For example, a single mode OTDR with a dynamic range of 35dB has a useable dynamic range of about 30 dB. Assuming a normal fiber attenuation of 0. 20dB/km at 1550nm and splices every 2km (0. 1dB loss per splice), a unit like this can accurately certify distances up to. The Dynamic range of an OTDR Note that in an existing network, the cable may have more loss, because of its age, and of course the more splicers and connectors in the network will add additional attenuation and thus make the measurable distance shorter. The dynamic range is an important characteristic since it determines how far the OTDR can measure. For this reason, it is important to read the specification sheet footnotes since manufacturers use different testing conditions to measure. The IEC range will usually be about 6. The term “useful” is used somewhat subjectively here but means exactly what it sounds like. Therefore, equating a dynamic range value with a. There are a variety of optical test sets that can be used to ensure quality of service (QoS) on fiber optic networks, but only the Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) supports singled ended fiber testing to characterize fibers when measuring total loss, optical return loss (ORL), latency and.