EXFO CT440 Series User manual

User Guide
CT440
Optical Component Tester
www.EXFO.com

Copyright
ii CT440
Copyright
Copyright © 2019–2022 EXFO Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be
reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form, be it electronically,
mechanically, or by any other means such as photocopying, recording or otherwise,
without the prior written permission of EXFO Inc.(EXFO).
Information provided by EXFO is believed to be accurate and reliable. However, no
responsibility is assumed by EXFO for its use nor for any infringements of patents or other
rights of third parties that may result from its use. No license is granted by implication or
otherwise under any patent rights of EXFO.
EXFO’s Commerce And Government Entities (CAGE) code under the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization (NATO) is 0L8C3.
The information contained in this publication is subject to change without notice.
Trademarks
EXFO’s trademarks have been identified as such. However, the presence or absence of
such identification does not affect the legal status of any trademark.
Units of Measurement
Units of measurement in this publication conform to SI standards and practices.
Patents
The exhaustive list of patents is available at www.EXFO.com/patent.
Version number: 2.0.0.1
Information in this document applies to the CT440 GUI software version v. 2.0.x and the
CT440 DLL v. 4.0.x (with DSP version 2.00).

Contents
Optical Component Tester iii
Contents
Copyright .............................................................................................................................................................ii
Regulatory Information .......................................................................................................................................v
1 Introducing the CT440 ..........................................................................................................1
Product Features ..................................................................................................................................................1
Technical Specifications .......................................................................................................................................7
Product Overview ................................................................................................................................................9
Conventions .......................................................................................................................................................12
Abbreviations Used ............................................................................................................................................13
2 Safety Information ..............................................................................................................15
Other Safety Symbols on Your Unit ...................................................................................................................16
Optical Safety Information .................................................................................................................................16
Electrical Safety Information ..............................................................................................................................17
3 Getting Started with Your CT440 .......................................................................................19
Unpacking and Installing the CT440 ..................................................................................................................19
Installing the CT440 in a Rack ............................................................................................................................20
Connecting the CT440 to a Power Source ..........................................................................................................21
Setting Up your Computer .................................................................................................................................22
Starting/Stopping the CT440 .............................................................................................................................23
4 Setting Up Your CT440 and Performing Measurement Scans ..........................................27
Connecting and Configuring the Tunable Laser(s) .............................................................................................27
Configuring the CT440 for Measurements .........................................................................................................31
Performing User Referencing .............................................................................................................................34
Connecting the DUT to the CT440 .....................................................................................................................39
Configuring Trace Parameters ............................................................................................................................41
Manually Starting/Stopping a Scan ....................................................................................................................43
Setting up a Triggered Scan ...............................................................................................................................44
Synchronizing the CT440 with External Measurements .....................................................................................46
Performing a Measurement Using the Analog In BNC Connector ......................................................................48
Performing Line Wavelength Measurements .....................................................................................................51
Saving/Loading Configuration Parameters .........................................................................................................53
5 Displaying and Operating Scan Traces on Graph ..............................................................55
Adjusting the Graph Display ..............................................................................................................................55
Changing the Spectral Unit on Graph ................................................................................................................56
Performing Measurements with Markers ...........................................................................................................56
Handling Traces .................................................................................................................................................58
6 Analyzing Traces ..................................................................................................................59
Defining the Analysis Parameters .......................................................................................................................59
Displaying and Understanding the Analysis Results ...........................................................................................77
Saving Analysis Results ......................................................................................................................................80
7 Using the CT440 Library ......................................................................................................81
CT440 Functions ................................................................................................................................................82
8 Maintenance ......................................................................................................................143
Cleaning Optical Connectors ............................................................................................................................144
Replacing Fuses ...............................................................................................................................................145
Cleaning the CT440 .........................................................................................................................................146
Recalibrating the CT440 ...................................................................................................................................146
Recycling and Disposal ....................................................................................................................................146

