Apparatus for generating periodically repeating sequences of optical pulses and detection method of non-homogeneities or time-variable events in optical routs and neighborhood thereof employing the said apparatus

摘要

The present invention relates to an apparatus for generating periodically repeating sequences of optical pulses, the apparatus comprising a series-connected radiation source (7), an insulator (9a), an optical modulator (11), an optical amplifier (10) and a coupler (4), wherein a branch comprising a series-connected response receiver (5) and a signal-processing block (6) is connected with the coupler (4), too. An optical loop (17) controlled by a control block (16) is connected between the insulator (9a) and the optical amplifier (10), wherein the optical loop (17) comprises a series-connected four-port coupler (12), a delaying optical fiber (13), a frequency shift module (14), and a controllable optical amplifier (15). The invention also relates to a detection method of non-homogeneities or time-variable events in optical routs and neighborhood thereof employing the above-described apparatus, wherein the method is characterized in that optical pulses, generated by a source, are transmitted into optical rout of a fiber, wherefrom an environment response returns and is delivered to an optical receiver, whereby optical pulses are transmitted into the fiber optical rout in the form of periodically repeating sequences of optical pulses with different carrier frequencies and time- shifted and non overlapping relative to each other with mutual frequency distance i*∆f between the pulses within the framework of one period such, that the response spectra are not overlapping. After return from the fiber optical route, the partial responses are separated from each other using signal-processing methods in analog and/or digital region and subsequently they are independently partially processed and a single file of information suitable for analysis of possible non-homogeneities or time-variable events in optical routs and neighborhood thereof is generated.