The Flexible One!
- Flexible setup
- Easy to use
- Powerful
Artifex Optical power meter OPM500 for the precise measurement of power, from pW to mW. The output is a voltage linearly proportional to the input power.
The OPM500 is very flexible with USB and hard-wire interface control of gain, bandwidth and polarity. A graphical user interface is delivered with the amplifier.
- Interfaces: USB and hard-wire (DB25)
- Rise time: 45µs
Noise equivalent current: 30 pW(RMS) - Gain, bandwidth and polarity control:
6 gain ranges; 4 bandwidths; polarity inversion - Auto-null function: up to 10V offset nulling
PRINCIPLES OF OPERATION
The OPM500 measures optical power via a photodiode. Photodiodes are useful for power measurement in the visible and near infra-red due to their inherent sensitivity and speed of measurement.
Photodiodes produce a current which is proportional to the incident light power over a wide dynamic range. The disadvantage when compared to calorimetric devices is the wavelength dependance. However, for use with monochromatic sources, the detector can be calibrated and the measured current corrected accordingly.
The current from the photodiode is converted to a voltage through a precise transimpedance amplifier. This amplifier is very linear over the full measurement range of the device. The OPM500 has 6 gain ranges. The switch is a semiconductor device, free from degradation. A unique feature of the OPM500 is the auto-null function. Further functions include signal inversion and bandwidth reduction. The analogue output signal is available at the BNC connector on the front panel an on the appropriate line on the interface port on the back panel.
The voltage generated is then converted to a digital value via a 12 bit A/D converter. This process and all calculations and communication with the PC are controlled by a microcontroller. The measurement process is started via a command over the USB interface (software trigger). Alternatively, a continuous measurement stream can be started which samples at 600 S/s.
The measured photocurrent may also be read out from the USB port. In addition, the calibration value for a given wavelength may be read out. Using these two values, the optical power can then be calculated.
FIELDS OF APPLICATION
This optical power monitor is particularly useful for the measurement of fibre coupled sources. The output is a voltage linearly proportional to input power. The fast response time at high signal-noise ratio makes this OPM series particularly useful in systems control feedback loops.
The high sensitivity and large dynamic range allow measurement of a wide range of optical sources such as lasers and LEDs alike.
The OPM500 series is insensitive to electromagnetic interference by design, an important factor when working in “dirty” industrial environments. The proprietary auto-nulling function allows up to 10V of offset nulling. This is particularly useful for nulling dark current or for eliminating a DC signal component to concentrate on signal changes, such as in component burn-in and life-time testing.
APPLICATIONS EXAMPLES
The range of applications for optical power monitors is very broad. The OPM500 series is especially conceived for applications in the manufacturing environment of telecommunications components. Typical applications may be found in measuring:
Components:
lasers, ASEs, fibre coupled LEDs
fibres, connectors, couplers
switches, multiplexers, demultiplexers
isolators, circulators
filters, fibre bragg gratings (FBGs)
amplifiers
Parameters:
output power
optical return loss (ORL)
insertion loss
polarization dependant loss (PDL)
bandwidth
crosstalk
transient behaviour
polarization dependant bandwidth (PDBW)
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Parameter | Conditions | Si, InGaAs | Ge | Units |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Input | ||||
| 30 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Wavelength range | extended InGaAs | 1000 – 2200 | 800 – 1550 | nm |
| 31 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | InGaAs | 800 – 2000 | nm | ||
| 32 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | visible enhanced InGaAs | 400 – 1600 | nm | ||
| 33 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | UV-Si | 250 – 1000 | nm | ||
| 34 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Power ranges (full scale) | + 51 0 – 10 – 20 – 30 – 40 |
+ 15 + 10 0 – 10 – 20 – 30 |
dBm | |
| 35 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Noise equivalent power (NEPRMS ) | Range 1 – 5 Range 6 |
full scale – 45 (max) – 75 (max) |
full scale – 32 (max) – 62 (max) |
dB dBm |
| 36 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Polarization Dependant Loss (PDL) | 0.02 – 0.1 | 0.02 – 0.1 | dB | |
| 37 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Fibre type | single mode, multi-mode (core Φ ≤ 62.5 μm; NA ≤ 0.275) |
single mode, multi-mode (core Φ ≤ 62.5 μm; NA ≤ 0.275) | ||
| 38 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Receptacles | FC, SMA, free beam | FC, SMA, free beam | ||
| 39 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Output | ||||
| 40 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Function | Linear analogue : Vout = scale factor x Pin | Linear analogue : Vout = scale factor x Pin | ||
| 41 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Output scale | Range 1 Range 2 Range 3 Range 4 Range 5 Range 6 |
11 10 100 1 10 100 |
0,1 1 10 0,1 1 10 |
V/mW V/mW V/mW V/µW V/µW V/µW |
| 42 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Output range (full scale) | 10 (max) | 10 (max) | V | |
| 43 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Connectors | BNC and DB25 (Adapters for other connector systems available) | BNC and DB25 (Adapters for other connector systems available) | ||
| 44 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Rise / Fall time (10% – 90%) | Small signal (-1 → +1V) Large signal (-10 → +10V) |
45 (max) 65 (max) |
45 (max) 65 (max) |
µs |
| 45 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Accuracy | ± 5 (min) | ± 5 (min) | % | |
| 46 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Reproducibility | ± 0.5 (min) | ± 0.5 (min) | % | |
| 47 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Linearity | ± 0.1 (typ) ± 0.2 (max) |
± 0.1 (typ) ± 0.2 (max) |
dB | |
| 48 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Output impedance | BNC-Output DB25-Output |
50 0 |
50 0 |
Ω |
| 49 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Logic | ||||
| 50 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Current required for switching | – 10 (min) 0.01 (typ) 10 (max) |
– 10 (min) 0.01 (typ) 10 (max) |
µA | |
| 51 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Switching time | 1502 (max) | 1502 (max) | µs | |
| 52 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Power supply | ||||
| 53 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Type | Wall plug (supplied) | Wall plug (supplied) | ||
| 54 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Dimensions | 30 x 50 x 60 | 30 x 50 x 60 | mm | |
| 55 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | Dimensions | ||||
| 56 | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | benjamin | 28/04/2026 10:22 AM | 1053 x 45 x 116 (B x H x L) | 1053 x 45 x 116 (B x H x L) | mm |
- Detector: UV-Si, Ge, V-InGaAs, x-InGaAs
- Input receptacle: FC-receptacle, SMA-receptacle, free beam
- Case: gull wing, lab style
- Attenuators: FC-PC, FC-APC
You might also be interested in
Do you need further information? Find useful links here!
Artifex Software Development Kit
The SDK is a fixed, free component when purchasing a device.
It comes with the source code of the application program (in VB.net) and a LabView VI with the basic functions of the instrument. A description of the communication with the devices and a list of the commands used is also included.
