2 October 2003 Sunnyvale, CA Lightwave -- K2 Optronics Inc., provider of lasers for the telecommunications, cable television, sensing, and test and measurement industries, announced that its EC-48 Series external cavity lasers (ECLs) have met and exceeded the reliability assurance standards outlined in the Telcordia GR-468-CORE specification. This standard calls for passage of a series of stringent benchmark tests to demonstrate required reliability for laser modules. K2 Optronics is the first high-volume Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG)-based ECL manufacturer to announce the attainment of this significant milestone, say company representatives.
"This is a very important achievement for K2 Optronics as well as for the industry itself," contends John Major, director, New Product Introduction. "Our EC-48 Series external cavity lasers deliver outstanding value. In telecommunications applications for example, these lasers provide 8-mW output power with a directly modulated reach up to 650 km, making them the only transmission lasers that combine both high power and long reach."
"Now, for the first time, K2 Optronics has demonstrated the ability to achieve high-volume manufacturing in an industry-standard, 14-pin butterfly package of an FBG-based ECL that exceeds the rigid Telcordia standard," adds Major. "FBG external cavity lasers were first demonstrated many years ago and never made it to the product stage because robustness for commercial applications has always been an issue. By achieving this milestone, K2 Optronics has provided a powerful demonstration of the reliability of its packaging technology and long term operating margins for its EC-48 Series product line," he asserts.