Why use launch cable in otdr?

OTDR launch box, according to its function and working principle, has a lot of other names, like dead zone box, pulse suppressor, fiber ring, fiber optic launch cable, etc.

Optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) is a necessary fiber optic testing tool which use light back-scattering technologies to analyze the optical fiber performance. It can test the light loss and locate the breaks, splices and connectors in fiber optic network. However, OTDR has "dead zone" which can affect the testing result if proper measure is not taken. To overcome the limitation of OTDR dead zone, OTDR launch box is being used. How can OTDR launch box minimize the effect of OTDR dead zone during fiber optic testing? The following explains the detail.

Relationship Between Dynamic Range & Dead Zones

Fiber is going deeper everywhere as massive rollouts are laying the ground for 5G and IoT in today’s transforming telecom landscape. The promise of tomorrow’s technologies relies on an extremely reliable fiber foundation, whether in data centers, in the field or at customer premises. Verifying the integrity of the fiber optic cables with the right OTDR testing methods has never been more vital to be able to quickly identify and locate faults.