Contents
iv CT440
9 Troubleshooting ................................................................................................................ 147
Warning & Error Messages ..............................................................................................................................147
Activating the USB Driver .................................................................................................................................152
Contacting the Technical Support Group .........................................................................................................152
Transportation .................................................................................................................................................153
10 Warranty ............................................................................................................................ 155
General Information ........................................................................................................................................155
Gray Market and Gray Market Products ...........................................................................................................155
Liability ............................................................................................................................................................156
Exclusions ........................................................................................................................................................156
Certification .....................................................................................................................................................156
Service and Repairs ..........................................................................................................................................157
EXFO Service Centers Worldwide .....................................................................................................................158

Regulatory Information
Optical Component Tester v
Regulatory Information
USA Electromagnetic Interference Regulatory Statement
Electronic test and measurement equipment is exempt from FCC part 15, subpart B
compliance in the United States of America. However, EXFO Inc. makes reasonable efforts
to ensure compliance to the applicable standards.
The limits set by these standards are designed to provide reasonable protection against
harmful interference when the equipment is operated in a commercial environment. This
equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed and
used in accordance with the user documentation, may cause harmful interference to radio
communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is likely to cause
harmful interference in which case the user will be required to correct the interference at
his own expense.
Modifications not expressly approved by the manufacturer could void the user’s authority to
operate the equipment.
Canada Electromagnetic Interference Regulatory Statement
This equipment generates, uses, and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not
installed and used in accordance with the instruction manual, may cause harmful
interference to radio communications. Operation of this equipment in a residential area is
likely to cause harmful interference.
Cet équipement génère, utilise et peut émettre de l'énergie radio-fréquence et, s'il n'est pas
installé et utilisé conformément à la documentation de l'utilisateur, il peut occasionner une
interférence néfaste aux communications radio. L'utilisation de cet équipement dans une
zone résidentielle est susceptible d'occasionner une interférence néfaste.
Caution: This equipment is not intended for use in residential environments and may not
provide adequate protection to radio reception in such environments.
Attention: Cet appareil n'est pas destiné à être utilisé dans des environnements résidentiels
et peut ne pas assurer la protection adéquate à la réception radioélectrique dans ce type
d'environnements.
This is a class A, group 1 product.
³Class A equipment: Equipment that is, by virtue of its characteristics, highly unlikely to
be used in a residential environment, including a home business shall be classified as
class A and shall comply with the class A limits specified in the applicable ICES
standard. Characteristics considered in this assessment include price, marketing and
advertising methodology, the degree to which the functional design inhibits
applications suitable to residential environments, or any combination of features that
would effectively preclude the use of such equipment in a residential environment.
Classe A: Matériel qui, en raison de ses caractéristiques, ne sera fort probablement pas
utilisé dans un milieu domiciliaire ni par des entreprises établies à domicile. Parmi les
caractéristiques considérées dans cette évaluation, il y a le prix, les méthodes de
commercialisation et de publicité, la mesure dans laquelle les fonctions de l'appareil
font qu'il ne se prête pas à des applications convenant au milieu domiciliaire ou toute

Regulatory Information
vi CT440
combinaison de ces caractéristiques qui aurait pour conséquence d'en prévenir
effectivement l'utilisation à domicile. Utilisé également pour indiquer les limites
d'émission correspondantes qui s'appliquent à un tel matériel.
³Group 1 equipment: group 1 contains all equipment which is not classified as group 2
equipment, and includes equipment such as laboratory and scientific equipment,
industrial process, measurement and control equipment.
Group 2 equipment: group 2 contains all ISM RF equipment in which radio-frequency
energy in the frequency range 9 kHz to 400 GHz is intentionally generated and used or
only used locally, in the form of electromagnetic radiation, inductive and/or capacitive
coupling, for the treatment of material for inspection/analysis purposes, or for transfer
of electromagnetic energy.
Appareils du groupe 1 : le groupe 1 réunit tous les appareils compris dans le domaine
d’application de la présente Norme, qui ne sont pas classés comme étant des appareils
du groupe 2. Le groupe 1 inclut les appareils scientifiques et de laboratoire, les
processus industriels, appareils de mesure ou de contrôle.
Appareils du groupe 2 : le groupe 2 réunit tous les appareils ISM à fréquences
radioélectriques dans lesquels de l’énergie à fréquences radioélectriques dans la plage
de fréquences comprises entre 9 kHz et 400 GHz est produite et utilisée volontairement
ou uniquement utilisée localement sous forme de rayonnement électromagnétique, de
couplage inductif et/ou capacitif, pour le traitement de la matière, à des fins d’examen
ou d’analyse ou pour le transfert d’énergie électromagnétique.
Supplier's Declaration of Conformity (SDoC)
The SDoC for your product is as follows:
CAN ICES-001 (A) / NMB-001 (A)
EU and UK Electromagnetic Compatibility Regulatory
Statement
Warning: This is a class A product. In a domestic environment, this product may cause radio
interference in which case the user may be required to take adequate measures. Your
product is suitable for use in industrial electromagnetic environments.
EU and UK Declaration of Conformity
The full text of the declaration of conformity is available at the following Internet address:
www.exfo.com/en/resources/legal-documentation.
EU Economic Operator
EXFO Solutions SAS
2, rue Jacqueline Auriol,
Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande,
35091 Rennes Cedex 9
FRANCE

