Optical switching card eases product testing
Keithley Instruments has added a 1 x 16 optical switching card to its Model 7090 switching card line. The US test and measurement specialist says the new switches enable its 7001 and 7002 mainframes to control an increased number of optical signals with a single instrument.
Targeted at production and test environments, the 1 x 16 cards operate from 1290 to 1650 nm using singlemode fibre. Keithley claims the switches enable manufacturers to automate test applications more effectively, resulting in faster testing and improved repeatability. These switching cards have a list price of $12,995 (€14,400).
www.keithley.com
High-gain fibres enable more compact devices
3M Optical Components of the US has launched two high-gain erbium-doped fibres that, it says, reduce packaging size and system cost. 3M claims its proprietary core composition and co-doping process enable higher erbium concentrations while maintaining power conversion efficiency.
Targeted for use in erbium-doped optical amplifiers and amplified spontaneous emission sources, the FS-ER-7A28 and FS-ER-7B28 fibres are designed for use in the C- and L-bands respectively. 3M says the fibres are made with tight controls on optical and geometrical uniformity and mode field diameter, resulting in easy splicing to industry standard transmission fibres.
www.3m.com/fibers
Flexible analyser offers full polarization control
The SA2000 analyser from Fiberpro measures a range of signal properties including state of polarization (SOP), degree of polarization, polarization extinction ratio and the inclination angle of the polarization ellipse. The Korean fibre-optic component manufacturer claims the analyser's rotating waveplate and polarizer construction enables SOP measurement without needing wavelength calibration.
Applications include device characterization; alignment and assembly of optical elements with polarization maintaining fibre; and polarization-mode-dispersion analysis. The compact system comes with a software package and remote interfaces for integration with automated test and measurement equipment.
www.fiberpro.com
Compact ROADM eyes high-density networks
German IC specialist Infineon Technologies claims its reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) is the only device available that can add, drop and power-equalize wavelengths on a single chip. The 20-channel Smart ROADM incorporates a demultiplexer, multiplexer, switch matrix, variable optical attenuator, optical power monitors and control electronics.
The 150 x 150 x 59 mm module provides 20 fully reconfigurable channels, with a drop/continue capability that drops up to 50% of a signal from a channel while the remaining portion is routed through to another destination. Engineering samples are available now, with small-volume pricing at $20,000.
www.infineon.com
SiGe amplifiers line up for 10 Gbit/s networks
Sierra Monolithics, US, has unveiled a family of 10 Gbit/s silicon germanium transimpedance amplifiers (TIAs). The SMI1050 is a low-power, 10.7 Gbit/s amplifier for short-reach applications. The SMI1052 operates at 12.5 Gbit/s and is designed for short-reach, metro/access and long-haul applications where performance and linearity are particularly important.
For long- and ultra-long-haul applications, Sierra says its third TIA, the 13 Gbit/s SMI1053, offers superior performance and wide dynamic range, and is ideal for use in systems employing forward-error correction. Prices in 100,000-unit volumes are $40 for the SMI1050, $99 for the SMI1052 and $129 for the SMI1053. All three are available in die form only.
www.monolithics.com
VOA covers C-, L- and S-bands in one device
UK component maker Protodel claims its Mark III variable optical attenuator (VOA) is the only all-fibre attenuator to cover the C-, L- and S-bands in a single unit. The device offers non-invasive operation and continuous analogue control to 30 or 50 dB. According to the data sheet, the ITU-compliant device boasts an insertion loss of 0.4 dB, near-zero back reflection (-70 dB) and power handling up to 25 dBm.
www.protodel.com