Patent ID: 8494376

Claim:
A method for performing eye mask testing in an optical communication system using a hybrid eye mask, the method comprising: receiving a predetermined optical modulation amplitude (OMA) value in a processing device, wherein the predetermined OMA value is obtained from a specification for a part being tested; in the processing device, using the predetermined OMA value to calculate a lower mask value and an upper mask value as first and second percentages, respectively, of the predetermined OMA value; measuring a waveform produced by the part being tested and capturing a set of data samples corresponding to the measured waveform; in the processing device, processing the captured set of data samples to determine a level 0 value and a level 1 value for the data set; in the processing device, processing the level 0 and level 1 values to determine a center level value of the captured data set as an average of the level 0 and level 1 values; in the processing device, calculating a center level mask value as an average of the lower and upper mask values; in the processing device, subtracting the center level mask value from the center level value of the captured data set to obtain an offset center level value; in the processing device, adding the offset center level value to the lower mask value to obtain an offset lower mask value and adding the offset center level value to the upper mask value to obtain an offset upper mask value, wherein the center level value of the captured data set and the offset lower and offset upper mask values define the hybrid eye mask; in the processing device, generating an eye diagram from the captured data set; and in the processing device, analyzing the eye diagram and the hybrid eye mask to determine whether the part being tested passes an eye mask test.