Philippe Graindorge

Latest advances in fiber optic gyroscope technology at Photonetics

We describe our activity on interferometric fiber-optic gyroscope (I-FOG) technology: recent results on our improved large-operating-range prototypes (FOG 50); development on three- axis clusters using a single source; work on high-performance I-FOGs (FOG 125) using an Erbium doped fiber source. We also present our approach to wavelength control.

Metricor 2000: a multiparameter fiber optic sensor instrument

The METRICOR 2000 instrument has been developed as a solution to numerous needs for fiber optic sensors in metrology and in process control. It is able to measure over 20 different physical parameters through three different operating principles, corresponding to three different conditioners. A first intensity conditioner is designed to deal with signal generated by probes with a limited dynamic range. It is particularly suited for on/off sensors such as level detection and void fraction probes. A dual wavelength conditioner handles signals generated by probes requiring referenced operation. It can be used with opacimetry and chemical concentration probes as well as fail-safe dual wavelength on/off type sensors. A third conditioner deals with the complex signal generated by interferometric sensors. Those sensors, operating under a white light illumination, return a spectrally encoded information which is not affected by on-line attenuation. This third conditioner can be used with micro-machined interferometric temperature, pressure or index of refraction sensors. It offers the highest performance in resolution and accuracy. The standard mainframe unit includes a display for 4 simultaneous measurements. Each probe is equipped with an electronic personality key which includes the calibration.

Development of a fiber optic sensor network for naval applications

This paper describes the development of a complete fiber optic sensor network demonstrator, installed on a naval warfare simulator system. It incorporates a 64 on/off multiplexed optical sensor network together with single point analog optical sensors. A complete description of the system is given showing the different sensors that have been developed and their specific applications. We also discuss the experimental results and the potential advantages of this technology for naval systems.

Optonet system: a 64 on/off fiber optic sensor network designed for industrial and military applications

The OPTONET system monitors up to 64 on/off fiber optic sensors. It is based on optical time domain reflectometry (OTDR). An optical pulse emitted by a pulsed laser diode is splitted between the sensors through an optical star network including delay lines to separate the pulses reflected back from the sensors. A dual wavelength emission board is implemented to guarantee line surveillance and optical path loss compensation, in order to minimize the error rate, and information discrepancy. These characteristics also combined with the well known advantages of fiber optic sensors make this system attractive in military or harsh environment. Various reflective sensors can be connected to the OPTONET system; we describe here sensors developed for a French Navy application.