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Power Budget

The document outlines the process of calculating and testing fiber link loss, emphasizing the importance of a loss budget during both design and installation phases. It details methods for calculating fiber loss, estimating fiber distance, and the use of testing equipment such as Optical Time Domain Reflectometers (OTDRs) and Visual Fault Locators (VFLs). Additionally, it discusses the parameters and challenges associated with OTDR measurements, including the occurrence of 'ghosts' in short cables.

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abdinasir abdullahi
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31 views14 pages

Power Budget

The document outlines the process of calculating and testing fiber link loss, emphasizing the importance of a loss budget during both design and installation phases. It details methods for calculating fiber loss, estimating fiber distance, and the use of testing equipment such as Optical Time Domain Reflectometers (OTDRs) and Visual Fault Locators (VFLs). Additionally, it discusses the parameters and challenges associated with OTDR measurements, including the occurrence of 'ghosts' in short cables.

Uploaded by

abdinasir abdullahi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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07

Link Loss calculation & Testing


Equipment

05/16/2025
01 Fiber Link loss budget

 The link loss budget is used to verify that the system’s maximum signal loss is
with in the required operating levels of the transmitter and receiver .
 The loss budget is the amount of loss that a cable plant should have if it is
installed properly.
 The loss budget has two uses,
1) during the design stage it is used to ensure the cabling being designed will work with
the links intended to be used over it and
2) After installation, the loss budget for the cabling is compared to the actual test results
to ensure the cable plant is installed properly.

05/16/2025
02 Visual Test

Visual Checks Jacket markings and labels


 Ensure the cables match the equipment and other cables (i.e /125 is not
mixed with 50/125). All cables must be labelled.
Connectors, couplers and splices
 Undamaged, clean and protected from future damage. Dust caps must be
used on unused couplers, ports and connectors. Use a microscope to check
ferrule ends. Use an approved wipe to remove contaminants.
Installation and cable routing
 No macrobends or other installation issues that may cause excessive losses or
damage. 05/16/2025
03 Calculating Fiber loss
budget
 The easiest and most accurate way is to perform an Optical Time Domain Reflectometer
(OTDR) trace of the actual link. This will give you the actual loss values for all events
(connectors, splices, and fiber loss) in the link
 In the absence of an actual OTDR trace, there are two alternatives that can be used to
estimate the power requirements of the link.
1.Estimate the total link loss across an existing fiber optic link if the fiber length and loss variables are known

2.Estimate the maximum fiber distance if optical budget and loss variables are known.

 Loss variables are connectors, splices and attenuation per kilometer of the fiber.

05/16/2025
04 Calculating loss
budget
 Link Budget = [fiber length (km) * fiber attenuation per km] + [splice loss * #
of splices]+[connector loss * # of connectors] + [safety margin]
 For example Assume a typical 1550nm 4km Single mode link with 5
connections (2 connectors at each end and 3 connections at patch panels in
the link) and two splice in the middle. The loss budget margin is 5 dB.
Calculate the total optical fiber loss of this link :

[4 km*0.35 dB/km] + [2*0.3 dB] + [5*0.5 dB] + 5 dB = 9.5 dB.


05/16/2025
05 Estimate Fiber
Distance
Fiber Length = { [(min. TX power) – (RX sensitivity)] – [splice loss x # of splices]
– [connector loss x # of connectors] – [safety margin] } / [fiber loss/km]
For example: Assume a Fast Ethernet single mode link at 1310nm with 2
connector pairs and 5 splices.
Fiber Length = { [(-8.0dB) – (-34.0dB)] – [0.1dB x 5] – [0.75dB x 2] – [3.0dB] } /
[0.4dB/km]
Fiber Length = { [26.0dB] – [0.5dB] – [1.5dB] – [3.0dB] } / [0.4dB/km] = 52.5 km

05/16/2025
06 Test Equipment

 A visual fault locator (VFL) uses visible spectrum laser light to test fiber
continuity as well as detecting fault conditions.
 The VFL identifies the continuity and identifies the connectors in the patch
panels or outlets , should the be transposed.

05/16/2025
07 Test Equipment

Optical Time Domain


Reflector
OTD
R

05/16/2025
08 OTDR

 It is a troubleshooting device to find faults, splices and bends in fiber optic cable.
 Used to measure length, time and intensity of light reflected on an optical fiber.
 It can detect light loss and pinpoint trouble areas making repair easy.
 OTDR can calculate fiber attenuation, uniformity, splice and connector losses of
the fiber under test, then provides graphical display (trace signatures)

05/16/2025
09 What does an OTDR
Measure ?
 Attenuation (also called fiber loss) Expressed in dB or dB/km.
 Distance The OTDR measurement is based on “Time”: Measure round trip
time of pulse
 Event any thing that causes loss or reflection other than normal scattering.
 Reflectance Ratio of reflected power to incident power of an event. The higher
the reflectance, the more light reflected back,
 Optical Return Loss (ORL) is similar to reflectance, but instead of a single
event, ORL is a measure of a section or span of overall reflected signal.

05/16/2025
10 OTDR acquisition
parameters
When using an OTDR, it’s important to set the correct OTDR parameters.
 Injection level the power injected into the fiber under test.
 Wavelength 1550nm will see more distance than 1310nm
 Pulse width: the longer the pulse width more light is injected into the fiber.
 The range of an OTDR is the distance over which it can acquire data samples

Averaging is the process by which each acquisition point is


sampled repeatedly and results averaged to improve signal
to noise ratio

05/16/2025
11 OTDR Event Trace

05/16/2025
12 OTDR
ghosts
If you are testing short cables with highly reflective connectors, you will likely
encounter “ghosts.” These are caused by the reflected light from the far end
connector reflecting back and forth in the fiber until it is attenuated to the
noise level.

05/16/2025
13 OTDR….

 TDRs can help identify the location of an error but are less effective at
measuring end-to-end power.
 Works like Radar.
 OTDRs are expensive. Prices start at $20,000 for a basic unit and can climb
to over $100,000.
 Caution: OTDRs usually use laser light.
o Warn others when testing
o Do not test cable that is plugged into equipment.

05/16/2025

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