™
DN135
DATA SHEET
CURRENT TO VOLTAGE CONVERTER FOR PIGTAILED
PHOTODIODE FIBER OPTIC POWER MONITORS
10 9
8
7
6
Therm
Optics
DN135
XXXX
0.650"
The DN135 is a current to voltage converter that is intended for use in
fiber optic power monitors. The device converts current from a
photodiode to voltage that is proportional to the incoming optical power in
dBm. The DN135 functions equally well with InGaAs and Silicon
photodiodes.
0.55"
1
2
3
4
5
0.050"
0.100"
PIN #
FUNCTION
FEATURES
1
2
FACTORY CALIBRATION
IIN CURRENT INPUT
GROUND
• 70dB DYNAMIC RANGE
• CONVERTS CURRENT LEVELS FROM 100pA to 2mA
• 0.500 VOLTS OUTPUT PER DECADE INCREASE IN OPTICAL POWER
• OPERATES FROM ± 5 VOLTS SUPPLIES
3
4
VREF 1.25 VOLT REFERENCE
GROUND
5
6
+5 VOLTS
+5V
-5V
7
VC CALIBRATION INPUT
-5 VOLTS
OPTICAL
POWER IN
PIN
8
9
VO VOLTAGE OUTPUT
FACTORY CALIBRATION
8
6
Pigtailed
Photodiode
Output
VO
10
9
2
DN135
3, 5
The pigtailed photodiode and DN135 assembly
is calibrated by introducing an optical signal of
known magnitude into the fiber and adjusting
the calibration potentiometer so that the output
voltage corresponds to the input power level.
7
4
1.25 Volts
Ref.
Equation relating optical power
input PIN to output voltage VO.
10KΩ
Calibration
Adjustment
PIN = 20(VO -4) dBm
Example:
Example:
6.81KΩ
One hundred microwatts of optical power
@1550nm is introduced into a fiber that is
terminated in an InGaAs photodiode.* Adjust
the calibration control shown in Figure 1 until
the output voltage indicates 3.500 Volts. The
optical power monitor is now calibrated at
1550nm.
VO = 2.750 Volts
Figure 1
PIN = 20(2.750 - 4) = -25 dBm
INPUT
POWER
OUTPUT
VOLTAGE
INPUT
OUTPUT
VOLTAGE
CURRENT
Watts
dBm
Volts
Amperes
Volts
The calibration control can be driven from an
external voltage source such as the output of a
digital to analog converter. This would allow
the power monitor to be automatically
1
100
10
1
100
10
1
100
10
mA
µ A
µ A
µ A
nA
mW
µ W
µ W
µ W
nW
nW
nW
pW
0
-10
-20
-30
-40
-50
-60
-70
4.000
3.500
3.000
2.500
2.000
1.500
1.000
0.500
4.000
3.500
3.000
2.500
2.000
1.500
1.000
0.500
calibrated in a systems application.
1
100
10
*A typical InGaAs photodiode may have a
responsivity of 0.9mA/mWatt of optical power
at 1550nm. This would provide an output of
current of 90µA with an input power of 100µW.
The calibration control corrects for variations in
the responsivity of various photo diodes.
nA
1
1
nA
100
100
pA
™
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