Optical analyser has top speed and high resolution

High-resolution optical spectrum analyser combines the highest sweep speed of any current instrument with a wide range of connectivity options that make it equally suited to R+D and production testing

The new Yokogawa AQ6370 is a high-resolution optical spectrum analyser which combines the highest sweep speed of any instrument on the market with a wide range of connectivity options that make it equally suited to R+D and production testing of active and passive optical components such as filters, couplers, splitters, interleavers and amplifiers.

Typical speed enhancements over earlier optical spectrum analysers include a 100x increase in response speed, 10x faster sweep speed, and, with the ethernet interface, 100x improvement in data-transfer times.

The AQ6370 offers a wavelength resolution of 0.02nm, a wide close-in dynamic range of 62dBc at +/-0.4nm, multimode fibre test capability up to GI62.5/125 micrometre and pulsed light measurement capability.

In addition, with up to 50,000 data sampling points, the instrument can measure a wider wavelength span in a single sweep, reducing overall measurement times.

Fast data transfer and storage is provided by ethernet, GP-IB and USB connectivity, making it easy to link the AQ6370 to an external PC as the heart of an automated test system.

Additional automated functions include 'pass/fail' testing, auto analysis, calculation and curve fitting.

The AQ6370 is compatible with the SCPI programming standard and with Yokogawa's previous AQ6317 codes, and a macro programming function allows users to easily create their own test routines.

The large (128Mbyte) internal user memory can store over 5000 traces, while the USB 1.1 compatible interfaces support removable memory devices such as Flash Rom or high-capacity hard disk drives for additional data storage.

The use of a high-speed processor and new algorithms reduces key response time and initial hardware setup time, while an improved gain control system increases sweep speed for signals that require multiple amplifier gain settings to complete an entire trace.

A high-sensitivity mode allows high-speed measurements to be made on weak signals.

The AQ6370 offers a high degree of user-friendliness in operation, with intuitive front-panel operation as well as keyboard and mouse capability.

A trace zoom facility makes it possible to change display conditions, such as centre wavelength and span, under mouse control.

The use of a double-pass monochromator structure provides excellent signal separation, allowing optical signal/noise ratios to be measured in 50GHz spacing DWDM transmission systems and EDFA evaluation to be performed on multiple wavelength transmission sources.

The AQ6370 can measure optical power as high as +20dBm, which enables direct measurement of high power sources such as optical amplifiers and pump lasers for Raman amplifiers.

Measurement sensitivity can be chosen from seven categories.

The instrument's wavelength range from 600nm to 1700nm means that it covers not only telecommunication wavelengths, but also the visible light wavelength region which is used for home electronics, medical, and industrial material applications.

The AQ6370 uses a free-space input structure which not only allows the instrument to handle 62.5/125 micrometre multimode fibre but is also beneficial for measurement repeatability, since the insertion-loss variation at the input connector is smaller than with standard architectures.

The AQ6370 can capture the peak power of a pulsed signal using a peak hold capability or by using an external trigger to synchronise with the measured signal.

The high measurement sensitivity means that it can measure low-level signals in applications such as laser chip development or transmission-loop testing.

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