Method and apparatus for calibrating a lightwave component measurement system

Claim 3

The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of: substituting an electro-optical device under test for the lightwave source; alternatively substituting an opto-electrical device under test for the lightwave receiver; performing a measurement on the device under test; using the electro-optical error correction data, when an electro-optical characteristic of the electro-optical device under test is measured; and using the opto-electrical error correction data, when an opto-electrical characteristic of the opto-electrical device under test is measured.

Claim 4

The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of storing the error correction data in a lightwave component analyzer.

Claim 7

The method of claim 4 wherein the at least one modulation and demodulation transfer characteristic is given in terms of the responsivity magnitude and phase versus modulation frequency.

Claim 8

The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of measuring responsivity versus modulating frequency for an opto-electrical device under test.

Claim 9

Thereto of claim 4, further comprising the step of measuring responsivity versus power for an opto-electrical device under test.

Claim 10

The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of measuring sensitivity of an opto-electrical device under test.

Claim 11

The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of measuring the modulation power linearity performance for an opto-electrical device under test.

Claim 12

The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of measuring responsivity versus modulating frequency for an electro-optical device under test.

Claim 13

The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of measuring responsivity versus power for an electro-optical device under test.

Claim 14

The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of measuring sensitivity of an electro-optical device under test.

Claim 15

The method of claim 4, further comprising the step of measuring the modulation power linearity performance for an electro-optical device under test.

Claim 16

A lightwave component measurement system incorporating calibration for absolute and relative measurements of at least one of a modulation and demodulation transfer characteristic of electro-optical and opto-electrical devices under test during setup of the lightwave component measurement system for characterizing performance of fiber optic systems and associated components, comprising: a modulation source for generating a swept electrical signal; a tuned vector receiver having an input port; a lightwave source connected to the modulation source, the lightwave source including an electro-optical transducer for converting the swept electrical signal generated by the modulation source to an optical signal, the lightwave source having known electro-optical characteristics; a lightwave receiver including an opto-electrical transducer for reconverting a received optical signal to an electrical signal, the lightwave receiver having known opto-electrical characteristics; the electrical signal produced by the opto-electrical transducer included in the lightwave receiver being fed to the input port of the tuned vector receiver; and means for performing a measurement for establishing an initial calibration reference based on the known characteristics of the lightwave source and the lightwave receiver when the lightwave component measurement system is used to characterize at least one of an electro-optical device under test and an opto-electrical device under test to produce error correction data, comprising: means for selecting the lightwave source as a calibration reference based on the known characteristics of the lightwave source, when the lightwave component measurement system is to be used to characterize an electro-optical device under test, and alternatively selecting the lightwave receiver as a calibration reference based on the known characteristics of the lightwave receiver, when the lightwave component measurement system is to be used to characterize an opto-electrical device under test; means for providing data specifying the known electro-optical response characteristics of the lightwave source, when the lightwave source is selected as the calibration reference, and data specifying the known opto-electrical characteristics of the lightwave receiver, when the lightwave receiver is selected as the calibration reference; wherein an optical signal produced by the lightwave source in response to the swept electrical signal is detected by the lightwave receiver which produces the electrical signal at the input port of the tuned vector receiver; and means for producing electro-optical error correction data by dividing the response represented by the second electrical signal by the data specifying the known response characteristics of the lightwave source, when the lightwave source is selected as the calibration reference, and alternatively producing opto-electrical error correction data by dividing the response represented by the second electrical signal by the data specifying the known response characteristics of the lightwave receiver, when the lightwave receiver is selected as the calibration reference.

Claim 17

A lightwave component measurement system incorporating calibration for absolute and relative measurements of at least one of a modulation and demodulation transfer characteristic of electro-optical and opto-electrical devices under test during setup of the lightwave component measurement system for characterizing performance of fiber optic systems and associated components, comprising: a modulation source for generating a swept electrical signal; a tuned vector receiver having an input port; a lightwave source connected to the modulation source, the lightwave source including an electro-optical transducer for converting the swept electrical signal generated by the modulation source to an optical signal, the lightwave source having known electro-optical characteristics; a lightwave receiver including an opto-electrical transducer for reconverting a received optical signal to an electrical signal, the lightwave receiver having known opto-electrical characteristics; the electrical signal produced by the opto-electrical transducer included in the lightwave receiver being fed to the input port of the tuned vector receiver; and means for performing a measurement for establishing an initial calibration reference based on the known characteristics of the lightwave source and the lightwave receiver when the lightwave component measurement system is used to characterize at least one of an electro-optical device under test and an opto-electrical device under test to produce error correction data, comprising: means for selecting the lightwave source as a calibration reference based on the known characteristics of the lightwave source, when the lightwave component measurement system is to be used to characterize an electro-optical device under test, and alternatively selecting the lightwave receiver as a calibration reference based on the known characteristics of the lightwave receiver, when the lightwave component measurement system is to be used to characterize an opto-electrical device under test; means for providing data specifying the known electro-optical response characteristics of the lightwave source, when the lightwave source is selected as the calibration reference, and data specifying the known opto-electrical characteristics of the lightwave receiver, when the lightwave receiver is selected as the calibration reference; wherein an optical signal produced by the lightwave source in response to the swept electrical signal is detected by the lightwave receiver which produces the electrical signal at the input port of the tuned vector receiver; and means for producing electro-optical error correction data by dividing the response represented by the second electrical signal by the data specifying the known response characteristics of the lightwave source, when the lightwave source is selected as the calibration reference, and alternatively producing opto-electrical error correction data by dividing the response represented by the second electrical signal by the data specifying the known response characteristics of the lightwave receiver, when the lightwave receiver is selected as the calibration reference.

Claim 18

The lightwave component measurement system of claim 14 wherein the device under test is substituted for its calibrated counterpart in the lightwave component measurement system, further comprising: means for performing a measurement on the device under test; and means for compensating the measurement using the error correction data when the electro-optical or opto-electrical characteristics of the device under test are measured.

Claim 19

The lightwave component measurement system of claim 14, further comprising means for storing the error correction data.

Claim 20

The lightwave component measurement system of claim 14 configured for calibrating opto-electrical test measurements.

Claim 21

The lightwave component measurement system of claim 14 configured for calibrating electro-optical test measurements.

Claim 22

The lightwave component measurement system of claim 14 wherein the modulation source generates a 300 kHz to 3 GHz electrical signal.

Claim 23

The lightwave component measurement system of claim 14 wherein the tuned vector receiver has a second input port, further comprising a power splitter connected to the modulation source for feeding a selected portion of the electrical signal generated by the modulation source to the electro-optical transducer included in the lightwave source and another portion of the electrical signal generated by the modulation source as a reference signal to the second input port of the tuned vector receiver.