Swept Photonics Analyzer

The SPA-110 is the next generation of Santec's swept photonics analyzers. It serves as a convenient optical frequency domain reflectometry (OFDR) add-on module for Santec's tunable lasers. When paired, this complete system can analyze even the most compact and complex optical components, providing detailed results for reflectance, transmission, propagation loss, and distance to events. 

The complete system uses Optical Frequency Domain Reflectometry (OFDR) technology to analyze the back reflection and transmission characteristics of fiber optic devices and components in the spatial domain. It generates a trace similar to that of an Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) but with significantly higher resolution and precision. With a sampling resolution of 5 µm, the system easily discerns structures within photonic integrated circuits (PICs) and silicon photonic (SiPh) devices.

The SPA-110 builds on Santec’s SPA-100 technology by extending the total measurement range from 5m to 30 meters. This increased range accommodates the addition of optical signal conditioning devices, such as polarization controllers and optical switches, within the fiber optic setup. This enhancement makes the system particularly suitable for more comprehensive characterization of small devices like silicon photonic circuits, fiber optic components, and compact fiber optic assemblies.

Furthermore, the extended scan length allows for the analysis of longer fiber optic cable assemblies with closely spaced components, where OTDR technology might struggle to distinguish between them.

With the wide selection of tunable lasers, the OFDR system is highly configurable to function over the spectrum of importance to the device being measured. The system is offered in an O-band configuration (1260 to 1350nm range) as well as a CL band configuration (1480 to 1640nm range). No need to be limited to a small wavelength range.

• Integrates with Santec TSL-570 (also TSL-550/-710/-770)

Optical reflectometry is a cornerstone technique in diagnosing and characterizing optical networks, materials, and high-precision components. This technical whitepaper dives deep into Frequency-Domain Reflectometry (FDR), explaining how it works, its advantages over traditional methods, and why it matters for advanced optical testing.

In this whitepaper, you’ll uncover:

1. The fundamental concept of FDR: how sweeping frequencies and Fourier analysis yield high-resolution spatial profiles

2. Key differences between FDR (or OFDR) and Time-Domain Reflectometry (TDR) in terms of resolution, sensitivity, and measurement range

3. How FDR enables precise fault detection, impedance variation analysis, and insertion/return loss evaluation

4. Applications in fiber sensing: detecting temperature, strain, vibration, and micro-bends via distributed measurements

5. Material characterization use cases: non-destructive testing of thin films, coatings, and composite materials

6. How Santec’s Swept Photonics Analyzer (SPA) series and other instruments can be configured to leverage FDR for high-accuracy reflectometry

7. Practical system design tips: setting up high-coherence tunable lasers, detectors, and signal processing for optimal OFDR performance

Whether you're working on fiber-optic component validation, silicon photonic circuit analysis, or material science research, this guide shows you how Santec’s FDR-compatible testing solutions provide unparalleled spatial resolution and measurement fidelity.

Read the full whitepaper

Co-packaged optics (CPO) is revolutionizing data center and high-performance computing interconnects by integrating optical engines directly with switching ASICs. This whitepaper offers a detailed, engineer-level exploration of CPO, covering both the technological benefits and the rigorous testing requirements needed to ensure performance and reliability.

In this whitepaper, you will discover:

1. The key drivers for CPO adoption — power efficiency, bandwidth scaling, signal integrity, and form-factor optimization

2. How photonic integrated circuits (PICs) enable compact, high-density optical I/O in CPO architectures

3. Thermal challenges in co-packaged designs and best practices for thermal management during testing

4. Testing strategies for CPO modules: measuring insertion loss, return loss, polarization effects, crosstalk, and more

5. Advanced measurement solutions: how Santec’s tunable lasers, polarization synthesizers, power meters, and swept analyzers (e.g., STS system, SPA-110) can be integrated into high-precision CPO validation setups

6. Practical tips for building an automated, repeatable test flow that addresses the unique trade-offs of co-packaged optics

Whether you're developing PICs for production, characterizing module-level performance, or optimizing test processes for yield and scale, this guide shows how Santec’s measurement instruments support every aspect of CPO development.
Read the full whitepaper