DiCon Fiberoptics Inc. today announced commercial availability of a Linear Micro-Electromechanical Systems (MEMS) Attenuator for telecommunications applications.

The attenuator allows open loop power-level control using a digital I2C interface without the need for downstream optical power monitoring. It is based on DiCon's MEMS Variable Optical Attenuator (VOA) chip design and is housed in a 14-pin Dual In-Line Package (DIP). The attenuation of each MEMS chip is directly calibrated so that power levels can be set linearly on a dB scale. It can be ordered in either normally open or normally closed configurations for use in Erbium-Doped Fiber Amplifies (EDFAs), optical add/drop modules (OADMs), multiplexers/de-Multiplexers and transponders.

DiCon Fiberoptics Inc. (Richmond, VA) supplies passive components, modules, and test instruments for the fiber-optic communications industry. For more information, visit the company's Web site at www.diconfiber.com.