A High-speed Scanning Module Based on a DBR Tunable Laser for FBG Sensor Systems

As some physical parameter measurements (e.g. vibration) require a high-speed FBG demodulation system, a high-speed scanning module as the core part of this system is investigated. In this study, the design and implementation of a high-speed scanning module for Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensing based on a Distributed Bragg Reflector (DBR) tunable laser and a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) is presented. The innovatively designed and constructed high-speed FBG sensor system comprises a DBR laser, a laser drive circuit with self-programmed control algorithms, and a signal processing module. The overall performance of this high-speed FBG sensor system is evaluated and verified experimentally in terms of the validation of scanning rate, accuracy and stability. This high-speed FBG sensor system has opened a wide range of unique applications for the measurement of a variety of key physical parameters which require a high-speed FBG demodulation technique.