AOMEMS Launches Optical Switch

IRVINE, Calif. -- Advanced Optical MEMS, Inc., (AOMEMS), a leading supplier of advanced optical switching modules and subsystems for the telecommunications industry, today launched the market's lowest priced 1x8 optical switch based on the latest opto-mechanical technology. "Until now," says Michael Young, chief executive officer of the Irvine, Calif.-based firm, "the major hurdle for communications carriers who are looking for ways to move network signal traffic faster and more efficiently has been the prohibitive costs of new fiber optic technology, including OOO (optical-optical-optical) switching that determines how data is routed at network nodes or intersections." The new AOMEMS switch, he said, solves the problem by providing the high performance needed for optical network monitoring and measurement applications at prices that are as much as 60 percent lower than its competitors. In addition to its reduced prices, the new 1x8 Optical Switch features innovative microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) assembly tools, greater repeatability, low insertion loss and low power consumption, Young added. "This switch can operate over the full wavelength range of 1290 nanometers to 1610 nm, operate independent of signal transmission data rates and signal protocol and latch in place, which means it will remain functional during electrical brown-outs or blackouts. It also can be built with multimode fibers to reduce costs even more," he said. Advanced Optical MEMS Inc. (AOMEMS)