RICHMOND, Calif. -- DiCon Fiberoptics Inc., a leading manufacturer of fiberoptic components, modules, and test instruments, today announced commercial availability of a MEMS 1x8 Optical Switch, based on a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) chip, as used in DiCon’s existing MEMS 1x4 Switch. The MEMS chip consists of a “3D” electrically movable mirror on a silicon support. Voltages applied to the MEMS chip cause the mirror to rotate on two axes, which changes the coupling of light between a common fiber and eight input/output fibers. With only a single switching element in the optical path, the MEMS 1x8 Switch features low insertion loss, low power consumption, excellent repeatability, and C and L band operation. It is a non-latching device that acts as a shutter when the electrical power is removed. Samples are now available for customer evaluation. The MEMS 1x8 Switch is available in a laser-style 14-pin DIP package that incorporates a digital control interface, and integrated control electronics for calibration. Package dimensions are 20.8mm long (30.3mm including the ferrule) x 12.7mm wide x 7.5mm high.

MEMS 1x8 Switch

The MEMS 1x8 Switch can be used to reduce the cost of channel or band monitoring within DWDM networks by connecting multiple fibers sequentially to shared test and monitoring equipment. The MEMS 1x8 Switch drastically reduces the size and cost of channel monitoring cards. Multiple MEMS 1x8 Switches can also be combined with DiCon’s existing 1x2, 1x4, On-Off, and2x2 MEMS Switches, to implement larger fan-in/fan-out 1xN switches, as well as MxN optical cross-connect switch matrices.

DiCon is demonstrating the MEMS 1x8 Switch at OFC 2004, at the Los Angeles Convention Center (February 24-26, 2004). A prototype of a MEMS 1x16 Switch, based on the same 3D MEMS chip, will also be shown.

In a separate release:

DiCon Fiberoptics Inc., a leading manufacturer of fiberoptic components, modules, and test instruments, is demonstrating a MEMS 8x8 Optical Cross-Connect Switch Module at OFC 2004, at the Los Angeles Convention Center (February 24-26, 2004). The 8x8 OXC Module is based on DiCon's just-announced MEMS 1x8 Optical Switch. Sixteen of the MEMS 1x8 switches are used in a fully non-blocking (strict sense) two-stage Spanke configuration. Eight MEMS 1x8 switches provide fan-out from the eight input fibers, and are interconnected to eight MEMS 8x1 switches that provide fan-in to the eight output fibers. Each MEMS 1x8 switch is based on a micro-electro-mechanical system (MEMS) chip, as used in DiCon's existing MEMS 1x4 Switch. Each MEMS chip consists of a "3D" electrically movable mirror on a silicon support. Voltages applied to the MEMS chip cause the mirror to rotate on two axes, which changes the coupling of light between a common fiber and eight input/output fibers. The MEMS 1x8 Switch features low insertion loss, low power consumption, excellent repeatability, and C and L band operation. It is a non-latching device that acts as a shutter when the electrical power is removed.

The MEMS 8x8 OXC Module demonstrated at OFC incorporates sixteen MEMS 1x8 switches, each in its own 14-pin DIP package with integrated control electronics for calibration. The MEMS 8x8 OXC Module also includes electronics to control the overall state of the switch matrix, and is being shown with evaluation software that allows drag-and-drop set-up and tear-down of optical switch paths. Using discrete switches, the MEMS 8x8 OXC Module offers low insertion loss (< 1.3 dB at 1550 nm and 23(C), high return loss and crosstalk isolation, and support for high optical power levels (300 mW), compared to single-chip 3D MEMS OXCs. The module has a form factor of 216mm x 112mm x 20.5mm.

MEMS 8x8 Optical Cross-Connect Switch Module

DiCon's MxN Optical Cross-Connect Switch Modules can be implemented in sizes up to 16x16, using varying quantities of MEMS 1xN switches. The use of module-level integration enables rapid development of custom configurations for a variety of all-optical switching applications. Multiple MxN OXC Modules can be interconnected to implement larger all-optical multi-stage switch architectures.

For even more compact form factors, the individual MEMS 1xN switches can be implemented as "bare bones" devices in small cylindrical packages, with analog voltage control. In this configuration, a single electronic printed circuit board provides the digital control interface for all sixteen MEMS 1x8 switches, including shared circuitry for calibration. The use of bare bones MEMS switches and shared electronics allows a much smaller form factor, as well as significantly reduced power consumption. For example, the small form factor 8x8 OXC Module will be available in two choices of package configuration, with dimensions of 110mm x 56mm x 16mm, or 76mm x 56mm x 22mm. Small form factor modules will be available starting July 2004.

DiCon Fiberoptics Inc.