The Infinite Loop Blog:

 

6/2026

Making Sense of OTDR Results: How FlexReporter® Simplifies
Bi-Directional Reporting

 If you've ever had to compile Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) test results into a presentable, professional report, you know how time-consuming it can be, especially when bi-directional testing—which measures fiber performance from both ends—is involved.

With FlexReports Advanced, you can generate bi-directional reports. These show dual-wavelength optical signal traces (measurement results from different light wavelengths sent through the fiber) and event tables (lists of notable points or faults along the fiber), end-face images (photos of the fiber connector's tip), event maps (visual overviews showing locations of issues), and loss data (measurements of signal loss for each fiber). Pass/Fail thresholds, based on OTDR events and OLTS (Optical Loss Test Set) measurements, are applied and aligned to Industry Standards. Plus, bi-directional trace averaging (combining measurements from both directions for greater accuracy) and Macrobend/Microbend detection (finding large or small bends that cause signal loss) are built in. You get a fuller picture of link performance than a single-direction test can offer.

Project managers handling larger deployments benefit from a smoother workflow. Bi-directional results—link summaries, trace results, and event tables—are easily accessed via FlexReporter's cloud report engine. Merged data from both directions appear on a single trace graph. When managing high-fiber counts, the OTDR Trace Batch Editor allows editing and analysis of multiple trace files simultaneously. Finished reports are exported to PDF or Excel, and for large cable applications, multiple cables are saved in a single Excel workbook. This keeps everything organized and ready to hand off!