Optical wavelength meters

The new Yokogawa AQ6150 and AQ6151 optical wavelength meters are fast, accurate and cost-effective instruments for carrying out measurements in the telecommunications wavelength range from 1270 to 1650 nm. They are the latest additions to the company’s market-leading range of optical test instruments, and have many features in common with Yokogawa’s highly successful AQ6370 family of optical spectrum analysers.

They feature a high wavelength accuracy (±1 pm for the AQ6150 and ±0.3 pm for the AQ6151), and can carry out simultaneous measurements on up to 1024 channels. They maintain this high performance even in low-level input, and can cope with modulated light and optical filter measurement.

The high acquisition and measurement speed of the new instruments makes them particularly suited to the production testing of active optical devices such as tunable lasers for telecommunications applications. Typical acquisition time is 0.3 sec, and up to five measurements per second can be carried out in repeat mode. GPIB and Ethernet interfaces are supported, and the meters are SCPI compatible.

The enhanced throughput resulting from improved measurement speed leads to a reduction in lifetime costs for production test set-ups by extending the reference laser replacement cycle and reducing replacement costs.

User-friendly operation results from proven design and operability features inherited from Yokogawa’s established range of optical spectrum analysers. The AQ6150 and AQ6151 feature an easy-to-view, 5.7-inch bright colour LCD display with a variety of viewing modes including single, multiple or delta wavelength modes and an optical spectrum display.

USB Ports are provided for data storage devices, mouse and keyboard. Direct operation can be carried out with a mouse, and data access is possible via the LAN interface.

Efficient built-in measurement and analysis functions include drift analysis, Fabry-Perot laser analysis and average measurements.

Target market sectors include manufacturers of optical active devices, optical subsystems and transmission systems, as well as universities, institutes and R&D departments researching topics associated with these products.