Premier Products

Systems and Subsystems

Optical variable attenuatorThe OVA-650 variable optical attenuator, designed for DWDM system applications, uses a specially designed, low-polarization-dependent, neutral-density filter to achieve good optical properties over both the C- and L-bands. The unit has an insertion loss of <0.6 dB and can be supplied in either 15-dB or 30-dB configurations. The unit is hermetically sealed to ensure long-term reliability and is fully qualified to Telcordia GR-1221 standards. The OVA-650 uses a stepper motor for accurate electrical control and is suitable for applications such as transmitter or receiver power control, EDFA gain control, and OADM signal-level adjustment.Santec Corp., Komaki, Japan, Circle No. 300

56-channel mux/demuxThis 56-channel multiplexer/demultiplexer features a low insertion loss of <6.5 dB with polarization-dependent loss of <0.5 dB. The design provides 56 wavelengths without using interleavers or couplers. In addition to the 56-channel model, the company offers a full range of DWDM components, including singlemode mux/demux units with eight to 56 channels and a multimode mux/demux with up to 16 channels. Singlemode fiber is used for longer distances, while multimode is usually found in LANs, campus networks, and other metro applications.APA Optics Inc., Blaine, MN, Circle No. 301

Fiber-optic linksThis line of high-speed fiber-optic-link products for Internet/Intranet connections implements T3/E3/STS-1 or OC-1 protocol. A total of 18 models are being offered to complement the company's T1/E1 line of products. All models are available in 1-U-high 19-inch rackmounted cases, for ease of installation in existing telecom/datacom racks. T3 protocol runs at 44.736 Mbits/sec, E3 at 34.368 Mbits/sec, and STS-1 or OC-1 at 51.84 Mbits/sec. S.I. Tech Inc., Geneva, IL, Circle No. 302

SNMP-managed modem
The EdgeAccess T3 fiber-optic modem-model 2345-is a universal chassis system rackmount card with modular, hot-swappable, and interchangeable optical-line-interface modules. This carrier-class system is a chassis that incorporates many technologies allowing for the integration of fiber-optic modems, multiplexers, converters, WDMs, and LAN extension products into one managed system. The product has simple network-management protocol and optically extends standard T3 signals over singlemode or multimode fiber-optic cable, up to 100 km.
Canoga Perkins, Chatsworth, CA, Circle No. 303

Backbone switches
This gigabit-ready, fiber-ready line of backbone switches includes the standalone PDC8023Z-24B, the stackable PDC8023Z-M24B/L3+, and the modular PDC8023Z-M6B/L3+. All switches provide a 64-Gbit/sec backplane fabric for mission-critical networks and use a hardware-based Layer 3 switching technology to offer complete IP routing, IP multicast, and QoS functionality. By using a hardware-based routing ASIC, the switch is capable of routing up to 20 million packets per second.
PUREDATA, Irvine, CA, Circle No. 304

Optical system
The WaveStar OLS is a 1.6-trillion-bit-per-second system that has the capacity to simultaneously transmit 320 million one-page e-mails across the same network. The company is installing and delivering the system with the capacity of 800 Gbits/sec initially. At that rate, a single fiber in a network could transmit the data contained on about 160 CD-ROMS each second. The system includes a combiner/splitter that makes it "terabit-ready," meaning a carrier can double its network capacity to 1.6 Tbits without interrupting service, when its bandwidth requirements call for a capacity boost.
Lucent Technologies, Murray Hill, NJ. Circle No. 305

Components

PIN photodiodes
The G8198 series of InGaAs PIN photodiodes has high-speed response at low reverse voltage, low noise, low dark current, and low terminal capacitance. The features of the series make the product well suited for use in optical-fiber communications applications such as Fibre Channel and Gigabit Ethernet networks. The G8198-01 and G8198-02 have terminal capacitance of 0.6 pF and 0.9 pF, respectively, and both photodiodes have a spectral response range of 0.9-1.7 microns, with peak sensitivity achieved at 1.55 microns.
Hamamatsu Corp., Bridgewater, NJ, Circle No. 306

Erbium-doped fiber
The PureMode Er 1550C3 is erbium-doped fiber that can be used to extend the bandwidth of a C-band EDFA from 32 to 38 nm-increasing channel-carrying capacity by 20%. The product also offers improved ripple performance, which simplifies amplifier design. The product is manufactured with the company's patented outside vapor deposition process.
Corning Inc., Corning, NY, Circle No. 307

DWDM filtersThese 100-GHz narrow bandpass filters are part of the ZeroShift family of passive optical components for telecommunications. The products feature ultra-low insertion loss (<0.5 dB), high thermal stability (center-wavelength drift of <1 pm/°C), and good stop-band isolation (<1.2 nm at -25 dB), making them suitable for DWDM and optical add/drop multiplexing applications. Standard filters are available at all ITU Grid wavelengths in the C-band. ZeroShift 100-GHz filters also meet all Telcordia requirements for environmental exposure and stability.Spectra-Physics, Mountain View, CA, Circle No. 308

