Optical Modulation Index (OMI) is key variable in determining carrier power and thus Carrier-to-Noise Ratio (CNR), which is a primary factor in the performance of optical communications systems (as you will see in the equation below).

Written by:  Kyle Miller @ JEM Electronics, Inc.

What are Fiber Optic Attenuators?

Multimode optical fiber is a type of optical fiber widely used for shorter distance applications (data center, campus, premise, etc), due to its larger core sizes (62.5um and 50um), high capacity, and high reliability.

In many cases, the primary focus of a fiber network simulation platform is on the electro-optical equipment at both ends of the fiber optic link.  Since the purpose of network simulators is to evaluate the DUT (Device Under Test) equipment, it only makes sense that this is where the attention will be. However, it is a crucial mistake to forget about both the stability and consistency of the test fiber because the DUT test results (performance, pass/ fail, etc) totally depend on knowing that the optical fiber characteristics are consistent and very reliable.

With fiber optic equipment now widely used in most communications systems, it is crucial that administrators and service personnel have an efficient solution in place for dealing with issues directly related to the physical network.  While there are many Network Management Systems (NMS) being utilized, most will send an alert if a specific piece of equipment fails, but are not a help in locating the problem if it should occur to the line itself.  Therefore, while a failure will often be recognized quickly, much time can be lost in sending a technician out to locate and fix the specific issue.

When testing fiber optic equipment intended for longer distances during the development/certification stages, it is vital that engineers ensure their products will operate as intended once installed in the field.  In order to do this, there are a few alternative methods that have been used to accomplish this task.  As a leading provider of network simulation platforms containing real optical fiber spools, questions we commonly receive include:

As the use of fiber optic equipment in communications systems continues to grow worldwide, network simulation testing has become vitally important for vendors seeking to offer their equipment for use in the field.