Technique for multi-parameter sensing

There are a multiplicity of fibre optic sensors for measuring different physical parameters. Some depend on changes in optical intensity, others on phase, with various wavelengths being employed. These varying configurations make multiplexing difficult, and present an obstacle to the design of an integrated fibre optic system. The author describes a system, originally designed for hydrophones, which facilitates the multiplexing of several types of sensor onto one fibre, without the need for optical to electrical conversion