MULTIPLEXING OF MICHELSON INTERFEROMETER SENSORS IN A MATRIX ARRAY TOPOLOGY

We report on the operation and performance of a matrix array topology for multiplexing reflective interferometric sensors that uses (a) freq uency-division multiplexing (FDM) and (b) a combination of frequency-d ivision and time-division multiplexing. The use of reflective sensors in this FDM topology illuminated by a cw source imposes a power limita tion not encountered with the use of transmissive sensors. Combining F DM with time-division multiplexing improves the multiplexing gain of t he network and improves the level of isolation of the lasers from the signal of the reflective sensors.