The CMC-1550 Modal Content Analyser is designed for measuring the modal characteristics of each individual mode in few-mode fibers and hollow core fibers which have complicated fiber structures.
Consisting of two different units – a launch unit and a receiver unit, it employs the spatially and spectrally resolved imaging (S2) technique to identify and characterise the fiber’s individual mode, estimate its mode-dependent propagation loss, and assess its mode coupling effects.
The CMC-1550 obtains the Differential Group Delay (DGD) for each propagation mode and the relative intensity (or Multipath Interference (MPI)), compared to the most excited mode. It provides a comprehensive understanding of the individual mode characteristics and their interactions within the fiber, helps to reconstruct the propagation mode profiles and phases of the guided modes of the fiber under test.

Features and Benefits
- Measure hollow core and few mode fibers, up to 400 μm in diameter
- Reconstruction of propagation mode profiles and phases
- Calculate the relative intensity of high order modes compared to the most excited mode
- Calculate the DGD of the propagation modes
- Loop measurement mode enables real time measurement

Mode Pattern | Mode Intensity & Mode Phase | |
LP21 | ![]() | |
LP31 | ![]() | |
LP02 | ![]() | |
LP11 | ![]() | |
LP12 | ![]() |
Measurement Capability | |
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Fiber Diameter | up to 400 µm |
Fiber Length | 5 to 100 m |
Measurement Time** | < 28 sec (100 nm range, 0.05 nm spacing) |
Fiber Type | Few-mode fibers, hollow core fibers |
Input connector | Standard: Universal 2.5mm ferrule adapter, Bare fiber adapter Optional: LC, FC, ST, SC, MTP |
Optical | |
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Measurement Wavelength | 1,480 to 1,640 nm |
Max DGD resolution | < 1,800 ps |
Min DGD resolution | 0.05 ps |
Image sensor | 512 x 512 pixels, 20 μm pixel pitch |
Exposure range | 0.1 ms to 20 ms exposure time |
Physical
Weight 7 kg (Launch unit)
6 kg (Receiver unit)
Size 0.45 m x 0.16 m x 0.13 m (Launch unit)
0.39 m x 0.22 m x 0.13 m (Receiver unit)
Operating Temperature 15 – 30° C
Computer Requirements All systems are supplied with a computer running up-to-date Windows operating system
Data Interface 1 X USB 3.0 (USB A to USB B: 1m cable supplied)
Part number | Description |
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CMC-1550 | S2 measurement system for the characterisation of modal content in optical fibers up to 400 µm in diameter. Measurement range from 1480 to 1620 nm. Including optical receiver module, Santec tunable laser launch module, FC/APC patch cord kit, bare fiber adapter, rigid carrying case, cables, software package, APL-DC desktop computer, keyboard and mouse. |
CMC-SMPC | FC/APC patch cord including bulkhead adapter |
CMC-BFA127 | Bare Fiber Adapter, 127 µm inner diameter, FC style |
CMC-CC | CMC rigid carrying case |
MPX-CALC | Input connector adaptor for LC connectors (CMC/MPX compatible) |
MPX-CAFC | Input connector adaptor for FC connectors (CMC/MPX compatible) |
MPX-CASC | Input connector adaptor for SC connectors (CMC/MPX compatible) |
MPX-CAST | Input connector adaptor for ST connectors (CMC/MPX compatible) |
MPX-CAMTP | Input connector adaptor for MTP connectors (CMC/MPX compatible) |