The dynamic range is an important parameter of optical time domain reflectometer, which takes dB as unit. This parameter is expressed as the maximum optical loss that OTDR can analyze when the backscattering level from the output port of the instrument is reduced to a specific noise level.
In the actual use of OTDR, this parameter is usually measured by the farthest fiber link distance that OTDR can test under the condition9 of the maximum test pulse width provided by the instrument. Therefore, under the same link condition, the larger the dynamic range, the longer the distance of the optical fiber link that the instrument can test.
The maximum test distance of OTDR is different in different applications, because the loss of the link under test is different. Connectors, fuses and spectrometers are also factors that reduce OTDR test length.
