Video colorization diagnostics in optical telecommunications

A new diagnostic tool is used to study the outputs of light-emitting diodes, lasers, and optical fibers, and to provide quality control of optical fiber preforms. The object is observed with a video camera, and the monochrome signal is processed to synthesize a color display from the different intensity levels. The color representation allows features not previously observable to be readily recognized and characterized. Correlation between separated, but equally bright, regions of a video image is also easily achieved in that they are now rendered in the same color. A calibration procedure allowing quantitative information to be quickly obtained from the display is described.