Power meter and sensor

Power meters and sensors are used to measure the output power of the incident light from both the light source and the installed fibers.

 The power meter normally has built in calibration for the most frequently used wavelengths, but can be calibrated for other wavelengths as well.

 On older types of power meters and sensors it may be necessary to recalculate the reading if output power is measured at wavelengths other than 1310 mm.

 Different types of sensor (optical receiver) are available depending on the type of measurement to be made and the wavelength range. The sensors normally used permit a measurement range from + 10 to –80 dBm. Sensors are normally calibrated for 1310 and 1550 nm. If several power meters and sensors are used simultaneously, they must be calibrated against each other in order to produce congruent results.

 During routine maintenance testing of telecom network installations and for testing relatively small installations, such as data networks, a simple form of power meter should suffice. These handheld instruments have a limited range and not the same reliability as those described above.

 Handheld power meters can normally be connected for testing at different wavelengths: 850, 1310, and 15500.