Optical Calibration

Instrument

DCA-X

N109x

Flex Apps:

FlexDCA

Use the Optical tab of the Calibrations dialog to calibrate an optical input channel on modules installed in a DCA-X's module bay as well as DCA-M modules. Click Tools > Calibrations to open this dialog.

The Optical calibration tab is shown whenever an optical module is installed.

For a N109X-series DCA-M modules and modules installed in a DCA-X's module bay, you can use this tab to perform optical 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 DCA-X's hard drive and not on the module. The following picture shows the dialog tab with the state of the calibrations.

Some older installed modules, such as the 86105C, do not support a user factory calibration.

Factory optical calibrations for an 86100D with FlexDCA firmware revision A.06.00 and below, previously required Legacy configuration mode. Legacy mode is no longer required.

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.

You can create up to three user calibrations: User Cal 2, User Cal 3, and User Cal 4. User Cal 1 is reserved for any user calibration that was stored on the module with the 86100D's legacy user calibration. Stored user calibrations can be deleted from memory using by clicking the Clear button.

Do not remove a module from the DCA-X during a calibration.

Calibration Status Icons
Icon	Description
	Calibration is current
	Calibration is recommended
	Calibration has never been performed

To perform an optical channel calibration, an optical source with a known optical output power level is required.

The minimum power level is recommended to assure specified performance over the instrument's full dynamic range. The calibration accuracy is heavily dependent on the accuracy to which you know the optical source power. For best results measure the optical source power with a high precision optical power meter.

If the result for an average power measurement (either eye/mask mode or oscilloscope mode) is an extremely large value, the instrument may have lost the factory optical channel calibration. For example, a value of 260W may be displayed for a 100 μW signal. You can also perform an optical responsivity calibration for a user-defined wavelength.

Optical Calibration Requirements
Module	Calibrate From		Factory Calibrated Wavelength(s)	Source Optical Power Level
Module	FlexDCA	86100D Legacy Mode	Factory Calibrated Wavelength(s)	Allowable	To Meet Specifications
N1092A/B/C/D/E	♦		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	♦		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
86116C		♦	1300 nm 1620 nm	500 μW to 6 mW 500 μW to 6 mW	500 μW to 6 mW 500 μW to 6 mW
86116B		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW 500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW
86116A		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW 500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW
86115D		♦	850 nm 1310 nm 1550 nm	800 μW to 2000 μW 500 μW to 1500 μW 500 μW to 1500 μW	800 μW to 1500 μW 500 μW to 1000 μW 500 μW to 1000 μW
86115B		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW 500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW
86115A		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW 500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW
86113A		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	100 μW to 500 μW 100 μW to 500 μW	150 μW to 250 μW 150 μW to 250 μW
86111U		♦	850 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW
86111A		♦	850 nm	100 μW to 500 μW	150 mW to 250 μW
86109B		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW 500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW
86109A		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW 500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW
86106A		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW 500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW
86106B		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW 500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW
86105D		♦	850 nm 1310 nm 1550 nm	800 μW to 2000 μW 500 μW to 1500 μW 500 μW to 1500 μW	800 μW to 1500 μW 500 μW to 1000 μW 500 μW to 1000 μW
86105C		♦	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
86105B		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW 500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW
86105A		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW 500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW
86103B		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	100 μW to 500 μW 100 μW to 500 μW	150 μW to 250 μW 150 μW to 250 μW
86103A		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	100 μW to 500 μW 100 μW to 500 μW	150 μW to 250 μW 150 μW to 250 μW
86102U		♦	850 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW
86102A		♦	850 nm	100 μW to 500 μW	150 μW to 250 μW
86101A		♦	850 nm	100 μW to 500 μW	150 μW to 250 μW
83487A		♦	850 nm	100 μW to 500 μW	150 μW to 250 μW
83486A		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	100 μW to 500 μW 100 μW to 500 μW	150 μW to 250 μW 150 μW to 250 μW
83485B		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW 500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW
83485A		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW 500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW
83482A		♦	1310 nm 1550 nm	500 μW to 1.5 mW 500 μW to 1.5 mW	500 μW to 1 mW 500 μW to 1 mW