March 29, 2005 San Jose, CA -- California Scientific, a developer of high-speed optoelectronic test equipment for the fiber-optic industry, recently introduced its model EF-400 encircled-flux measurement system for launch characterization into multimode fibers. The system operates at wavelengths from 800 nm to 1600 nm, and requires no optical alignment or calibrated optical source.

According to the company, the tool lets design and quality-assurance engineers ascertain whether transmitters achieve proper fiber launch conditions. The company projects that the system will eventually facilitate the development of new standards, where proper launch conditions need to be established.

The patent-pending system employs a large-area broadband photodetector in place of a conventional CCD camera. The company says this extends the device's measurement capability to wavelengths that are too long for silicon CCD cameras. Included software translates photodetector output readings into a standard encircled flux graph.

The portable instrument is 35 cm long, weighs less than 1 kg, and can be used with 50 and 62.5 micron-core multimode fibers to ensure compliance with IEEE 802.3ae standards for 10GBase network components. The unit comes with a one-meter-long input optical fiber attached. Users have the option of specifying FC, SC, or LC connectorized fiber. Pricing starts at $5,600.