NIST studies errors in power meter connections

17 Jun 2002

A study by NIST's Optoelectronics Division in Boulder, Colo., has found that users of optical fiber power meters can expect as much as a 10 percent error if the meter is used with a connector different from that used to calibrate the meter.

The error sources, NIST found, are reflection properties of the detectors, windows and connectors involved. When the power incident on an optical fiber power meter is measured, radiation is transmitted through a fiber attached to the detector by a fiber connector and adapter. The closeness of the fiber connector to the detector and its associated window provides an opportunity for reflections that introduce errors in the power readings.

To perform its study, NIST selected six common connector types from four randomly chosen vendors. Calibrations were performed on four types of power meters at three telecommunications wavelengths: 850, 1310 and 1550 nanometers.