IEC 61290-1-3:2021

Overview

IEC 61290-1-3:2021 - "Optical amplifiers - Test methods - Part 1-3: Power and gain parameters - Optical power meter method" defines uniform test methods for measuring power and gain parameters of commercially available optical amplifiers (OA) and optically amplified subsystems using the optical power meter method. It applies to optical fibre amplifiers (OFA - rare‑earth doped and Raman), semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA), and planar optical waveguide amplifiers (POWA). The standard covers single‑channel devices; multichannel amplifiers are covered by IEC 61290-10 (all parts). Applicability to distributed Raman amplifiers is under further study.

Key topics and requirements

• Measured parameters: nominal output signal power, gain, polarization‑dependent gain (PDG), maximum output signal power, and maximum total output power (as defined in IEC 61291-1).
• Measurement approach: optical power meter test method with specified apparatus arrangements (input/output power measurement, bandpass filter loss, total output power measurement).
• Test apparatus (examples and suggested characteristics):
  • Optical source: fixed or tunable CW source with FWHM < 1 nm (‡); side‑mode suppression > 30 dB for lasers; output fluctuation < 0.05 dB (‡).
  • Optical power meter: measurement uncertainty (term harmonized in this edition) better than ±0.2 dB within OA wavelength band; dynamic range sufficient for measured gain.
  • Optical isolators, variable optical attenuators, polarization controllers, low‑reflectance jumpers and connectors - with suggested limits (e.g., isolator PDL < 0.2 dB, reflectance < −40 dB, jumper length < 2 m). Values marked (‡) are suggested values for assured measurement; alternatives may be acceptable if verified.
• Procedures and results: setup diagrams, stepwise measurement procedure, calculation and reporting of results and measurement uncertainty (replaces earlier “measurement accuracy” terminology).
• Scope limitations: applies to single‑channel amplifiers; multichannel testing follows IEC 61290-10. The standard is a technical revision of the 2015 edition, harmonized with IEC 61290-1-1.

Practical applications and users

• Manufacturers of OFA, SOA and POWA for device characterization and product specifications.
• Test laboratories and quality assurance teams performing acceptance, compliance or R&D measurements of amplifier gain and output power.
• System integrators and component vendors needing standardized, reproducible power/gain metrics for subsystem validation.
• Procurement and certification bodies requiring consistent test methods and traceable measurement uncertainty.

Related standards

• IEC 61291-1 (Optical amplifiers - Generic specification)
• IEC 61290-1 (Optical amplifiers - Test methods - Part 1: Power and gain parameters)
• IEC 61290-10 (Test methods for multichannel amplifiers)
• IEC 60793 series (optical fibre measurement and product specifications)

Keywords: IEC 61290-1-3:2021, optical amplifiers test methods, optical power meter method, gain measurement, nominal output power, polarization‑dependent gain, OFA, SOA, POWA, measurement uncertainty.