Compact optical performance monitor

Abstract

A monitoring system provides for monitoring the optical performance of a plurality of different channels of a fiber optic network, each channel having an associated channel wavelength. The system includes: means for generating a calibration signal including a plurality of stable calibration wavelengths; means for combining a tapped communication signal and the calibration signal to generate a combined signal; and a multi-channel monitoring device. The monitoring device includes: an input optical fiber for receiving the combined signal, and for radiating an input light beam including the communication wavelengths and the calibration wavelengths; a detector unit having an array of pixel detector elements each being responsive to light beams incident thereon, and operative to generate an associated data signal; collimating and focusing means for collimating and focusing beams propagating between the fiber end and the detector unit; and a transmissive grating assembly for diffracting and spatially separating beams propagating between the input fiber end and the detector unit. The grating assembly, collimating and focusing means, and pixel detector elements are configured so that the diffracted beams are spatially separated and focused onto associated ones of the detector elements according to their wavelengths. A data processing unit receives the data signals from the detector unit, and is operative to provide information indicative of the intensities and wavelengths associated with each of the channels of the main communication signal. The processing unit uses the calibration wavelengths as standards to calibrate positional relationships between the spatially diffracted beams and the associated pixel detector elements.