Luna's Optical Backscatter Reflectometer Now Measures Temperature And Strain Distribution
Blacksburg, VA – Luna Technologies, a developer of advanced solutions for fiber-optic test and measurement systems, announced major enhancements to its Optical Backscatter Reflectometer (OBR). Luna's award-winning measurement tool offers unmatched diagnostic capabilities to the manufacturers of fiber-optic components and assemblies and now offers the ability to monitor temperature and strain distribution. Distributed sensing functionality in combination with Luna's new Smart LightPath Analysis software gives users more capability than ever before to see what is really going on in their designs translating directly in to time and cost savings and higher quality products.
Luna's enhancements to the OBR make the instrument more useable over a wider range of applications. With a length range of up to 500 meters with millimeters of resolution, users can now monitor the effects from component level heating in optical amplifiers to strain and load redistribution in aircraft harnesses. Other applications include temperature monitoring inside cabinets and enclosures, and smart fiber location allowing users to identify the location in fiber assemblies simply by touching the fiber. The OBR measures phase shifts in the coherent Rayleigh backscatter from the fiber and components that comprise the assembly under test, thus this technique does not require any specialty sensing fiber.
The OBR comes packaged with Smart LightPath Analysis software which is designed to quickly take the guess-work out of assembling and manufacturing of fiber optic equipment. This system produces easy-to-read, push button pass/fail results in seconds by analyzing measured data and automatically determining whether or not an optical build meets specification. Smart LightPath Analysis software can locate and discriminate between connectors, splices, fiber segments and components such as modulators, detectors and receivers--all with millimeter resolution and accuracy over 500 meters of length.
"The OBR was designed to give users unprecedented visibility into what is really happening in their fiber optic assemblies," says Dr. Brian Soller, Business Director at Luna Technologies. "The instrument's enhancements further visibility by allowing users to ‘see' not only losses and reflections, but other relevant quantities like temperature and strain changes. We asked, ‘why not use the fiber itself as the sensor?' and the answer is our new Rayleigh-based technique. Luna's solution represents a tremendous leap forward in high-resolution distributed fiber sensing by removing the need to embed sensors in the fiber. "
The OBR comes configured with an integrated internal tunable laser source, a computer and a monitor. It is available immediately with an estimated six to eight week delivery time.
SOURCE: Luna Technologies, a Division of Luna Innovations Incorporated