Optical Component Tester 1
1 Introducing the CT440
Product Features
The CT440 Optical Component Tester is a compact instrument designed for spectral
characterization of passive optical components by synchronous optical power detection
using one or more sweeping laser source(s). It covers the specified transmission band in
one run.
The CT440 provides the transmission function (TF) of the device under test (DUT) with the
help of one or more sweeping laser sources.
It identifies and switches, from one port to the next, the available laser sources to go
through a common output port in order to use a multi TLS source as a unique (usually very
wide band) source.

Introducing the CT440
2CT440
Product Features
On CT440 with PDL option, the CT440 uses a multiple sweep Mueller method to calculate
the transfer function (TF) and the polarization dependent loss (PDL) of the device under
test (DUT). The technique relies on collecting spectral data for each of either 4 or 6
polarization state conditions (one sweep by state), before calculating both TF and PDL.
One to four optical detectors enable the CT440 to provide the direct TF and PDL (if
available) of the DUT.
The electrical input detector Analog In BNC port can also make these measurements, and
the synchronization signal coming out of the Trigger Out BNC port allows TF measurement
on remote detectors (not PDL).
The CT440 is provided with a control software (GUI) that you can install on a computer.

Introducing the CT440
Optical Component Tester 3
Product Features
Earlier versions of CT440 Optical Component Tester
EXFO has modified the external design of the CT440 Optical Component Tester. The
following figure displays the previous models of CT440 Optical Component Tester and
CT440 Optical Component Tester-PDL.
If you have a previous model of the CT440 Optical Component Tester or CT440 Optical
Component Tester-PDL, you can still download the last version of the GUI software and
library, which are fully compatible with all hardware versions of CT440 Optical Component
Tester.
You can use the instructions related to the use of the CT440 Optical Component Tester GUI
and CT440 Optical Component Tester library given in the present CT440 User Guide; they
apply to the last version of the software whatever the CT440 Optical Component Tester
hardware version.
Measurement Principle
Input and Output
³TLS Input(s)
The TLS input(s) of the CT440 Optical Component Tester includes an interferometric
system generating a detection trigger, which provides high wavelength accuracy and
removes the need for electrical triggering of the instrument.
The free-spectral range (FSR) of this interferometric system is about 100 MHz, which
translates, into the wavelength domain, to a spacing of 0.55 pm at 1260 nm and 0.75 pm
at 1550 nm.
³Power Referencing System
The power referencing system ensures continuous monitoring of the laser power
fluctuations during a scan.

Introducing the CT440
4CT440
Product Features
³Polarization State Generator (only on CT440 Optical Component Tester with PDL
option)
On CT440 Optical Component Tester with PDL option, the signal passes through a
polarization state generator (PSG) that produces one of 6 states of polarization at the
output port.
Data Acquisition: Raw and Resampled Data
The interferometric system triggers data acquisition every 100 MHz. As a result, the
separation between data points is not equidistant in the wavelength domain.
This raw data acquisition is then resampled by software to display the spectrum in
nanometer, with the correct sampling resolution in picometer.
³On CT440 Optical Component Tester without PDL option, the graphical user interface
(GUI) provided with the instrument enables you to calculate the TF using these
resampled data points or raw data (see Configuring the CT440 for Measurements on
page 31).
³On CT440 Optical Component Tester with PDL option, the graphical user interface
(GUI) provided with the instrument calculates the TF and PDL using the resampled
data points, not the raw data. In this case, you cannot access raw data through the GUI
but you can overcome this limitation and access raw data information by using the
Dynamic Link Library (DLL), but it is highly recommended to use resampled data for
the PDL calculation.

