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2023年12月12日星期二
There is always an optical switch for you! - GLSUN Optical Switches Raw Manufacturer
2023年11月16日星期四
MEMS Optical Switches - A Key Technology for the Future of Optical Communications
Introduction
MEMS optical switches are a type of optical switch that uses microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to control the flow of light. MEMS are miniature mechanical devices that can be fabricated on a semiconductor substrate using a variety of techniques, including photolithography, etching, and deposition.
MEMS optical switches offer a number of advantages over other types of optical switches, including:
l Small size and weight: MEMS optical switches are typically much smaller and lighter than other types of optical switches, making them ideal for applications where space and weight are limited.
l Low power consumption: MEMS optical switches typically consume much less power than other types of optical switches, making them more energy efficient.
l High reliability: MEMS optical switches are typically very reliable, with failure rates of less than 1%.
Types of MEMS Optical Switches
There are two main types of MEMS optical switches:
- Rotary MEMS optical switches: Rotary MEMS optical switches use a rotating mirror to control the flow of light.
- Tilting MEMS optical switches: Tilting MEMS optical switches use a tilting mirror to control the flow of light.
Applications of MEMS Optical Switches
MEMS optical switches are used in a wide variety of applications, including:
l Telecommunications:
MEMS optical switches are used in telecommunications networks to route optical signals between different nodes.
l Data centers:
MEMS optical switches are used in data centers to connect servers and other network devices.
l Medical imaging:
MEMS optical switches are used in medical imaging devices to control the flow of light.
l Industrial automation:
MEMS optical switches are used in industrial automation systems to control the flow of light.
Future Trends
The market for MEMS optical switches is expected to grow significantly in the coming years. This is due to the increasing demand for small, lightweight, and reliable optical switches in a variety of applications.
Conclusion
MEMS optical switches are a versatile and reliable technology that is finding increasing use in a wide range of applications. As the demand for small, lightweight, and reliable optical switches continues to grow, MEMS optical switches are well positioned to continue to play a leading role in this market.
2023年10月19日星期四
What’s a Fiber Optic Switch?
Fiber Optic Switch is a device with one or more selected transmission windows that can perform mutual conversion or logical operation on optical signals in optical transmission lines or integrated optical circuits. The basic form of optical switch is 2x2, that is, every input port and output port have two optical fibers, which can complete two connection states, parallel connection and cross connection. The large space optical switch unit can be composed of the combination of a basic 2x2 and 1x2 fiber optic switch.
Optical switches play an important role in optical networks. In Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) transmission systems, optical switches can be used for wavelength driving, regeneration and clock extraction. In Optical Time Division Multiplex (OTDM) system, optical switches can be used for demultiplexing; in all-optical switching systems, optical switches are key components of Optical Cross-connect (OXC), and are also important components for wavelength conversion. The number of input and output ports of the switch can be divided into 1×1, 1×2, 1×N, 2×2, 2×N, M×N, etc. They have different uses in different occasions. They can be widely used in protection switching system of optical network, light source control in optical fiber testing, real-time monitoring system of network performance, testing of optical devices, construction of switching core of OXC equipment, optical add/drop multiplexing, optical testing, optical Sensing systems, etc.
Main Types of Fiber Optic Switches
At present, the most widely used ones are still 1×2 and 2×2 mechanical optical switches. Traditional opto-mechanical optic switches can directly couple light to the output end through moving optical fibers, use prisms and reflectors to switch light paths, and send or reflect light directly to the output end.
