scope:

This part of IEC 61290 applies to output power controlledoptically amplified, elementary subsystems. It applies to opticalfibre amplifiers (OFA) using active fibres containing rare-earthdopants, presently commercially available, as indicated in IEC61291-1, as well as alternative optical amplifiers that can be usedfor single channel output power controlled operation, such assemiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA). The object of this standardis to provide the general background for optical amplifier (OA)power transients and its measurements and to indicate those IECstandard test methods for accurate and reliable measurements of thefollowing transient parameters: a) Transient power response b)Transient power overcompensation response c) Steady-state poweroffset d) Transient power response time The stimulus and responsesbehaviours under consideration include: Channel power increase 1)(step transient) 2) Channel power reduction (inverse steptransient) 3) Channel power increase/reduction (pulse transient) 4)Channel power reduction/increase (inverse pulse transient) 5)Channel power increase/reduction/increase (lightning bolttransient) 6) Channel power reduction/increase/reduction (inverselightning bolt transient) These parameters have been included toprovide a complete description of the transient behaviour of anoutput power transient controlled OA. The test definition definedhere are applicable if the amplifier is an OFA or an alternativeOA. However, the description in Annex A of this documentconcentrates on the physical performance of an OFA and provides adetailed description of the behaviour of OFA; it does not give asimilar description of other OA types.