ANAHEIM, Calif. -- OFC 2002 -- C Speed Corporation (www.cspeed.com), a leading developer of 3D MEMS-based, scalable optical switching subsystems, today announced its ASCENT architecture, a new All-optical, Scalable, Core-To-Edge Network Technology designed specifically to be integrated into network infrastructure equipment offered by telecom OEMs to their service provider customers.The foundation of C Speed's ASCENT architecture is its patented, high-performance 3D MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) switch fabric. The fabric has several unique features that deliver high optical performance, fast switching, and long term reliability while being manufacturable using today’s standard manufacturing processes and tolerances. The first of these are the patented mirror strips built with C Speed’s patented triple actuator MEMS mirrors. The mirror strips deliver port count scalability and high manufacturing yields. The C Speed MEMS mirrors enable high speed switching, deliver reliable performance over the long term and protect against vibration and shock. In a separate release:C Speed Corporation (www.cspeed.com), a leading developer of 3D MEMS-based, scalable optical switching subsystems, today announced that it has received two U.S. patents for innovative technologies used in the company’s all-optical ASCENT architecture.At the heart of C Speed’s ASCENT architecture is the Company’s first patent, a triple actuator 3D MEMS mirror that delivers typical switching speeds of less than 10 milliseconds, long-term reliability, and high vibrational stability. The mirror system combines electrostatic comb drives with flexure arm-based actuators. This implementation provides a critically damped, inherently stable MEMS micro-mirror system that operates extraordinarily well under open-loop conditions and minimizes the complexity of the closed-loop control system. It also eliminates the need to add complicated torsional mirror positioning technology, thus controlling manufacturing costs while increasing fabrication yields. Lastly, C Speed’s patented micro-mirror design makes the mirrors highly resistant to shock and vibration due to the device structure while eliminating all rubbing parts to ensure long-term reliability.The second patent pertains to unique packaging for the switch fabric that brings the light beam over a very short path to the first steerable micro-mirror before the light can diverge. The package patent builds on the high performance of the patented mirror system while it minimizes insertion loss and optimizes uniformity of path-to-path performance when switching all-optical signals. Key benefits of this patented approach include high optical performance, regardless of switch size or network requirements, and true manufacturability using today’s manufacturing processes and tolerances.C Speed Corp.For more information on OFC 2002, please visit: www.nottheofc.com