Optical Spectrum Analyzer Setting Guidelines for Pulsed Light Measurement

Download Whitepaper
For pulsed light measurements, it is best to first ensure compliance with the recommendations in “Guidelines for Pulsed Light Input Power.” The time average mode is the easiest and most flexible way to measure pulsed light. In some instances, though, it may make better sense to consider using the external trigger or peak hold modes. Examples include when irregular pulsed light is present, when measurement is not possible because the average power is below the measurement sensitivity due to the relationship between the peak power and the duty ratio, and when measurement takes too long because the high sensitivity setting is required due to very low repetition frequency. The suitability of using either the external trigger mode or peak mode is determined by the pulse width and the required sensitivity setting, or by the availability of an external trigger and the minimum pulse width.