurements. Noise and interference can come from various sources, such as external light sources, backscatter from other fibers, or reflections from connectors and splices. To minimize these effects, it is important to use proper settings, such as pulse width, range, and averaging, and to clean and inspect the connectors and splices before testing. Another disadvantage of OTDR is that it can have difficulty measuring the loss and reflectance of events that are close to each other or to the end of the fiber. This is because the OTDR needs a certain distance between events to distinguish them, and because the reflections from the end of the fiber can mask the reflections from nearby events. To overcome this problem, it is advisable to use a launch cable and a receive cable, which are known lengths of fiber that are attached to the OTDR and to the fiber under test, respectively. These cables can help extend the test range and isolate the end reflections.

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Dave Barletta

Fiber SME for L&D Content Team @ SCTE
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One part this is completely inaccurate, fiber optic cables cannot pick up backscatter from other fibers. One of the main advantages of fiber optics is its ability to get a signal from one end to the other with no external interference (like copper suffers from crosstalk and ingress/egress). An OTDR pulse is just a signal, and not subject to any leakage from another fiber unless there's enough light or heat to physically damage the fiber, then the OTDR would actually pick that up and show it as the physical damage that it is.

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Scott S.

Telecom Professional
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I have experienced good results and bad results from using an OTDR, one of the not so great times was when the records for where the fiber was spliced onto other cables was not available so knowing the distance did not help as we were hunting down the wrong cable. OTDR needs to be complimented with good OSP records so that you understand where splices are and that the fiber could be on a different cable than you first anticipate.

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Eric Bedell

IBEW LOCAL 25 Fiberoptic splicer with Hinck electric
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I also disagree with the event distances. Using an Exfo IoLm with the proper launch suppression cable can pick up close events. I can pick up the splice in my launch cable. Also using a program like ILoop can offer close range events while bi directional testing. Close range events can be seen with proper OTDR training.

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Dwayne Hughes RCDD

Construction Administrator
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An OTDR is really only 1 tool for troubleshooting. You also need the experience and knowledge of setting up the equipment and reading the trace. Unfortunately lots of fiber techs lack that knowledge and the result is inaccurate testing. Also remember an OTDR is not for acceptance testing. Power meters are best for that.

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Mohammad khan

OpsTechIT/OTS GDS Houston Amazon
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In my opinion, we must run audits to find out if the packets are being dropped on data link layer regularly if running SONETs.

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3 Tips for using OTDR

In order to use OTDR effectively for fiber fault location, it is important to follow some best practices and tips that can help improve the quality and reliability of the results. These include choosing the appropriate settings for your test, such as wavelength, pulse width, range, and averaging; using a launch cable and a receive cable; cleaning and inspecting the connectors and splices prior to testing; interpreting the OTDR trace carefully; comparing the OTDR results with the expected values and specifications of the fiber; and documenting and reporting the OTDR results. Additionally, it is important to label and mark any faults for future reference and repair.

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4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Matheus Joaquim Cofferri

Head | Telecomunica??es | Pré-vendas | Produtos | Transforma??o Digital | Inova??o | 5G | Sales B2C B2B | Smart Cities | GovTech | Inteligência de Mercado
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An OTDR is an essential item in any internet provider that has short and long-distance fiber optic networks. You will be able to resolve breakouts 5x faster than if you don't have an OTDR. Measuring signal in splice boxes with just a power meter can take a long time to identify the problem and can generate great dissatisfaction with your customers active on the network.

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What are the advantages and disadvantages of using OTDR for fiber fault location?

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1 Advantages of OTDR

2 Disadvantages of OTDR

3 Tips for using OTDR

4 Here’s what else to consider

Telecommunications Systems

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What are the advantages and disadvantages of using OTDR for fiber fault location?

1

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1 Advantages of OTDR

2 Disadvantages of OTDR

3 Tips for using OTDR

4 Here’s what else to consider

Telecommunications Systems

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