There are three main types of mechanical optical switches: one uses prism switching light path technology, the other uses mirror switching technology, and the third uses moving optical fiber to switch the light path. The optical fiber is connected to the lens (collimator) that plays a collimating role and is fixed. The optical path between the input and port output is changed by moving the prism. When the reflector does not enter the light path, the optical switch is in a straight-through state. The light entering from fiber 1 enters fiber 4, and the light entering from fiber 2 enters fiber 3. When the reflector is at the intersection of the two light rays, the optical switch is in the intersection state. , the light entering fiber 1 enters fiber 3, and the light entering fiber 2 enters fiber 4 to achieve optical path switching. The mobile optical fiber optical switch is an optical fiber with fixed ends. The device at the other end of the mobile device is connected to different ports of the fixed device to realize switching of optical paths. This type of optical switch has low return loss and is greatly affected by ambient temperature. There is no real switching product.
The advantages of mechanical optical switches are low insertion loss (<1dB), high isolation (>45dB), independent of wavelength and detour, and mature production technology. Faced with the total switching action time (ms), the size is relatively large, and it is not suitable for large-scale foreign optical switch matrices, and sometimes there are problems of rebound and poor repeatability. Mechanical optical switches have been widely used in recent years. However, as the scale of optical networks continues to expand, this type of switch is difficult to adapt to the future development needs of high-speed and large-capacity optical transmission networks.
Micro-electro-mechanical System (MEMS) Optical Switches
Microelectronic mechanical optical switches have developed rapidly in recent years. They are a new type of micro-electro-optical integrated switch produced by combining semiconductor micro-processing technology with micro-optical and micro-mechanical technologies. It is a new type of switch for large-capacity switching optical networks. The mainstream direction of switch development.
MEMS(Micro Electro-Mechanical System) optical switches are carved into a number of tiny lenses on a silicon crystal. Through the action of electrostatic force or electromagnetic force, the movable mirrors can be raised, lowered, rotated or moved, thereby changing the propagation direction of the input light to realize the function of optical path on/off. MEMS optical switches have obvious advantages over other optical switches. The switching time is measured in microseconds. MEMS fiber optic switch adopts IC manufacturing technology, is small in size and highly integrated. The working method has nothing with the format, protocol, wavelength, transmission direction, matrix direction, and modulation of the optical signal. It can process optical signals of any wavelength. Besides, it has the advantages of low insertion loss, low crosstalk, low polarization sensitivity, high extinction ratio, high switching speed, small size, and easy large-scale integration.
According to functions, MEMS optical switches can be divided into optical path bias type, moving fiber contact type and mirror reflection type. Mirror reflection type MEMS optical switches are easy to integrate and control, and can easily form an optical switch array. They are the focus of MEMS optical switch research. They can be divided into 2D MEMS optical switches and 3D MEMS optical switches. The concept of 1D MEMS fiber optic switches is also proposed. The so-called 2D means that the movable mirror and fiber are located on the same plane, and the mirror is either on or off at any specified moment. In this mode, the mirror array is connected to N input fibers and M output fibers. The number of mirrors required for an N×N matrix optical switch is N². Therefore this method is also called N² structure scheme.
2023年9月18日星期一
Applications of Optical Bypass Protection
With the large-scale and rapid deployment of base stations, restricted by optical cable resources, it is very common for base station networks to have chain or large ring structures. Under this network structure, once a link disconnection or multi-point open loop accident occurs, it will lead to widespread site outage. Therefore, how to avoid large-scale station outages caused by power outages, transmission equipment failures, difficulties in accessing stations, etc. has become an urgent problem to be solved.
The optical bypass protection system, OBP, can monitor the power condition and luminous state of transmission equipment of base station in real-time, effectively avoiding large-scale station breakage caused by power failure or fault of transmission equipment, and has the advantages of high reliability, fast switching speed, and low cost, which is a simple and effective solution.
Introduction to Optical Bypass Protection Technology
As shown in the figure above, the optical bypass protection system is a kind of optical switching system applied in the field of optical fiber communication and can automatically bypass the faulty network node, which can automatically identify the power supply state of the network node and the output state of the optical signal, and when the local optical equipment is faulty (including power interruption, hardware or software failure, etc.), it can instantly switch to the bypass optical path, and the communication line will bypass the local equipment (i.e., the faulty node) to avoid the full-blocking obstacle caused by the faulty node and ensure the system connectivity.
