The 81606A tunable laser source is the top line module for the 8164B lightwave measurement system. Designed to achieve exceptional accuracy and increase test efficiency, it enables faster swept-wavelength tests with lower cost of ownership.

This instrument accelerates automated adjustment of wavelength-selective devices with sub-picometer repeatability, best-in-class accuracy, and two-way sweep mode at speeds up to 200 nm/s.

The 81606A Tunable Laser Source helps optical component developers, designers and manufacturers test more devices per hour and improves test margins with significantly enhanced functionality over its predecessor.

• 15 dB more dynamic range through high signal power at lowest spontaneous emission
• 4-fold improvement in absolute accuracy with increased real-time tracking speed and resolution
• Sweeps at up to 200 nm/s without impacting specified dynamic accuracy

The 81606A tunable laser source is supported by the N7700A photonic application suite software for spectral measurements of insertion loss, polarization-dependent loss, and dispersion in combination with power meters and polarization instruments.

The combination of highest swept-wavelength accuracy and high-power low-SSE signal makes this ideal for measuring DWDM and other high-performance devices, especially when splitting power to multiple devices for efficient parallel measurements.

The 8160xA option 113 covers the wavelength range from 1240 nm to 1380 nm for critical applications. Equipped with PMF output fiber, these are well-suited for testing and developing components with silicon photonics technology.

Verifying spectral responsivity and sensitivity of receiver optical subassemblies (ROSA) benefits from more than +10 dBm output power - sufficient to allow for external modulation in BER testing.