APEX Technologies AP264XB Doubles As Optical Modulation Analyzer Optical Spectrum Analyzer

APEX Technologies says its new AP264XB Optical Complex Spectrum Analyzer (OCSA) can be used as an optical modulation analyzer and as an optical spectrum analyzer. It is designed to be able to measure any modulation format and any baud rate cycling signal modulated with a PRBS pattern or a long pattern.

When used as an optical modulation analyzer, the AP264XB can measure chirp, phase, alpha parameter, or pulse shape as a function of time, APEX Technologies says. It also can display constellation, phase eye diagrams, intensity eye diagrams, EVM, and BER estimation.

The instrument’s measurement speed is ~1 Hz. It can separately and simultaneously measure two polarization axes and analyze polarization multiplexed modulated formats, the company adds.

Used as an optical spectrum analyzer (OSA), the instrument offers 125X better wavelength resolution than the best standard grating-based OCSA, APEX Technologies asserts. The unit combines a high wavelength bandwidth resolution filter of 0.16 pm (20 MHz), high wavelength accuracy of +/- 3 pm, and dynamic range of 83 dB, the company adds. Two internal channels enable the measurement of both polarization axes simultaneously, APEX adds.

Users also can operate the new OCSA as an independent high-performance tunable laser source or as a component analyzer to characterize any optical component, APEX concludes.