Introducing the CT440
Optical Component Tester 5
Product Features
Detection System
One to four optical detectors enable the CT440 Optical Component Tester to provide the
direct TF and PDL (if available) of the DUT with up to four outputs.
³The additional electrical input port (Analog In BNC at the rear of the instrument) can
be used either as an additional external detector to perform the same TF and PDL (if
available) measurement, or to obtain the spectral dependence of an electrical signal in
Volt.
For more details on this port, see Performing a Measurement Using the Analog In BNC
Connector on page 48.
³To allow synchronized signal detection from remote detectors, the CT440 Optical
Component Tester also provide an electrical output trigger (Trigger Out BNC at the rear
of the instrument). The sequence of these TTL pulses depends on the sampling
resolution set via software: if a resolution of npm is selected, then a trigger pulse over n
raw data pulses comes out of the CT440 Optical Component Tester.
For more details on this port, see Synchronizing the CT440 with External Measurements
on page 46.
³You can control the CT440 Optical Component Tester with a trigger signal using the
Trigger In BNC input port at the rear of the instrument.
For more details on this port, see Setting up a Triggered Scan on page 44.
TLS Requirements
The CT440 Optical Component Tester is expected to work with TLS sweeping sources
having the following performances:
³No mode hops during the wavelength scan
Few mode hops may appear during the scan, they will be identified if less than one
mode hop appears every 1 nm. A correction is then applied and the incidence on the
results will concern less than 1 nm around the mode hop position.
³Single mode behavior
The internal wavelength referencing uses an interferometer device which may be
highly sensitive to multimoding. This multimoding will normally be detected in most
cases and a warning will be issued.
³200 pm precision on the definition of the starting wavelength
The initial wavelength of the scan should be known at 200 pm. In case of more
detuning, the whole wavelength referencing could be shifted by exactly 100 GHz.
Nevertheless, the relative accuracy is not directly affected by that shift.
³Speed between 10 nm/s and 100 nm/s
For sweep speed under 10 nm/s, an inaccuracy may appear on the wavelength value in
the area of this low speed and an error message may be displayed. This may occur on
the acceleration and deceleration phases of the sweep. Moreover, negative sweep
during the scan may affect the wavelength scale by a 100 GHz global shift if it leads to a
wavelength drift of more than 200 pm.

Introducing the CT440
6CT440
Product Features
³Scan span > 5 nm
The scan span is important for the absolute and relative accuracy. The largest span
leads to the most accurate results (the specifications are for a 100 nm span).
Below 5 nm, the precision cannot be guaranteed and a warning message is issued to
prevent such running condition.
³Input power between 1 mW and 10 mW
The input power of the source is mostly important for the wavelength referencing. An
excessively low input power should be detected but if it affects too much the
wavelength referencing, the warning message on the input power will be replaced by
an error message on the referencing.
The CT440 Optical Component Tester checks most of these behaviors and issues a warning
in non standard running configurations.
Supported TLS
³T200S
³TUNICS Plus
³TUNICS Purity
³TUNICS Reference
³TUNICS T100S
³T100S-HP
³TUNICS T100R

