Patent ID: 7263287
Filing Date: 2007-08-28
Classification: H04B,H04L

Abstract:
1. Apparatus for accelerating assessment of an optical transmission system using Bit Error Rate (BER) tests, the apparatus comprising a controllable laser transmitter and a data generator coupled to the controllable laser transmitter for modulating the light output of the laser transmitter with test transmission data, the controllable laser transmitter having an output coupled to an optical transmission system to be assessed, a BER measurement unit coupled to an output of the optical transmission system, a processing unit coupled to the BER measurement unit and to a laser controller coupled to the controllable laser transmitter for adjusting the extinction ratio of the controllable laser transmitter to provide relatively high test BER values at the BER measurement unit, the processing unit including a calculator for calculating a Q-factor for at least two different values of the extinction ratio from the relatively high measured test BER values and for obtaining a Q-factor value by extrapolation therefrom for an extinction ratio of the controllable laser transmitter in normal operation thereby enabling the BER to be calculated for normal operation of the controllable laser transmitter.