Agilent 81680A tunable laser repair

The Agilent 81680A covers a wider tuning range than the 81640A/81642A, spanning from 1450 nm through 1590 nm to support both S-band and C-band component measurements from a single module. That range matters if you’re characterizing multiple amplifier types — S-band, C-band — or broadband passive components without switching modules. The 81680A was the pick when a lab needed to minimize mainframe slot count. Keysight support for the 81680A has ended.

The 81680A’s broader tuning range presents similar challenges to the 81600B - the TEC must maintain temperature stability across a wider operating range, and failures typically start at the edges of the band. The gap filter or tuning element that enables the wide range is a more complex optical assembly than single-band modules, and mechanical issues in the tuning mechanism cause wavelength reproducibility errors or hard limits on the tuning range. Laser aging and mainframe interface failures round out the failure modes.

We test output power and wavelength accuracy at multiple points across the full 1450–1590 nm range, check sweep behavior and mode-hop-free tuning, and verify mainframe communication. TEC evaluation, tuning mechanism inspection, laser assessment, and NIST-traceable wavelength calibration complete the service.

Flat-rate estimate: $100. Turnaround 1–3 days. International shipping available.