Open AccessAccurate Location of Fiber Cable Fault with OTDR
Author(s) -
Krzysztof Borzycki,
AUTHOR_ID,
Paul Gajewski
Publication year - 2021
Language(s) - English
DOI - 10.26636/jtit.2021.158621
Subject(s) - optical time domain reflectometer , optical fiber cable , computer science , optical fiber , fault (geology) , spare part , electronic engineering , engineering , fiber optic splitter , fiber optic sensor , telecommunications , geology , seismology , mechanical engineering
The paper reviews the factors limiting the accuracy of locating a fiber optic cable fault when using an optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) and describes an error estimation method for typical use cases. The primary source of errors lies in the complex relationship between the length of the optical fiber (measured by OTDR), its routing, cable design depending on cable design and type of installation (i.e. duct, directly buried, aerial) as well as the spare lengths used for service purposes. The techniques which considerably improve the accuracy of the fault localization processes are presented, the importance of accurate documentation of the network and of referencing the fault location to the nearest splice instead of end of the line are discussed, as is the absence of cable helix factor in data sheets.