OTTAWA -- Intelligent Photonics Control Corp. (Photonics Control), the world leader in providing system-on-a-chip controllers for optical devices, announced the availability of a standard control platform for optical components. The Company is currently shipping off-the-shelf chip sets for Optical Amplifiers (single and multi pump amplifiers, EDWAs, SOAs, LOAs), Optical Power Monitors (OPMs), Variable Optical Attenuators (VOAs) and Dynamic Gain Equalizers (DGEs). Photonics Control will soon be extending its standard control platform to Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs); Tunable Lasers; Integrated Photodiode Arrays; Dispersion Compensation, and other devices including photonics for non-telecom applications.

“In today's marketplace, our common platform solution offers customers the ability to implement controls quickly and inexpensively,” said Photonics Control CEO Richard Timmons. “Our chip set, with its small footprint, low power consumption, and remote management capabilities represents a dramatic step forward in providing the sophisticated controls needed for making low-cost, high-performance optical networks a practical reality.”

”The value of our standard control platform is being confirmed by paying customers, twelve of whom have already integrated our controllers into their products which they are now demonstrating to their customers,” Timmons added.

The platform uses a layered software architecture to provide the fast response and the flexibility necessary to meet customer requirements including: tight control; auto-calibration; fast transient response; health checks and alarms; and per wavelength control. These features allow dynamic provisioning throughout the network with no impact on system performance. As part of the platform architecture, Photonics Control has also developed the necessary scheduling functionality that is optimized for real-time control of optical devices. It includes all required device drivers, is “live-traffic” aware, provides a peer-to-peer optimized message interface, and allows hot firmware downloads while maintaining full control.

Our controllers are used for a number of different applications including: Telecommunications Carrier SONET/SDH DWDM Systems; RF Link Optical Extension; and Cable TV and Broadcast Systems.

The use of a standard control platform also simplifies the integration of optical components and subsystems for equipment manufacturers, and greatly reduces OPEX for carriers, resulting in millions of dollars in cost savings that will ripple through the entire telecommunications industry.

Intelligent Photonics Control Corp.