Burleigh WA-7100 wavelength meter repair

The Burleigh WA-7100 is a fiber-coupled wavelength meter with GPIB interface, covering visible to near-IR including the full telecom band. The GPIB interface made it popular for automated test systems in telecom component manufacturing - wavelength verification in production test was a common application. EXFO acquired Burleigh; WA-7100 support is long discontinued. The WA-7100's most frequent failure is HeNe reference laser aging - systematic wavelength offset that accumulates as the reference tube ages. In production test environments where calibration drift goes unnoticed, the unit may have been generating wrong measurements for months before someone flags it. GPIB interface board failures are common on units that have been in automated test racks. Fiber input connector contamination and wear affect power throughput. Interferometer mirror alignment drift from vibration in production environments is also seen. We test the HeNe reference, check GPIB communication function, verify wavelength accuracy at multiple points across the range, and inspect the fiber input. Reference tube assessment and replacement if needed, GPIB board service, optical cleaning, interferometer alignment, and NIST-traceable calibration complete the service.