Short Courses

Whatever would be the applications (5G, FTTX, MXU, structured cabling, HFC, Quantum optical transmission, etc) it is usually fed with fiber optic.

In a world where datacom is merging with telecom accelerating the deployment of high-speed interfaces on disaggregated networks webbed in fibers, the fiber characterization is the only rampart left to guarantee high quality of services.  

This workshop, organized around our OFCnet network, will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about fiber testing, characterization  and troubleshooting on a real network.

Each section of the short course will be including: the theory, demonstration, and hands on.

The course will cover the following topics:

Introduction to Fiber Optics:

1. Overview of fiber optic communication systems and principles of light transmission in optical fibers.
2. Transmission tolerances to effects like Loss, ORL, OSNR, CD and PMD
3. Optical Fiber Testing: Overview of the testing equipment used for fiber optic characterization, including optical time-domain reflectometers (OTDRs), OLTS and CD/PMD analyzer.
4. what is an OTDR?
   1. The theory and some specifications, the difference between source power meter and OTDR.
   2. An OTDR is basically a RADAR for fiber, pinpointing where the problems are, how bad they are, how long the fiber link is, how many connectors, splices and most importantly “WHERE!”.
   3. How to operate an OTDR:
   4. impact of the pulse duration vs resolution and dynamic range
   5. How to get a meaningful OTDR trace
   6. Trace interpretation is 50% of the job, what is a “gainer” a “Ghost” how to recognize a splice a connector, a macrobend...
5. Chromatic Dispersion: Explanation of chromatic dispersion and its effects on optical signals, as well as measurement methods and techniques to mitigate its impact.
6. Polarization Mode Dispersion: Explanation of polarization mode dispersion and its effects on optical signals, as well as measurement methods and techniques to mitigate its impact.
7. Fiber Optic Connector Inspection and Cleaning: Importance of maintaining clean fiber optic connectors and how to properly inspect and clean them.
8. Troubleshooting Fiber Optic Networks: Techniques for identifying and resolving common issues in fiber optic networks, such as fiber breaks, signal loss, and reflections.

By the end of this course, participants will have gained the skills and knowledge required to accurately characterize and troubleshoot fiber optic networks in the field. They will also have a thorough understanding of OTDR, chromatic dispersion and polarization mode dispersion, and how to mitigate their effects on optical signals.

This short course is designed to be a hands-on interactive opportunity to gain access to the live OFCnet network.

This course should enable participants to:

• Enhanced Technical Knowledge: Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of fiber optic characterization, including OTDR, chromatic dispersion, polarization mode dispersion ans spectrum analysis.
• Successful completion of this course will demonstrate a high level of expertise in fiber optic characterization, which may lead to career advancement opportunities within the field.
• The ability to accurately and efficiently troubleshoot fiber optic networks will enable participants to provide better customer service and improve customer satisfaction.
• Learn how to use optical testing equipment, including OTDRs, CD/PMD analyzers to accurately measure and analyze fiber optic networks.
• Quantify the effects of chromatic dispersion and polarization mode dispersion on optical signals and learn how to mitigate their impact.
• Master the art of inspecting and cleaning fiber optic connectors to ensure optimal performance.
• Operate an OTDR to characterize a fiber link and troubleshoot a Fiber optic network issue.
• Determine what would be the best acquisition parameters to acquire an optimized result.
• Setup and understand the acceptable threshold for different network types.
• Design methods and procedures for technicians using test equipment in the field.

This short course would be beneficial to any technicians, engineers, planners involved in fiber optic deployment. The short course is designed in a way that beginners, intermediate and advanced user will learn something new, guaranteed! Planners and network managers will benefit from this course as it will help them understand better what to expect from a results point of view, limitations and network quality. 

Gwenn Amice is Subject Matter Expert and senior member of technical staff at EXFO, providing technical seminars, training, and support to customers navigating next-generation optical networks. He also offers technical advice, represents EXFO at industry events, and works with product development groups to ensure solutions are cutting edge. With 28 years of telecom network experience, Gwenn holds a degree in electrical engineering and industrial computing and is dedicated to continued learning and evolution.

Christine Tremblay is Professor at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS) where she is the Founding Researcher and Head of the Network Technology Lab. With a background that includes senior roles in R&D and technology management across several organizations including Nortel, Roctest, EXFO and INO, she brings a wealth of  experience in her research and teaching activities. Her team pioneered the research on filterless optical networking, a disruptive architecture now implemented on national networks. She has also served as co-instructor for OFC SC314 and SC210 hands-on courses on optical fiber and polarization measurements for several years. Her research interests include machine learning for optical communications, network monitoring and sensing, as well as quantum networking.