Pluggable optical time domain reflectometer

1 . An optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) comprising:

an active OTDR module in a form of a small form-factor pluggable (SFP) component that houses an electrical interface connection, an optical input port, an optical output port, a laser source, a laser driver circuit, a photodetector, a transimpedance amplifier, and electrical process and control circuitry; and

a separate pigtailed component coupled between a fiber span under test and the input and output optical ports of the active OTDR module;

wherein the laser source provides, in an OTDR measurement process, an optical probe signal to the fiber span under test via the optical output port of the SFP component;

wherein the laser driver circuit supplies an electronic input causing the laser source to generate the optical probe signal;

wherein the photodetector is disposed to receive reflected portions of the optical probe signal from the fiber span under test via the input optical port of the SFP component, and generate therefrom an electrical photocurrent representation of the reflected portions of the optical probe signal;

wherein the transimpedance amplifier is coupled to an output of the photodetector to receive the electrical photocurrent and converts the electrical photocurrent into an electrical voltage representation of the reflected portions of the optical probe signal;

wherein the electrical process and control circuitry energizes the laser driver circuit and transforms the electrical voltage representation of the reflected portions of the optical probe signal output from the transimpedance amplifier into data useful in generating OTDR output traces; and

wherein the separate pigtailed component houses a directional optical coupling device coupled to both the optical output port and the optical input port of the active OTDR module and configured to direct propagation of the optical probe signal from the optical output port toward the fiber span under test and direct reflections attributed to the optical probe signal from the fiber span under test into the optical input port of the active OTDR module.

2 . The OTDR of claim 1 wherein the separate pigtailed component comprises a bandpass filter disposed between the directional optical coupling device and the optical input port of the SFP component.

3 . The OTDR of claim 1 wherein the directional optical coupling device comprises an optical circulator.

4 . The OTDR of claim 1 wherein the optical input port and the optical output port of the active OTDR module comprise angled physical connectors (APCs).

5 . The OTDR of claim 1 wherein the electrical interface connection permits plugging the active OTDR module into another electrical component.

6 . The OTDR of claim 1 wherein the electrical process and control circuitry further comprises an electrical interface component that provides bidirectional communication between the active OTDR module and external monitoring components.

7 . The OTDR of claim 6 wherein the electrical process and control circuitry further comprises processing circuitry that controls operation of the laser driver circuit, analyzes the electrical voltage output from the transimpedance amplifier, and generates therefrom an OTDR trace as an output.

8 . The OTDR of claim 6 wherein the electrical interface connection is coupled to the electrical interface component.

9 . An optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) system, comprising:

an OTDR small form factor pluggable (SFP) component housing:

an electrical interface connection that permits plugging the OTDR SFP component into another electrical component;

a first angled physical connector configured to provide an optical probe signal to a fiber span under test;

a second angled physical connector configured to receive reflected portions of the optical probe signal from the fiber span under test;

a laser source that provides, in an OTDR measurement process, the optical probe signal to the fiber span under test via the first angled physical connector;

a photodetector disposed to receive the reflected portions of the optical probe signal from the fiber span under test via the second angled physical connector and generate therefrom an electrical photocurrent representation of the reflected portions of the optical probe signal; and

electrical circuitry that receives the electrical photocurrent and generates an electrical data signal representative of the reflected portions of the optical probe signal; and

a pigtailed component coupled between the first and second angled physical connectors and the fiber span under test;

wherein the pigtailed component houses a directional optical coupling device coupled to both the first and second angled physical connectors and configured to direct propagation of the optical probe signal from the first angled physical connector toward the fiber span under test and direct reflections attributed to the optical probe signal from the fiber span under test into the second angled physical connector; and

wherein the pigtailed component comprises a bandpass filter disposed between the directional optical coupling device and the second angled physical connector.

10 . The OTDR system of claim 9 , wherein the directional optical coupling device comprises an optical circulator.

11 . The OTDR system of claim 9 , wherein the electrical circuitry comprises an electrical interface component that provides bidirectional communication between the electrical circuitry and external monitoring components.

12 . The OTDR system of claim 11 , wherein the electrical interface connection is coupled to the electrical interface component.

13 . The OTDR system of claim 9 , wherein:

the pigtailed component comprises a wavelength division multiplexer between a fiber span and the fiber span under test; and

the wavelength division multiplexer directs propagation of the optical probe signal of the first angled physical connector toward the fiber span under test and directs reflections attributed to the optical probe signal into the second angled physical connector.

14 . The OTDR system of claim 13 , wherein the wavelength division multiplexer permits an optical signal to pass through and propagate between the fiber span and the fiber span under test when the OTDR SFP component is not in use.

15 . An optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) system, comprising:

an OTDR small form factor pluggable (SFP) component housing:

an electrical interface connection that permits plugging the OTDR SFP component into another electrical component;

a first angled physical connector configured to provide an optical probe signal to a fiber span under test;

a second angled physical connector configured to receive reflected portions of the optical probe signal from the fiber span under test;

a laser source that provides, in an OTDR measurement process, the optical probe signal to the fiber span under test via the first angled physical connector;

a photodetector disposed to receive the reflected portions of the optical probe signal from the fiber span under test via the second angled physical connector and generate therefrom an electrical photocurrent representation of the reflected portions of the optical probe signal; and

electrical circuitry that receives the electrical photocurrent and generates an electrical data signal representative of the reflected portions of the optical probe signal; and

a pigtailed component coupled between the first and second angled physical connectors and the fiber span under test;

wherein the pigtailed component houses a directional optical coupling device coupled to both the first and second angled physical connectors and configured to direct propagation of the optical probe signal from the first angled physical connector toward the fiber span under test and direct reflections attributed to the optical probe signal from the fiber span under test into the second angled physical connector; and

wherein the pigtailed component comprises a wavelength division multiplexer between a fiber span and the fiber span under test.

16 . The OTDR system of claim 15 , wherein the directional optical coupling device comprises an optical circulator.

17 . The OTDR system of claim 15 , wherein:

the electrical circuitry comprises an electrical interface component that provides bidirectional communication between the electrical circuitry and external monitoring components; and

the electrical interface connection is coupled to the electrical interface component.

18 . The OTDR system of claim 15 , wherein the wavelength division multiplexer directs propagation of the optical probe signal of the first angled physical connector toward the fiber span under test and directs reflections attributed to the optical probe signal into the second angled physical connector.

19 . The OTDR system of claim 18 , wherein the wavelength division multiplexer permits an optical signal to pass through and propagate between the fiber span and the fiber span under test when the OTDR SFP component is not in use.

20 . The OTDR system of claim 18 , wherein the wavelength division multiplexer permits an optical signal to pass through and propagate between the fiber span and the fiber span under test when the first and second angled physical connectors of the OTDR SFP component are not coupled to the pigtailed component.