Optical Calibration
An optical calibration calibrates an optical input channel at a specific wavelength on modules installed in a N1000A's module bay as well as DCA-M modules. For a N109X-series DCA-M modules and modules installed in a N1000A's module bay, you can use this calibrations at both factory and user wavelengths. If you perform an optical channel calibration at a factory-calibrated wavelength, the factory calibration will not be overwritten. The calibrations for two-slot modules are stored on the N1000A's hard drive and not on the module.
Calibration commands correspond to the features in the Calibration dialog. You can click on the tabs in this picture to learn about the different calibrations.
Factory and user optical channel calibrations (also known as O/E calibration) compensate for the photo detector responsivity. This provides both an accurate display of the received optical waveform in optical power units and an accurate measurement of the signal's average power. If you will be operating at wavelengths different from the factory-calibrated wavelengths, perform a user optical channel calibration at the desired wavelength. An external CW optical source must be used, and the wavelength and power of the optical source must be entered for the calibration. The user-defined wavelength must be within the wavelength ranges specific to each module. For example, if you are operating the N1090A DCA-M module, you can select a user-defined wavelength between 750 nm and 1650 nm. The power output from the optical source must also be within the ranges specific to each module.
Depending on the module, you can create up to three user calibrations: User Cal 2, User Cal 3, and User Cal 4. Stored user calibrations can be deleted from memory using by clicking the Clear button.
| Module | Option | User Calibration Wavelength Range | Factory Calibrated Wavelength(s) |
Source Optical Power Level | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Allowable | To Meet Specifications | ||||
| N1093A/B | — | 830 nm to 1600 nm | 1310 nm | 250 μW to 2.5 mW |
500 μW to 1 mW |
| N1092A/B/C/D/E | 30A | 830 nm to 1600 nm | 850 nm 1310 nm 1550 nm |
500 μW to 2.5 mW 500 μW to 2.5 mW 500 μW to 2.5 mW |
500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW |
| N1092A/B/C/D/E | 40A | 1250 nm to 1600 nm | 1310 nm 1550 nm |
500 μW to 2.5 mW 500 μW to 2.5 mW |
500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW |
| N1092A | N28 | 830 nm to 1600 nm | 850 nm 1310 nm 1550 nm |
500 μW to 2.5 mW 500 μW to 2.5 mW 500 μW to 2.5 mW |
500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW |
| N1090A | — | 750 nm to 1650 nm | 850 nm 1310 nm 1550 nm |
375 μW to 425 μW 175 μW to 225 μW 175 μW to 225 μW |
375 μW to 425 μW 175 μW to 225 μW 175 μW to 225 μW |
| N1032A/B | — | 1250 nm to 1625 nm | 1310 nm 1550 nm |
175 μW to 225 μW 175 μW to 225 μW |
175 μW to 225 μW 175 μW to 225 μW |
| N1030A/B | — | 1250 nm to 1600 nm | 1310 nm 1550 nm |
175 μW to 225 μW 175 μW to 225 μW |
175 μW to 225 μW 175 μW to 225 μW |