As fiber optic sensing (FOS) technologies become more broadly deployed across infrastructure applications, the industry has reached a crossroads: do we accept legacy systems built on ill-suited telecom fibers that are optimized for data movement rather than sensing, or do we demand measurement tools purpose-built for performance, fidelity, and data integrity?
At Hifi, we advocate for the latter. Our High Fidelity Distributed Sensing (HDS™) platform represents a fundamentally different approach to distributed fiber optic sensing, engineered from the ground up to meet the demands of real-world integrity monitoring, leak detection, and anomaly classification. Here’s why HDS stands apart.
Fidelity Gap: Backscatter Systems and Their Limitations
First-generation FOS systems like Distributed Acoustic Sensing (DAS) and Distributed Temperature Sensing (DTS) typically rely on backscatter from inherent imperfections in generic telecom fiber for signal generation. These are essentially diagnostic reflections (Rayleigh, Raman, or Brillouin) meant for signal quality monitoring rather than for advanced applications like sensing. This shouldn’t come as a surprise – after all, telecom fibers have been optimized over decades to move vast amounts of data over very long distances, a goal they achieve admirably in part by minimizing optical loss. What makes telecom fibers so good at, well, telecommunications, also makes them a rather poor choice for sensing applications where performance depends heavily on optical returns. So, while telecom fibers offer convenience and simplicity, their use comes at a substantial cost: low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), poor repeatability, and susceptibility to false positives.
In field tests, such limitations are readily apparent. In one acoustic fidelity comparison, DAS returned a barely distinguishable 0.016 SNR versus HDS’s 30 SNR under identical test conditions for the same 400 Hz signal. In another industry-public PRCI test, the best-performing DAS system achieved only 30% detection accuracy with six false positives in twenty test events.
The HDS Architecture: Built for Performance
Hifi’s HDS system represents a fundamental redesign of FOS architecture to optimize the entire system for maximum fidelity and sensing performance Fiber Bragg Gratings (FBGs), DWDM/TDM multiplexing, and proprietary optical signal conditioning are instead used to achieve orders-of-magnitude higher reflected signal power compared to backscatter-based systems, with FBGs achieving returns in the 0.5–1% range vs. 0.00001% reflection typical for DAS.
This patented fiber architectural enables:
- Uniform fidelity from meter 1 to meter 50,000
- Real-time signal stability across long spans
- Low false positive rates—even under noisy, real-world conditions
- Seamless AI/ML integration with consistent, clean data
Validation Testing
Hifi distinguishes itself not only through meticulous system architecture design but also through performance transparency. Industry buzzwords like “accuracy” or “high performance” mean little without independently verifiable data. That’s why Hifi has consistently subjected HDS to blind third-party validation testing in place of vendor-led verification.
In validation testing, leaks are generated without any vendor knowledge of timing, location, or nature, thus eliminating any opportunity for tuning or pattern recognition “hints.” This type of testing is far more representative of the real-world conditions operators face daily.
Case in point: Hifi’s system underwent rigorous blind testing at C-CORE’s geotechnical lab, where 86 leaks (water and nitrogen) at pressures as low as 3 psi were initiated randomly and covertly. HDS achieved 100% detection and 0 false positives across damp and submerged scenarios. These success rates far surpass DAS performance in public testing.
Side-by-Side Testing
Hifi has performed controlled comparative testing where both HDS and DTS/DAS systems were deployed side-by-side on identical fiber loops, exposed to the same acoustic and thermal inputs at the exact same time.
- Temperature Events: DTS struggled to distinguish millilitres of hot/cold water and brief air blasts; HDS registered each event with high temporal and spatial resolution.
- Acoustic Events: In a sinewave ping test, DAS output resembled broadband noise (akin to AM radio fade). HDS returned the waveform with clarity, repeatability, and no signal fading.
Case Study: The Path to Real-Time Pre-Leak Monitoring
At the 2025 API Conference, Chevron and Hifi jointly presented on the next evolution in pipeline monitoring: pre-leak condition awareness. As detailed in a prior blog, Hifi’s HDS is central to this shift.
Using strain, vibration, and acoustic data captured with high spatial fidelity, Chevron plans to identify the strain hotspots, stress accumulations, and abnormal vibrations that precede leaks in above ground facility assets such as risers, flanges, etc.”
Embrace a High-Fidelity Future with Hifi
HDS doesn’t just represent a superior fiber, it encompasses a systemic overhaul of distributed sensing for specific infrastructure applications. Our technology features stronger signal architecture, AI-enabled interpretation, and a performance record rooted in third-party validation.
If you’re ready to move beyond traditional sensing and into validated, high-fidelity performance, talk to us about deploying HDS today.