PMD ANALYZERS The FTB-5500 and IQ-5000 polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) analyzers have increased their dynamic range to 56 dB for testing high-capacity, ultralong-haul, and submarine networks. The instruments-one for field use, one for manufacturing plants-allow users to test high-capacity telecommunications links to almost 300 km. Exfo, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
SIMULATION SOFTWARE FullWAVE version 2.0 simulation software for modeling complex photonic devices adds dispersion and nonlinearity in 2-D and 3-D, radial finite-difference time-domain, cavity-mode calculations, and an enhanced photonic-crystal layout tool. It also has an option for cluster computing, allowing users to increase speed by distributing complex problems among multiple nodes in a network. It can handle metals in which the real part of the dielectric constant is negative and allows greater flexibility in defining waveguide segment orientation. RSoft, Ossining, NY
VARIABLE OPTICAL ATTENUATOR The electronic variable optical attenuator (EVOA) comes in a one- and an eight-channel version. The one-channel version performs at high speed, making it useful for applications such as switching and transient suppression. It allows regulation of power spikes generated as channels are added and dropped, eliminating the need for multipump control. Both devices can be used as blocking components in protection-switching applications and allow analog signal modulation over a digital data stream. Bookham Technology, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, England
PMD ANALYZERS The FTB-5500 and IQ-5000 polarization-mode dispersion (PMD) analyzers have increased their dynamic range to 56 dB for testing high-capacity, ultralong-haul, and submarine networks. The instruments—one for field use, one for manufacturing plants—allow users to test high-capacity telecommunications links to almost 300 km. Exfo, Quebec City, Quebec, Canada
COMPONENTS ASSEMBLY The Prima automated system for fiberoptic-components assembly processes fiber from its raw reel state to a pigtail in a work tray. It pays out and spools the fiber onto a work tray, cuts, cleans, cleaves the end, and attaches a ferrule, producing a pigtail every 30 seconds. kSARIA Corp., Wilmington, MA
SIMULATION SOFTWARE FullWAVE version 2.0 simulation software for modeling complex photonic devices adds dispersion and nonlinearity in 2-D and 3-D, radial finite-difference time-domain, cavity-mode calculations, and an enhanced photonic-crystal layout tool. It also has an option for cluster computing, allowing users to increase speed by distributing complex problems among multiple nodes in a network. It can handle metals in which the real part of the dielectric constant is negative and allows greater flexibility in defining waveguide segment orientation. RSoft, Ossining, NYLENSES
A variety of Micro PCX plano-convex lenses come with telecom-quality near-IR coatings. They are available in diameters from 1 to 3 mm, with effective focal lengths from 0.6 to 15 mm. Lenses are coated for optimum light transmission. Edmund Industrial Optics, Barrington, NJ
TRANSIMPEDANCE AMPLIFIER
A transimpedance amplifier achieves a 300-W transimpedance in 45-GHz bandwidth. It operates with dual positive and negative 3.3-V supplies and dissipates 150 mW of power. Differential outputs are available. The IC is manufactured with the company's 200-GHz indium-phosphide-based wafer fabrication process. GTRAN, Westlake Village, CA
CHANNEL PROCESSOR
The PowerMux N x g wavelength-channel processor provides mux and demux functions for metro and long-haul networks. It combines a periodic wavelength processor with holographic grating technology to allow scalable mux and demux at any channel spacing, bit rate, and channel count. Avanex Corp., Fremont, CA
OPTICAL AMPLIFIERS
The PureGain 1000 Mini preamplifiers help maintain signal power in long-reach and high-data-rate single-channel and DWDM systems. They have a wavelength range of 1530 to 1565 nm, with maximum PMD of 0.5 ps. Total input power ranges from -30 to -8 dBm with minimum output power of -5 dBm. Corning Incorporated, Corning, NY
MONITOR PHOTODIODES
A series of miniature silicon photodiodes are intended for use as power monitors with VCSELs operating at 850 nm. They come in bare die format and can be configured to fit into standard VCSEL packages, such as TO18, TO46, and TO52. They have active areas of approximately 1 mm2. Advanced Photonix, Camarillo, CA
ELECTROABSORPTION MODULES
Electroabsorption modules (EAMs) operate at 40 Gbit/s and achieve bandwidth greater than 36 GHz. The EAMs are based on indium phosphide, a semiconductor with a high refractive index that allows smaller devices to be built. CyOptics, Waltham, MA
LINEAR FOCAL-PLANE ARRAYThe ISC00007-GX InGaAs linear focal-plane array is designed for optical-channel and signal-to-noise-ratio monitoring. The array is compatible with S-, C-, and L-band applications. It operates from 900 to 1700 nm with 512 pixels configurable as a 25-µm pixel pitch 512 array or 50-µm pixel pitch for 256 array. Pixel output rate is >2.5 MHz with <0.2% nonlinearity. Indigo Systems, Santa Barbara, CA
SOURCE METER
The Sm25 is a dual-channel source-measure instrument in a single-slot VXI C-size module. It can use an internal comparator to perform simple pass/fail tests in under 1 ms. It can source and measure voltages from 20 µV to 25 V in three ranges and current from 50 pA to 1000 mA in seven ranges. Interface Technology, Walnut, CA
10-GBIT/S TEST SET
A hand-held 10-Gbit/s test set for installation and maintenance of high-speed optical networks has been introduced. The SunSet 10G is designed for use with DWDM and other high-speed optical transmission systems. The test set conforms to SONET and SDH standards. Sunrise Telecom, San Jose, CA
ION LASER DOUBLING
The iTrain-244 doubling option is available for the company's Model 2060 single-frequency ion laser. The external-cavity frequency doubler turns the laser into a deep-UV source at 244 nm, delivering more than 200 mW of stable output for writing fiber Bragg gratings and inspecting semiconductors. The doubling module is permanently aligned and needs no manual adjustment. Spectra-Physics, Mountain View, CA
CHANNEL DROP UNIT
The MN9320A optical channel drop unit extracts individual channels from a DWDM signal and feeds them to a data analyzer for complex analysis. The device can scan and drop channels of 50-GHz spacing in the 1530- to 1565-nm band at data rates from 1.5 Mbit/s to 10 Gbit/s. Anritsu Corp., Richardson, TX
TRANSCEIVERS
The SCP6828 OC-48 SFP transceivers have Fabry-Perot and DFB lasers, are MSA-compatible, and have an I2C data bus that can provide operational status to the circuit board. They are capable of handling transmission rates of 155 Mbit/s to 2.7 Gbit/s. ExceLight, Durham, NC
WAVEFORM GENERATORThe DBS2055 waveform generator produces 4.8 gigasamples per second. It provides amplitude flatness of ±0.5 dB from dc to >2 GHz, 8-bit resolution, dynamic range with 60-dB gain and 30-dB offset (12-bit resolution), dual-channel synchronization with zero skew time and 3-ps rms jitter typical, and signal rise and fall times of <250 ps. Analogic Corp., Peabody, MA