Product category:
Optical Filters, Lenses, Gratings etc
News Release from: Omron Electronics | Subject: FTTH (fibre-to-the-home)
Edited by the Electronicstalk Editorial
Team on 12 November 2004
Fibre-optic switch helps fibre to the
home
Omron has achieved a breakthrough in affordable FTTH (fibre to the home) super-high-speed broadband implementation with a new approach to the design and manufacture of optical switching components.
Omron is claiming a breakthrough in affordable FTTH (fibre-to-the-home) super-high-speed broadband implementation with a new approach to the design and manufacture of optical switching components Omron is integrating its proprietary MLA micro lens array technology with its established actuator technologies to achieve high performance, ultracompact solutions for fibre access networks, metro networks, and interconnection at an exceptionally competitive cost
This article was originally published on Electronicstalk on 12 May 2000 at 8.00am (UK)
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Lens and other optical elements are manufactured through replication, utilising arrayed parts to reduce the number of components, and achieving self-alignment by arraying parts together, realising extremely low costs.
In the past manufacturers of optical switching components have used principally semi automated and hand-made production techniques based around the standards of single mode fibre (SMF) communication.
This often requires intensive dynamic adjustment and precise fibre routing to ensure an extremely high level of signal switching integrity.
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However, such ultrahigh performance is not necessary for optical devices switching light signals within the associated interconnections in metropolitan and local area networks (MAN and LAN) where typical distances of up to 20km are encountered.
Commenting, Nigel Blakeway, COO of Omron Components Europe, said: "We are achieving the reduction in costs for this class of components required to make fibre a mass-market technology in Europe".
"Network technologies that could until now only be used in backbone networks can be now applied in the access domain".
"On this basis, we are expecting to see a significant increase in demand, which we anticipate will drive further cost savings?.
He added: "Optical communications has very favourable characteristics, both in terms of its bandwidth, noise immunity, and its inherent safety".
"We therefore anticipate expansion of light-based communications into new fields".
"With our new technologies, we are well placed to support this growth with new classes of high performance, compact, and cost-effective switching components?.
Omron has launched a range of products based around an integrating proprietary coupling solution using a micro lens array (MLA).
The precision arrayed and combined solutions (PACS) structure common to Omron's new optical switching components offers a real cost benefit since alignment during the manufacturing process is carried out using a simplified process.
This is the direct result of a reduction in design complexity and number of parts used.
With the exception of the MLA itself each optical switching component is built on a "three-stage inline" design approach (efficient coupling, precision actuation and light control/routing).
The use of well established actuation technologies from the wealth of electromechanical relay experience enables Omron to offer high performance, ultracompact solutions at a price that enables widespread adoption.
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