Finisar High Resolution Optical Channel Monitor

Finisar asserts its high-resolution optical channel monitor (OCM) offers unparalleled resolution, power, and frequency accuracy to complement new transceivers that support configurable transmission rates and modulation formats. The unit accurately discerns individual carriers densely packed into multi-carrier superchannels, independently of the differential power of adjacent signals. Coupled with rapid scanning and a high-speed SPI interface, Finisar's OCM offers real-time embedded performance monitoring with effectively no latency. It enhances precision network control during dynamic network operations such as provisioning and maintenance cycles, network fault localization, and reliable long-term WDM network operation.

The OCM uses patented and proprietary coherent/heterodyne technology to scan the C-Band with 1.25-GHz optical bandwidth resolution, 312.5-MHz readout resolution, and frequency accuracy within less than 1 GHz. This high performance monitoring is equivalent or better than benchtop optical spectrum analyzer test equipment, Finisar says. Judge's comment: "This brings coherent spectrum analysis to the channel monitor market. It's compact and quite frequency agile, and ruggedness should be good, too."Click here to return to the 2016 Lightwave Innovation Reviews page.