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Fiber Optic Test Meters • Operation 11
Measuring Optical Power
CAUTION: It is important to keep all optical connections and surfaces free from dirt, oils, or
other contaminants to ensure proper operation. Always clean all test reference cables
before conducting the test procedures outlined in this guide. See “Cleaning Optical
Ports” on page 17 for details.
To Measure Optical Power
1. Turn on the FPM 101 power meter by pressing the power button (
a
).
2. Select the appropriate fiber optic reference cable. The fiber type of this cable must
be the same as the fiber type normally connected to the equipment output being
measured.
NOTE: Always verify that reference cable loss is not excessive (< 0.5 dB), before
measuring the power output of fiber optic equipment
(see “Testing Fiber Optic Links” on page 12).
3. Select the adapter cap matching the reference cable connector and type.
4. Connect one end of the reference cable to the adapter cap and the other end to the
optical output to be measured.
5. Press the wavelength button (
e
) to select the calibrated wavelength matching the
nominal wavelength of the source under measurement.
6. If the power meter is presently measuring insertion loss in dB, press the dB/dBm
button (
f
) to display power in dBm, or press and hold it to display power in μW.
0000
0.00
WAVE ID
nm
Hz
µW
dB
0000
0.00
nm
Hz
µW
dB
λ
Ref
dBm
dB
µW Set
POWER
Fiber Optic Equipment
a
f
e
c
d
b
d
Reference Cable
Adapter Cap
FIBER POWER METER
FPM 101
e
f
Figure 6. Power Measurement Connections