The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Jun. 16, 1998
Filed:
Dec. 04, 1996
Wayne A Barringer, Boca Raton, FL (US);
Casimer M DeCusatis, Poughkeepsie, NY (US);
International Business Machines Corporation, Armonk, NY (US);
Abstract
A device for testing multi-fiber optical cables includes a number of test stations into which an end of a cable under test is plugged. Some to the test stations provide for the attachment of an array connector, while others provide for the attachment of a number of discrete connectors. The optical input/output port of an OTDR unit is connected to each of the test stations through an optical switch, which connects this port with only one such station at a time. Within each station, signals from the optical switch are divided among a number of light paths by a splitter, which also returns signals from these light paths to the OTDR through the optical switch. The various light paths within each station include fiber optic jumpers which vary in length, so that a single test pulse from the OTDR is reflected back from a number of interfaces in the cable under test as a train of pulses.