EXFO has released its FTBx-740C-DWC solution, a high resolution tunable OTDR designed to test through field mux/demux channels using the customer’s wavelength in order to efficiently troubleshoot faulty links or deliver first-time-right deployments during construction. The EXFO’s new FTBx-740C-DWC OTDR enables the single-ended troubleshooting of high-value dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) access links in order to reduce the mean time to repair (MTTR) and avoid service level agreement (SLA) penalty fees. This DWDM OTDR complements EXFO’s coarse wavelength-division multiplexing (CWDM) OTDR and Ethernet test modules to provide a comprehensive and powerful kit for field technicians.

With commercial services in fibre-to-the-building/fibre-to-the-premises and cellular backhaul deployments evolving and mig­r­at­ing from CWDM to DWDM, EXFO’s tunable DWDM OTDR allows technicians to perform in-service tests from the head end right up to the customer’s premises, while easily locating prob­lems and preventing costly SLA penalties and main­tenance downtime periods. In contrast with the traditional light source and OSA approach that requires two technicians and synchronisation, this single-ended OTDR test solution enables one technician to quick­ly respond to network failures. In addition, this technology com­plements the existing test procedures currently used for CWDM deployments, and is easy to use with a quick learning curve.

EXFO’s FTBx-740C-DWC unit is a tunable OTDR in the C-band, and covers channel spacings of 100 GHz/50 GHz based on the ITU-T standard grid. The tunable laser also features a high dynamic range for improved performance and the long reach needed to cover metro/long-haul applications. It is housed in the scalable and powerful FTB-2 platform, and provides comprehensive validation and fault-finding of the physical layer, along with Ethernet service assessment from 10M to 100G.