Introducing the CT440
Optical Component Tester 7
Technical Specifications
Technical Specifications
Optical Measurement Specifications
IMPORTANT
The following technical specifications can change without notice. The information
presented in this section is provided as a reference only. To obtain this product’s
most recent technical specifications, visit the EXFO Web site at www.exfo.com.
SMF PM13 PM15 PDL-O PDL-SCL
Wavelength
Operating wavelength range 1240–1680 nm 1260–1360 nm 1440–1640 nm 1260–1360 nm 1440–1640 nm
Wavelength
accuracy
Absolutea, b
a. For a TLS sweep > 5 nm at sampling resolution of 5 pm for PDL-O and PDL-SCL and 1 pm otherwise, excluding the
acceleration and deceleration part of the TLS sweep.
b. After wavelength referencing.
±5 pm
Relativea±1 pm ±5 pm
Optical Power
Power
range
On TLS input 0 to 10 dBm
On detector ports -60 dBm to 7 dBm
Transfer
function
Accuracyc, d
c. For incident power on detectors > -30 dBm. Accuracy: ±0.5 dB for power between -30 dBm and -60 dBm.
±0.2 dB
Sampling resolution 0.02 dB
Dynamic ranged, e
d. 1260 to 1640 nm.
e. If laser output power = 10 mW (dynamic range is proportional to laser output power).
65 dB typ. for
1 or 2 TLS inputs
60 dB typ. for
3 or 4 TLS inputs
65 dB typical
Polarization
Dependent
Loss
(PDL)
Accuracyf
f. For incident power on detectors > -30 dBm and determined from a 6-states measurement at 5 pm resolution.
n/a n/a n/a ±0.05 dB + 4% PDL
Measurement
Rangeg
g. Stable testing conditions, 6-states recommended for high PDL measurement.
n/a n/a n/a 0 to 20 dB
Repeatability n/a n/a n/a ±0.05 dB
Sampling Characteristics
Resolution 1 to 250 pm 5 to 250 pm
Native sampling resolution N x 100±10 MHz (N=1 to 250)
Compatible sweep speed of TLS From 10 to 100 nm/s
Maximum number of transfer
function data points per TLS per
detector as a function of number
of activated detectors by
softwareh
h. Selected frequency range of the laser divided by the native sampling resolution.
260,000 for 1 detector
219,500 for 2 detectors
164,400 for 3 detectors
131,100 for 4 detectors
110,500 for 5 detectors

Introducing the CT440
8CT440
Technical Specifications
Hardware Specifications
Physical Specifications
SMF PM13 PM15 PDL-O PDL-SCL
Optical Ports
TLS inputs &
outputs
Number of input
ports 1 to 4 1 (PM13) 1 (PM15) 1 (PM13) 1 (PM15)
Number of output
ports 1 1 (PM13) 1 (PM15) 1 (SMF)
Connector type FC/APC
narrow key
FC/APC narrow key
(PM: slow axis aligned to connector key)
PER on input port n/a ≥20 dB ≥18 dB (recommended)
Detectors Number of ports 1; 2 or 4
Connector type FC/PC wide key
Electrical Ports
Trigger Out
BNC
Trigger output 5 V TTL levels
Trigger In
BNC
Trigger input 5 V TTL levels
Analog In
BNC
Analog voltage input 0-5 V High impedance
Electrical Specifications
Input power 100–240 V ; 50/60 Hz; 0.76 A max.
Fuse type (x2) 1 A, 250 V, Fast (F) action, Low breaking
5 x 20 mm (0.2 x 0.79 in)
Equipment has double fuse in both Line and Neutral conductors.
Interface with Computer
Interface with computer / Data rate USB-B 2.0 / 4 MBaud
Computer
requirements
Operating system Windows 10
Interface with TLS GPIB interface card to TLS
Interface with CT440 USB-A 2.0 port to CT440
Physical Specifications
Dimensions (W x H x D) 440 x 50 x 375 mm (17.3 x 2 x 14.8 in)
Weight Between 3.5 kg and 3.9 kg (7.7 lb to 8.6 lb),
depending on model.

