Considering an OTDR?

If you are in the market for an OTDR, then you should ask yourself a few questions to narrow the choices. After a good conversation with Tom Jallo, RCDD with Softing, we came up with some great guidelines to follow.

Tom's first recommendation was to know if you are using the OTDR for internal quality inspection and verification or for providing test results to end users. I agree that this is a valid question to ask.

Any price range of an OTDR can put a graph on the screen and spit out a .SOR file. It is what happens next that will determine what is best solution for you and your company.

If all you need to do is see the trace, read the distance, verify splices and connectors, you could get by with a budget friendly OTDR (beware- you get what you pay for).

Some customers require printed PDF test results which needs to be an easy and quick task. Transferring the files from the OTDR to a PC via USB or software needs to be smooth process. Before testing, there are several "setup" items that need to be done in the software. Proper setup of project files, fiber and trace names, sequential setup, and test parameters will make your testing more efficient and accurate. Each manufacturer does this a little different so be sure to take time to get in front of these units before committing to one.

OTDR's have become very task specific. For example, you will find OTDR's specific for FTTx/GPON, last mile, and long haul. Some OTDR's now have a dead zone as short as 2ft. which is great for short fiber links. There is also a C-OTDR that is used in transoceanic cables. So you just need to be very sure you are buying the right model for what fits your testing needs.

Another factor to consider for OTDR's is being user friendly. I have spoken to several companies that were not happy with their OTDR's because the units were so hard to setup, the menus were confusing, and the techs could not use them efficiently even after being trained. There are some manufacturers that show block diagrams instead of traces and that seems to help people who are learning to use an OTDR. Some testers can even recognize macrobends and ghost events which is a huge benefit.

Some testers are feature rich and include WIFI/ethernet connectivity which is nice for remote access or in-house training through VNC, which allows the screen to be projected. Cloud storage is a big plus for companies that are on traveling projects, so the PM can access test records instantly.

I am really curious to think about where AI will be taking us in the next few years with fiber and copper testing. I see a huge advantage to all these cloud results that have been stockpiling for the last decade. If there are any manufacturers that are interested in where we as an industry need this to go - reach out to me, I have some great ideas!