SFF conversion links
These small-form-factor copper-to-optical conversion links are versions of conventional media interface adapters and are plug-in devices for converting communications ports originally intended for copper cable to port ready-to-use fiber cable. The MHDSC series extends the maximum allowable communication distance from 50 m (with copper cable) to as far as 10 km (with fiber-optic cable). The products are high-performance, fully integrated duplex data links for bidirectional communication in Fibre Channel and other datacom applications.
Stratos Lightwave, Chicago, Circle No. 309

Installation

Raceway componentsThe Fiber Raceway Outlet is a nonintrusive outlet placed over the sidewall of new or existing channels to create a vertical dropoff from a horizontal run. No tools are required. The product has a profile of 2 inches above the channel's edge, and can therefore be placed anywhere along the sidewall of straight channels. The outlet comes with a two-piece cover with hinged rear portion so users can access express fibers bypassing the outlet, without having to remove the main cover. That allows fiber adds, moves, or changes without disturbing the fibers inside the outlet.Fiber Management Solutions Inc., Holbrook, NY, Circle No. 310

Cable-stripping machine
The FO7045 incorporates four stripping functions that can be programmed to allow for a variety of stripping combinations. The system processes many different cable types and thicknesses up to a length of 70 mm and an outer diameter of up to 4.5 mm. The product strips the outer jacket, Kevlar, and the buffer and primary coating on the most commonly used singlemode and multimode cables in less than 14 sec. Cable programs can be changed in less than 3 sec without tooling or blade changes.
Schleuniger, Manchester, NH, Circle No. 311

Test Equipment

Optical-network test solution
These solutions test 40-Gbit/sec optical networks and comprise two optical modules, the 40-GHz 80C05 and 50-GHz 80C06 models for the company's CSA8000 communications signal analyzer. The modules enable research and development of optical components and network elements for emerging OC-768 and STM-256 standards. The 80C06 module can handle up to 20 mW of average optical power, improving the signal-to-noise ratio of the acquired signal. The 80C05 module provides selectable bandwidths of 40 GHz, 30 GHz, 20 GHz, and 9.953 Gbits/sec.
Tektronix Inc., Beaverton, OR, Circle No. 312

Conformance test suiteThis software package is for conformance testing of the emerging optical UNI1 signaling standard, which is central to enabling "on demand" provisioning of bandwidth across optical networks. The suite provides a wide variety of automated tests, enabling developers to determine if their product meets standards and whether it will interoperate with UNI-conformant optical-network devices developed by other manufacturers. The initial UNI-test product focuses on testing conformance with the optical RSVP2 signaling protocol standards being developed by the Optical Internetworking Forum. The suite supports in-band and out-of-band testing and provides more than 200 scripted test cases for examining each of the actions specified in the standards, including the setup and teardown of optical paths between network clients and the network, connection status messages, and discovery of network resources.Agilent Technologies, Palo Alto, CA, Circle No. 313

Crystal oscillatorThis low-power-consuming, temperature-compensated voltage-controlled crystal oscillator comes in a 1.7-mm low-profile package for electronic-design engineers. Applicable with PCMCIA cards and handheld wireless devices, this surface-mount oscillator delivers frequency stability of 2.5 ppm maximum versus temperature, 0.3 ppm max. vs. supply voltage, 1 ppm max. per year vs. time, and 0.3 ppm max. vs. load in a ceramic package with a 3.6x6-mm footprint and a 1.7-mm profile. Given a supply voltage of 3 V, the S6800 yields a frequency-control range of 5-12 ppm from a pull voltage of 0.5 to 2.5 V. SaRonix, Menlo Park, CA, Circle No. 314

Fiber power meter
The FPM-8210H is a high-power version fiber-optic power meter suitable for component manufacturing test. The product measures up to 1 W of power while delivering a low response to variations in polarization and fiber-end position and critical performance parameters to fiber-optic network-component manufacturers. This level of performance results from an integrating cavity design that uses the same detector cavity port for all measurements, whether through connectors or bare fibers.
ILX Lightwave Corp., Bozeman, MT, Circle No. 315

Design & ManufacturingLaser writerThe FIBEX excimer laser writes sharp fiber Bragg gratings with easy reproducibility and has improved spatial coherence of more than 2 mm due to a patented resonator design. The product offers a newly designed laser cavity that eliminates drift and vibration, resulting in a beam-pointing stability of <100 microrads. To further improve design stability of the FIBEX, a new Stable Energy Discharge mechanism was incorporated to minimize energy fluctuations, improving pulse-to-pulse stability to sigma <1%. Lambda Physik, Fort Lauderdale, CA, Circle No. 316