Optical switching for automated test systems

The proliferation of optical technology in the commercial telecom arena has driven the need to develop cost effective fiber optic component test systems with high throughput rates. As more and more optical technology makes its way into military systems the needs are increasing for general-purpose optical test systems to meet these diverse requirements as well. An understanding of the optical performance parameters of optical switches is needed to design optimal optical switch based test systems for measurement of both active and passive optical component performance. The advantages of using optically switched test architectures to increase productivity, provide greater measurement accuracy and to lower overall test equipment investment are numerous. The general availability of optical switches that meet the required performance parameters, enable the development of cost effective flexible test systems and embedded monitoring systems that can support a wide range of requirements. This paper explores some of the uses of optical switches in test, measurement, and embedded monitoring applications. Optical switch system design options and performance tradeoffs are also discussed in detail. A comparison of modular with stand-alone optical switches is discussed with regard to cost and functionality.