Laser & Optoelectronics Progress, Volume. 62, Issue 13, 1306011(2025)
Review of Operation and Maintenance Technology for Communication Optical Cable
Figures & Tables(23)
![Structure of optical cable equipped with an external aramid-reinforced high-pressure hose[48]](/Images/icon/loading.gif){kind=icon}
Fig. 4. Structure of optical cable equipped with an external aramid-reinforced high-pressure hose[48]
Fig. 6. Schematic diagram of DAS and laser interferometer in optical cable identification scenarios[50]. (a) Communication maintenance underground optical cable (labels are hardly visible on the cable); (b) schematic of DAS identification; (c) schematic of laser interferometer recognition
Fig. 8. De-icing strategy for OPGW and architecture of ice accretion monitoring system[59]
Fig. 12. Experimental platform for OPPC temperature detection based on ROTDR method[80]
Fig. 15. Principle of dynamic strain measurement for submarine cables based on Φ-OTDR[91]
Fig. 17. Detection and identification system for weakly reflective fiber Bragg gratings[115]
Table 1. Three major physical characteristics affecting signal transmission
View tableTable 1. Three major physical characteristics affecting signal transmission
Characteristic Physical mechanism Impact on system Typical parameter & example Attenuation （α） Reduction of optical signal power due to scattering （Rayleigh scattering）， absorption （impurity ions）， and bending losses during transmission［ 5 -10 ］Limits transmission distance， requires compensation via repeaters/amplifiers orreduced link loss Single-mode fiber attenuation： 0.18‒0.25 dB/km@1550 nm，
bending loss： increases exponentially when bend radius < 30 mm
Dispersion （β） Pulse broadening caused by differences in propagation speeds of light signals at different wavelengths （material dispersion） or modes （modal dispersion）［ 8 ］Causes inter-symbol interference （ISI）， limiting transmission rate and distance Single-mode fiber dispersion： 17 ps/（nm·km）@1550 nm，
dispersion-compensating fiber （DCF） can reduce dispersion to ±0.5 ps/（nm·km）
Nonlinear effects （γ） Nonlinear phenomena induced by high optical power， including the Kerr effect （SPM/XPM） and stimulated scattering （SBS/SRS）［ 8 ］Causes signal distortion and crosstalk， limiting maximum input fiber power Single-channel input power should be <+17 dBm （ITU-T G.664 recommendation），
four-wave mixing （FWM） requires channel spacing control in DWDM （dense wavelength division multiplexing） systems
Table 2. Differences in working principles
View tableTable 2. Differences in working principles
Device Technical principle Output result Visual fault locator （VFL）
（optical cable tester）
Injects visible light or laser （with audio modulation） into the fiber ， detects light leakage/vibration through visual inspection or acoustic detection at cable jacket/end-faceVisualizes physical fiber path （e.g.， red light transmission） ， audio feedback （requires stethoscope accessory）OTDR Launches high-frequency optical pulses into fiber
， analyzes backscattered （Rayleigh） and Fresnel reflection signals
， computes distance and loss via time-intensity curvesEvent points in fiber link （breaks， splices）
， loss distribution curve （distance vs. loss）
Table 3. Comparative analysis of applications of two instruments
View tableTable 3. Comparative analysis of applications of two instruments
Comparison dimension Optical cable tester OTDR Primary purpose Rapid cable identification （physical tracing） Precise measurement of fiber link characteristics （loss， breakpoints， etc.） Target of detection Physical cable structure （jacket/core） Internal optical properties of fiber Accuracy Low （meter-level， relies on operator judgment） High （centimeter-level， automated analysis） Applicable scenarios Short-distance （<5 km typical），
dense cabling environments
（e.g.， data centers， conduits）
Long-distance （>100 km range），fiber link quality diagnostics Requires termination Usually not required
（non-invasive detection）
Requires fiber-end connection
（via flange/adapter）
Cost Low （simple tool） High （precision instrument）
Table 4. Types of DOFS technologies, working principles, and typical application scenarios
View tableTable 4. Types of DOFS technologies, working principles, and typical application scenarios
Technology type Principle Monitoring parameter Typical performance Application scenario BOTDR/BOTDA Based on linear relationship between Brillouin frequency shift and temperature/strain Temperature， strain Spatial resolution： 1 m，
temperature accuracy： ±0.5 °C
， strain accuracy： ±7.5 με
Bridge structural health monitoring
， pipeline leak detection
Distributed temperature sensing （DTS） Based on temperature-dependent anti-Stokes Raman scattering Temperature Temperature range： -60‒+350 ℃
， positioning accuracy： ±0.5 m
Cable overheating warning
， tunnel fire monitoring
Distributed acoustic sensing （DAS） Phase-sensitive OTDR （Φ-OTDR） detecting phase changes induced by external vibrations Vibration， acoustic waves Frequency response： 0.01 Hz‒100 kHz
， positioning accuracy： ±2 m
Perimeter security
， seismic wave monitoring
Tools
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Mengmeng Chen, Yi Xue, Chenggang Gao, Fei Xu. Review of Operation and Maintenance Technology for Communication Optical Cable[J]. Laser & Optoelectronics Progress, 2025, 62(13): 1306011
Paper Information
Category: Fiber Optics and Optical Communications
Received: May. 8, 2025
Accepted: Jun. 14, 2025
Published Online: Jul. 17, 2025
The Author Email: Fei Xu (feixu@nju.edu.cn)
CSTR:32186.14.LOP251180
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