New Products

Compiled by Sue Boyle

The PolarWave family of advanced optical products for terabit-scale active-optical networks increases the performance, reliability, and capacity of advanced optical networks. The family of products is comprised of five product lines: optical slicers, DWDM routers, optical switches, optical processors, and integrated optical systems. By using optical slicers in long-haul DWDM networks, optical-system manufacturers can transmit terabits of information on a single fiber. In addition to each of the individual product lines, the technologies can be combined to form powerful integrated products. Initial products are commercially available. The product rollout will continue through the first half of 2000.
Chorum Technologies Inc.
Richardson, TX

This new family of OC-3 singlemode ATM transceivers has data rates up to 155 Mbits/sec and can be used for telecommunications or data-communications applications. The ATM transceiver is a one-unit solution that includes a transmitter, receiver, and an SC duplex receptacle. The module is suited for use in low-cost, local- and wide-area-network applications. These transceivers comply with existing ATM standards, including Bellcore SONET OC-3 and ITU-T G.957 SDH STM-1 standards, as well as the Industrial Standard Multisource footprint. These transceivers are class 1 FDA and IEC products.
Infineon Technologies Corp.
Cupertino, CA

The RS-232 converter enables network administrators in campus and industrial environments to extend distances up to 2000 meters. By converting the RS-232 copper interface to fiber technology, administrators can extend network distances and eliminate noise interruption. The converter supports both hardware- and software-handshaking, it is compatible with all asynchronous RS-232 and compatible devices and therefore virtually invisible to any network installation. With this converter, networking between the office-engineering department and the machine-shop floor can be extended to 2000 meters without concern for the heavy electrical interference from the shop equipment. The RS-232-to-fiber converter is particularly valuable in this industrial environment where RS-232 has been traditionally used to network from the office to machine tools that have older hardware-controlled interfaces and are over 50 feet away.
Transition Networks
Minneapolis

With its small footprint and high degree of component integration, the Wave Daemon optical amplifier offers designers of metropolitan and access-optical networks an economical source of signal gain to overcome losses associated with emerging network architectures. Designed to compensate for lossy optical components in interconnection-rich optical networks, it offers 10 dB of optical gain with 13 dBm of saturated power and low noise figure within the DWDM-capable 1550-nm band. Its 37x18x102-mm package is less than half the size of the smallest conventional EDFAs, and incorporates an integrated pump laser, pump coupler, and optional input and output isolators. It is suitable for hybrid, fiber/coax cable-TV systems, networking testbeds, and instrumentation applications where a moderate amount of gain is required.
Molecular OptoElectronics Corp.
Watervliet, NY

The HSTR-link 100-Mbit/sec high-speed Token Ring transceiver is intended for copper to singlemode or multimode fiber and can be used between any combination of switches/routers, stations, and servers. The transceiver extends the distance of high-speed Token Ring networks up to 60 km using singlemode fiber. Designed for LAN extension applications, the HSTR-Link forms part of the CampusLIGHT series, a range of fiber converters and transceivers that support any LAN protocol from 10 Mbits/sec to 622 Mbits/sec. For easy installation the company's CampusLIGHT power rack provides cost-effective power distribution and 19 inch rack-mount capability for up to 16 CampusLIGHT units in a 3U high rack. An optional 1U high rack is available for holding up to four CampusLIGHT units.
First Fibre Ltd.
York, England

Low-loss, high-extinction-ratio polarization-maintaining fiber-optic couplers for 1550-, 1480-, and 1310-nm wavelengths are available. The 1x2 and 2x2 PM couplers are available in a 50/50 split. Features include a high-extinction ratio >20 dB and a low excess loss >60 dB in a compact inline package. This product is available in a variety of PM fiber connectors, including Panda, Bowtie, and Oval clad.
Micro-Optics Inc.
Hackettstown, NJ

A range of high-performance, all-fiber, inline polarizers offer a high extinction ratio-typically 35 dB, maximum 40 dB-and a low insertion loss-typically 0.1 dB, maximum 0.5 dB-at a range of wavelengths, in compact low-profile packaging. These standard devices offer typical extinction ratios of >35 dB with input/output fiber configurations of SM or PM/SM and have a bandwidth of >70 nm. The polarizers are light, ruggedized, and environmentally stable over a wide operating range and are available in either stainless steel or robust silica tube packaging.
ProtoDel International Ltd.
Hackbridge, Surrey, United Kingdom

These SC attenuators reduce cost and increase the efficiency and flexibility of the products. The attenuators have dual wavelength operation--1310 nm and 1550 nm--and can be used with either low-power input or high-power input-up to 100mW. Standard attenuation levels are 5, 10, 15 and 20 dB, with other levels available on request. The SC attenuators are available with PC, AdPC of APC ferrule endface polishes.
Hirose
Crownhill, Milton Keynes, United Kingdom

