Knowledge base · Acquisition
How to use a Tribrer OTDR and get the files off it
This page covers the Tribrer TB-700 and TB-720 and the pocket AOR500: what the menu and the keys mean, what an acquisition needs set, where the instrument puts the files and how to copy them to a computer. It follows the instruments' user manuals in our own words. Labels from the screen and the keys are given in quotation marks or in capitals, as printed.
These instruments save a trace as a standard .sor file, and the TB-700 saves an OLA SE result as .tor. Both open here in the browser.
By Ilya (engineer, 6 years in fibre optics) ·
On this page
What the menu and the keys mean
The TB-700 and TB-720 start in a main menu of tools. The AOR500 has no such menu: its MENU key steps through four pages, which are the files, the measurement settings, the system settings and the about page.
Main menu
The tiles are Mini OTDR, OLA SE, OPM, Loss Test, Distance Test, Sequence Test, OLS, VFL, LED light and System Settings. OPM is the power meter, OLS the light source, and VFL the red laser for finding breaks. OLA SE gives its result as an overview of the link, with the location of each event and a PASS or FAIL mark, and saves it as a .tor file.
Keys of the TB-700
SCAN starts a measurement, and a second press stops it. SETTING opens the settings of the current tool. SAVE stores the result or opens the file list. MARKER picks the cursor, and ZOOM with the arrow keys scales the trace; ESC brings back the full view.
Keys of the AOR500
Two buttons start a measurement, one for real time and one for averaging. There are two cursors, A and B. The marker button switches between them, left and right move the cursor, and up and down jump to the previous or the next event. ENTER shows the whole event list. To zoom, hold the zoom button and press an arrow key.
Acquisition settings
The AOR500 guide explains each setting. "Scan Mode" is manual or auto, and in auto the instrument matches the range and the pulse width to the fibre itself. "Range" is set to fit the fibre, usually one step above its length. A short "Pulse Width" separates close events and a long one reaches far; the guide on pulse width covers the trade-off. "Average Time" is how long the trace accumulates.
Three thresholds decide what gets into the event table. "Splice Loss": a loss above this value is listed as an event. "Reflection Threshold": the same for a reflection. "End Threshold": a loss above this value is taken for the end of the fibre. If a small splice is missing from the table, look here first. The guide on the detection threshold has the details.
"Refractive Rate" is the refractive index of the fibre. Every distance depends on it, so take it from the cable's datasheet; why is covered in the guide on refractive index. "Scatter Coefficient" is the backscatter value of the fibre. The TB-700 and TB-720 list the same settings under the same names, without the explanations. None of these manuals has a launch cable setting, so its length is subtracted from the distances by hand.
Do not connect a fibre that carries a signal. The TB-700 manual says an active fibre may damage the instrument and that the damage is not covered by the warranty. With "Optical detector" switched on, the instrument checks the fibre for a signal before it measures and stops if it finds one.
Where the files are
The AOR500 keeps every trace on its TF card, as .sor. Folders are named by the date the file was saved. The default file name is the hour, minute and second of the first save, and with "Automatic naming" on, a four-digit running number is added after it.
The TB-700 has internal storage and takes a TF card as an option. SAVE opens a keyboard for the file name, and with "Auto Name" switched on in System Settings the instrument names the file itself. The same key opens the file list, where a file can be renamed or deleted. A trace is saved as .sor and an OLA SE result as .tor. The TB-720 shows the same date folders in its file list and keeps screenshots there too.
Getting the files to a computer
All three connect with a USB cable. The AOR500 has a mini USB port: plug it in and, in the guide's words, the PC shows a new disk icon with the data inside. Copy the date folders from it.
On the TB-700 the port is Type-C, and the connection is switched on in System Settings. "USB Connection" links the instrument to the PC to export data. "OTG" is offered only with a TF card inserted: it exports the data on the card and leaves the instrument free to use meanwhile. The TB-720 has the same function as a button to tap.
The manuals name no program for the computer. Tribrer's own one is OTDR Assistant, for Windows. You do not need it to look at a file.
Once the files are on the computer, open them here: press Open file, or drop a file or a whole date folder onto the window. You get the trace, the event table the instrument recorded and the acquisition parameters. A .tor file opens too, with each of its curves as a trace of its own. A PDF sheet for the trace and a link for a colleague are made right here, free.
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