Introducing the CT440
Optical Component Tester 9
Product Overview
Product Overview
The CT440 is made of two complementary parts:
³The CT440 instrument, which makes measurements during the wavelength scan
³The CT440 software (GUI), which takes the data from the instrument and performs all
the analysis
The CT440 is delivered with the following accessories:
³Rack mounting brackets
³A power supply cord
³A USB-A to USB-B cable
³A USB key containing:
³The CT440 installation package (GUI software, USB driver and CT440 library for
remote control)
³User documentation

Introducing the CT440
10 CT440
Product Overview
Front Panel
On/Off Button
The On/Off button turns on/off the CT440 and lights the green LED.
Input Optical Port(s)
The TLS Input label identifies the APC connectors used to connect the tunable laser
source(s) (up to four connectors, depending on the model) to the CT440.
On models with more that one input port, the wavelength range must follow the order of
the ports (lower range in port 1).
Output Optical Port
The Output label identifies the APC connector providing the signal output to connect the
input port of the device under test (DUT) with an SMF or PMF fiber: SMF for SMF and PDL
CT440 models, PMF for PM13 and PM15 CT440 models.
The label indicates the location of the laser output. This output requires special safety
instructions for proper use (see Connecting the DUT to the CT440 on page 39).
Detector Ports
The Detector Array label identifies the PC connectors used to connect the output ports of
the device under test (up to four connectors depending on the model).
On/Off button
Input optical ports Output optical port
Rack-mount bracket
Detector ports

Introducing the CT440
Optical Component Tester 11
Product Overview
Rear Panel
Cooling Fans
The cooling fans extract warm air from inside. A cover grid protects them.
Fuse Holder
The fuse holder contains two fuses (see Technical Specifications on page 7 for fuse type) to
protect the CT440 from overcurrent. For details on how to replace the fuses, see Replacing
Fuses on page 145).
Power Cord Connector & Power Switch
The CT440 unit is equipped with a self-regulating power supply (for details, see Technical
Specifications on page 7).
USB-B 2.0 Port
This port enables you to perform remote control operations from a connected computer.
For more information, see Installing/Updating the CT440 Library--> à supprimer, déplacé
dans § Library on page 101.
BNC Connectors
Connector "Trigger Out": digital output port to perform simultaneous measurements on
remote platforms (for more details, see Synchronizing the CT440 with External
Measurements on page 46).
Connector "Trigger In": digital input port to perform triggered scans (for more details, see
Setting up a Triggered Scan on page 44).
Connector "Analog In": analog input port on which you can perform additional
measurements (for more details, see Performing a Measurement Using the Analog In BNC
Connector on page 48).
See Hardware Specifications on page 8 for more details on signal levels.
Cooling fans
Power cord
connector
Power switch
Fuse holder
Labels
USB-B 2.0
port Digital In
Analog In
BNC
connectors
Digital Out

Introducing the CT440
12 CT440
Conventions
Labels
Conventions
Before using the product described in this guide, you should understand the following
conventions:
Label Description
³Identification of the product (left side): serial
number, model, options (if any), hardware version
and manufacturing date.
³Information on the product (right side): power
requirements, manufacturer information and
compliances.
The fuse type is described in Technical
Specifications on page 7.
Warranty seal
The CT440 Optical Component Tester cover must not
be open, otherwise the warranty is not valid anymore.
WARNING
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, could result in
death or serious injury. Do not proceed unless you understand and meet the
required conditions.
CAUTION
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in
minor or moderate injury. Do not proceed unless you understand and meet the
required conditions.
CAUTION
Indicates a potentially hazardous situation which, if not avoided, may result in
component damage. Do not proceed unless you understand and meet the required
conditions.
IMPORTANT
Refers to information about this product you should not overlook.
#
EO181234567
CT440-1-4-F-58
A
2018-11
Made in France
S/N
MODEL
OPTIONS
Ver.
Mfg
. date
4, rue Louis de Broglie
22300 Lannion - FRANCE
2x
; 50/60Hz; 0.76A max.
100-240V
Warranty void
if seal broken.

Introducing the CT440
Optical Component Tester 13
Abbreviations Used
Abbreviations Used
Abbreviation Meaning
DLL Dynamic Link Library
DSP Digital Signal Processor
DUT Device Under Test
FSR Free-spectral range
GPIB General Purpose Interface Bus
GUI Graphical User Interface
IL Insertion Loss
PDL Polarization Dependent Loss
PER Polarization Extinction Ratio
PSG Polarization State Generator
TF Transfer Function
TLS Tunable Laser Source
TTL Transistor-Transistor Logic