These oscillators are designed for Fibre Channel applications and are available in 106.25 or 53.125 MHz. The full size through hole part is designated P1100, the half size is sq3300, the 5x7 ceramic surface-mount is sm7700, and the plastic surface mount is sm1100jd or sm1100bd (metal) depending on configuration. Standard operating temperature is 0° to 70°C, but -40° to +85°C is available. Standard frequency stability is +/- 100 ppm although 50 ppm and 25 ppm are available. Standard symmetry is 40/60, 45/55. All parts have been designed for very low jitter by using true third overtone crystals.
Pletronics Inc.
Lynnwood, WA

The AFL cable has been designed and manufactured for indoor and outdoor applications and facilitates direct termination of connectors. For indoor applications, the cable is UL910 listed; for outdoor applications, the cable is manufactured with an outer jacket that incorporates a UV stabilizer for protection against exposure to the sun and antifungus protection for underground applications. The cable also incorporates a dry water-blocking technology that prevents water migration along the core of the cable. The new cable will initially be offered in fiber counts up to 24.
Alcoa Fujikura Ltd.
Spartanburg, SC

The PMU series emulators output PMD "signatures" of tens to hundreds of kilometers of installed fiber. They can be used with PMD measurement equipment providing a calibration standard or with part of a broader network setup as tools in facilitating the development of communications systems that are tolerant or even immune to the effects of PMD. The emulators are able to generate a near-Gaussian response that closely imitates the PMD signature of an installed fiber. Long-term stability is better than ±1% and ±5% of the nominal PMD value at ambient and full temperature ranges, respectively.
Fibercore Ltd.
Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom

The LFD-100 live fiber detector can now be calibrated at 1310, 1550, or 1625 nm and is useful for detecting signal presence and taking accurate power measurements in the S band, C band, and L band for WDM transmissions. Users can detect and measure all incoming signals at ITU wavelengths with respect to the calibrated wavelength of the LFD-100. The fiber detector is used to detect traffic, continuous wave, and 270-Hz, 1-kHz, and 2-kHz modulated test signals on 250-micron, 900-micron, and 3-mm jacketed fibers.
EXFO
Vanier, Quebec, Canada

The Q8163 optical-polarization scrambler and q82232 optical sensor provide a complete system for rapidly measuring PDL and associated PDL wavelength-dependency characteristics in optical devices when used with the Q8221 optical power meter and the Q82203 interface plug-in. The Q8163 provides fast polarization variances of up to 500 Poincare Sphere rotations per second. The Q8163 scrambler also provides an insertion loss of 3 dB. The q82232 provides a wavelength of 900 to 1650 nm and PDL characteristics of 0.003-dB p-p. The sensor also has a power range of -94 dBm to +10 dBm. The Q8163 is priced at $18,500 and the q82232 is priced at $4650.
Tektronix Inc.
Atlanta

The Turbotest 400 series--Model T410 multimode fiber-optic certification test set--is designed to test multimode fiber lengths and loss at 850/1300 nm. It also generates certification reports based on the latest fiber standards.
Noyes Fiber Systems
Belmont, NH

The OTF-910 multifunction benchtop-type optical tunable filter has full GPIB and RS-232 control and is ideally suited for automated test and measurement in production and laboratory environments. The unit uses an interference filter, which is polarization independent over the full wavelength range with a PDL of less than 0.1 dB. Insertion loss and bandwidth are also wavelength dependent. The filter has a two-stage design that enables continuous tuning over a full 80 nm, which is useful for C-band and L-band assessment in DWDM systems.
Santec Corp.
Oxford, United Kingdom

This expanded catalog includes tutorial information on lasers, nanopositioning and fiber-optic alignment, machine vision, beam analysis, and a comprehensive line of photonic products. The 600 new products range from high-energy ultraviolet optics and diffractive pattern generators to hand-held power meters, diode-pumped solid-state lasers, and singlemode fiber-optic delivery systems. Hardware selection has been upgraded with new high-performance translation stages and optical mounts, and the laser offering has been expanded to include CE-compliant air-cooled ion and helium cadmium lasers and green diode-pumped solid-state lasers.
Melles Griot
Irvine, CA

The International Engineering Con sortium has added 12 tutorials to its Web ProForum on-line continuing education program. The program features 100 tutorials that cover the latest technical and business issues concerning engineers, network designers, and corporate management. The topics are sponsored by a leading organization in the industry and can be found at www.iec.org.
International Engineering Consortium
Chicago