NFOEC 2003 Attendees' Choice Award Winners

Lightwave is pleased to recognize the winners of its third annual Attendees' Choice Awards, held at the 2003 National Fiber Optic Engineers Conference (NFOEC) in Orlando, FL, in September. The awards are designed to provide a "grass roots" view of what's hot and what's not, and many NFOEC attendees took the time to tell us which products impressed them the most at the show. Look for additional Attendees' Choice Awards opportunities at the upcoming OFC 2004 Feb. 22–27 in Los Angeles.

Product contact information on the award winners is available at www.lightwaveonline.com.

The Ethernet-based GigaForce system is designed to solve the "last mile bottleneck" that currently limits widespread broadband deployment. Using passive-optical-network technology, the 1-Gbit/sec system can handle advanced video (RF and IP), data, and voice (TDM and VoIP) services.Alloptic, Livermore, CA

The XL-TT10G 300-pin widely tunable transponder can tune over the entire C- or L-band with 50-GHz spacing. Supporting multiple data rates from 9.85 to 12.5 Gbits/sec, it is available with an APD or PIN receiver, a dual-frequency jitter filter, and a zero or negative pre-chirp Mach-Zehnder lithium niobate modulator. A backward-compatibility feature allows the transponder to be used in legacy systems as a fixed or narrow tuning transponder.Civcom-XLight, Petach Tikva, Israel

The NAP network-access-point closure enhances deployment of fiber deeper into the access network. It features an aerial terminal optimized for optical access architectures; the terminal is easy to re-enter, allowing incremental interconnection of subscribers' drop cables and an increase in deployment velocity. The closure provides enhanced integration of couplers/splitters and/or optical connectors and separates distribution-cable splicing and storage from drop-cable termination, interconnection, and splicing.Corning Cable Systems, Hickory, NC

Spanning the physical, data link, network, and transport layers, the CMA5000 multilayer network test platform is suited for applications ranging from DWDM, SONET/SDH, and Gigabit Ethernet testing to dispersion and optical-time-domain-reflectometer measurements. High-performance measurement enables networks to be installed, commissioned, and documented more efficiently, accelerating the deployment of new services.NetTest, Utica, NY

The FMT 2RU fiber management tray is two rack units high and features sliding adapter packs that allow easy access for connecting jumpers and cleaning connectors. That ensures any fiber can be installed or removed without inducing a macrobend on an adjacent fiber. It can also house micro value-added modules for splitting and monitoring optical signals to provide service providers with additional flexibility and functionality when incorporating optical components into the network.ADC Telecommunications, Eden Prairie, MN

OptiFDTD is a powerful, highly integrated software application that enables design and simulation of advanced passive and nonlinear photonic components for wave propagation, scattering, reflection, diffraction, polarization, and nonlinear phenomenons. Its core program is based on the finite-difference time domain algorithm with second-order numerical accuracy and uni-axial perfectly matched layer boundary condition. The algorithm solves electric and magnetic fields in temporal and spatial domains using the full-vector differential form of Maxwell'S coupled curl equations.Optiwave, Ottawa, Ontario

Best of Show

The portable FiberStrip 7035 semi-automatic fiber ribbon stripper is used in production environments or during the installation of cable systems with fiber ribbons. The unit serves as a companion to cleaving and splicing devices for standard and high-strength applications. It has a motorized stripping stroke that allows repeatable processes to be documented, completely eliminating operator variability. Acceleration and speed are controlled by the stripping stroke to provide consistent results. The stripper also has closed loop temperature control that ensures repeatable stripping quality. The light 1.5-lb machine can accept most common fusion-splicer fiber holders.
Schleuniger, Manchester, NH