Patent ID: 7042559
Filing Date: 2006-05-09
Classification: G01M

Abstract:
1. A method for verifying fiber connections and determining the location of fiber impairments causing loss of light or loss of signal conditions in a WDM optical system comprising a plurality of optical data-bearing channels each having one of a plurality of different wavelengths, said method comprising the steps of: selecting from said plurality of wavelengths a particular wavelength corresponding to an optical data-bearing channel to be verified; directing an optical pulse having said particular wavelength into a selected one of a plurality of optical fiber transmission lines that are connected to a multiplexer that multiplexes a data bearing channel carried on each of the plurality of optical fiber transmission lines onto a trunk fiber, or a demultiplexer that demultiplexes multiplexed data bearing channels from the trunk fiber; receiving backscattered light from the selected optical fiber transmission line; and determining a fault location in the WDM optical system from the backscattered light.