Passing a modulated multi-wavelength optical signal through a dispersive single mode fibre to produce a test signal

摘要

The present invention concerns an optical signal generator. The signals produced by the generator may be used in comprehensive stressed receiver sensitivity testing of receivers for optical fibre communication. The present invention relies largely on optical components rather than electrical components, as in prior art systems. Each one of a plurality of optical sources generates an optical signal. Each optical signal has a different wavelength to any of the other optical signals. The optical signals are multiplexed in combiner 22 and the resulting multi-wavelength signal is modulated by an electro-optic modulator 24. The modulated signal is then passed through a length of dispersive single mode optical fibre 26, to produce differential delays between different wavelengths in the modulated multi-wavelength signals, and thus separate the pulses in time.