Method and apparatus for high speed interrogation of fiber optic detector arrays
First Claim
1. A method of sampling M sensors in a fiber optic system, said method comprising the steps of:
- determining a maximum sampling rate possible, thereby defining N samples per time period;
assigning priority from X1 to XM for each sensor, such that a sensor of highest priority being assigned priority X1 and a sensor of lowest priority being assigned priority XM;
dividing available sampling spots into discrete blocks, thereby defining N discrete blocks per said time period;
assigning at least one available sampling slot to a sensor Y(1) of said highest priority X1, and placing said sensor Y(1) in said at least one available sampling slot;
assigning at least one other available sampling slot to sensors Y(2) to Y(M) of second priority X2 to said lowest priority XM, respectively;
placing said sensor Y(2) in a closest available sampling slot if said sampling slot for said sensor Y(2) is filled;
repeating said placing step in order from sensor Y(3) to said sensor Y(M) until all sampling slots are filled; and
sampling said M sensors in order of said assigned sampling slots.
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Abstract
The invention provides a method of sampling M sensors in a fiber optic detector array, by determining a maximum sampling rate possible, and assigning priority to each sensor. Thereafter, available sampling spots are divided into discrete blocks and the sensor of highest priority is assigned sampling slot(s). The remaining sensors are placed in the remaining sampling slots in order of priority, and if a sampling slot is taken, the remaining sensors are placed in the next closest slot. The invention also provides 1D and 2D digital and spatial wavelength domain systems including a plurality of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs). The FBGs may be illuminated by a plurality of broad band light sources, and coupled thereto by 2×2 couplers. The systems may include a 1D or 2D wavelength dispersion device, and 1D or 2D optically sensitive solid state means for spatially separating the signals at each wavelength reflected by the FBGs.
72 Citations
46 Claims
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1. A method of sampling M sensors in a fiber optic system, said method comprising the steps of:
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determining a maximum sampling rate possible, thereby defining N samples per time period;
assigning priority from X1 to XM for each sensor, such that a sensor of highest priority being assigned priority X1 and a sensor of lowest priority being assigned priority XM;
dividing available sampling spots into discrete blocks, thereby defining N discrete blocks per said time period;
assigning at least one available sampling slot to a sensor Y(1) of said highest priority X1, and placing said sensor Y(1) in said at least one available sampling slot;
assigning at least one other available sampling slot to sensors Y(2) to Y(M) of second priority X2 to said lowest priority XM, respectively;
placing said sensor Y(2) in a closest available sampling slot if said sampling slot for said sensor Y(2) is filled;
repeating said placing step in order from sensor Y(3) to said sensor Y(M) until all sampling slots are filled; and
sampling said M sensors in order of said assigned sampling slots. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A digital spatial and wavelength domain system for multiplexing fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors, said system comprising:
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a plurality of optical fibers, each including a plurality of fiber Bragg gratings (FBG) therein, each FBG having selective center wavelength being variable in accordance with strain for reflecting or transmitting light at the corresponding center wavelength in accordance with the strain thereat;
at least one broad band light illumination source for the FBGs, each said source coupled to said FBGs by a plurality of 2×
2 couplers;
means for each optical fiber for carrying the light to a selected location;
a wavelength dispersion device responsive to the light from each of the fibers for wavelength separating the light in each said fiber into the center wavelengths in accordance with the location of each fiber so that the selected location of each fiber and the wavelength separated light provides spatially independent signals for each FBG in each optical fiber. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A digital and spatial wavelength domain system comprising:
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a plurality of optical fibers, each including a plurality of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), each having a center wavelength;
at least one broad band light source for illuminating each FBG, each said source coupled to said FBGs by a plurality of 2×
2 couplers;
each of said FBGs being operative for reflecting a portion of the light at the center wavelength corresponding thereto in accordance with a stress applied to said fiber thereat;
a wavelength dispersion device operatively coupled to each fiber and responsive to the light for separating the light in each said fiber into a sensible signal at the corresponding wavelength for each FBG; and
optically sensitive solid state means spatially responsive to the sensible signal for producing an output for spatially separating the signals at each wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A digital and spatial wavelength domain system comprising:
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a single optical fiber including a plurality of fiber Bragg gratings (FBGs), each having a center wavelength;
at least one broad band light sources for illuminating each FBG;
each of said FBGs being operative for reflecting a portion of the light at the center wavelength corresponding thereto in accordance with a stress applied to said fiber thereat;
a wavelength dispersion device operatively coupled to said fiber and responsive to the light for separating the light in said fiber into a sensible signal at the corresponding wavelength for each FBG; and
optically sensitive solid state means spatially responsive to the sensible signal for producing an output for spatially separating the signals at each wavelength. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46)
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Specification