5 September 2003 Carlsbad, CA Lightwave -- Oluma, Inc. announced that its integrated photodiode Tap and variable optical attenuator (TVOA) has successfully completed Telcordia GR-1209 qualification. The compact TVOA can attenuate and monitor fiber-optic signals with reduced fiber handling and splicing for high-density network applications.
Oluma says the TVOA is well suited for transceiver protection, OADM signal balancing, and integration into all-optical switches. In an article written for the upcoming September issue of Lightwave, William J. De Costa, director of marketing at Oluma, writes:
- TVOAs are widely used for output power control, to protect receiver photodiodes in networks and test equipment from saturation, and to balance the power of several wavelengths prior to combining them for amplification and launch. For receiver applications a monitor photodiode on the input is the preferred solution, as the receiver photodiode and circuit can supply feedback information for VOA control. This combination then produces the desired output signal level for the receiver's circuitry while verifying that signal is present for protection switching.
Introduced in November of last year, the device is shipping with samples available to qualified customers.