The OBP completes the main and backup route switching by the built-in bistable optical switch, which can detect both the power state of the protected equipment and the optical power of the protected equipment in real time, and the working principle is as follows:
(1) When the protected equipment is powered and emitted normally, the optical path is in a normal state;
(2) When it is detected that the protected equipment is powered off and the luminous power is lower than the preset threshold, the OBP will automatically switch to the fiber pass-through state;
(3) When the OBP device is powered off alone and the protected device is running normally, the OBP will instantly detect the optical power of the protected device with the help of the internal high-stable capacitor. If the optical power is normal, no switching operation will be performed.
Conclusion
OBP equipment optical power detection is accurate, and the insertion loss is small; the base station power failure can instantly switch to bypass state, bypassing the local transmission equipment; when the base station power supply is restored after the transmission equipment is fully activated, it can be instantly cut back to the main mode, and ensure the normal work of other network elements on the network in the bypass and the cut back to achieve the protection function of the OBP equipment, and therefore can be applied in large quantities to the link is too much, or the faults occur frequently, Therefore, it can be used in a large number of base stations with too many links, or frequent failures, or where it is difficult to enter the base station for maintenance, to protect the normal operation of the service well.
2023年9月2日星期六
Is the gold finger of an optical module really made of gold?
Do you know how an optical transceiver maintains stable transmission? Today, we will introduce the weapon for maintaining stable transmission of optical modules - the gold finger.
An optical transceiver typically consists of optical devices, a functional circuit board (PCB), a shell, and other parts. And, the gold finger is a critical part of signal transmission. The "gold finger" of an optical transceiver refers to the gold-plated conductive contacts on the PCB board, which are mainly used to connect to other devices. The gold finger is responsible for transmitting signals and power, and ensuring the normal operation of the optical transceiver. Additionally, the thickness of the gold plating on the gold finger directly affects the transmission quality of the optical module, such as issues like current and voltage fluctuations or abnormal temperature increases.
1. Electroplating Nickel Gold
Gold plating is a surface treatment process for PCBs. With a thickness ranging from 3-50 μm, it has excellent conductivity, oxidation resistance, and wear resistance, making it widely used in gold finger PCBs that require repeated plugging and unplugging. Due to the high cost of gold plating, it is only applied to gold finger and other localized gold plating treatment.
Advantages of Electroplating Nickel Gold
- Superior Conductivity
- Anti-Oxidation
- Anti-Corrosion
- Reduce Contact Resistance
- Wear Resistance
2. Sinking Gold
- Superior Conductivity
- Anti-Oxidation
- Anti-Corrosion
- Reduce Contact Resistance
- Wear Resistance
2023年8月2日星期三
Types and Applications of 10G, 40G, 100G Optical Transceivers
Optical transceivers, also known as optical modules, are key components to enable fiber optic communications, and they play a vital role in data center systems such as servers, network equipment, and storage systems. With the continuous growth of data center network traffic, the demand for optical modules is increasing. Here, we will introduce you to the types and applications of 10G, 40G, and 100G optical modules.
l GLSUN 10G/40G/100G Optical Transceiver Types
-Types of 10G Optical Transceivers
A 10G optical transceiver is a fiber optic module used for transmission rates of 10Gbps. It can transmit data through fiber optic media to achieve high-bandwidth and long-distance data transmission. 10G optical transceivers usually adopt standardized packages and interfaces for connecting with network devices (such as switches, routers, servers, etc.). Common types of 10G optical transceivers include SFP+ optical modules, XFP modules, and X2 modules.
-Types of 40G Optical Transceivers
The 40G optical transceiver refers to the optical fiber module with a transmission rate of 40Gbps. QSFP+ and CFP are the main packaging forms, and the 40G QSFP+ optical transceiver is one of the most widely used.
-Types of 100G Optical Transceivers
A 100G optical transceiver is a fiber optic module used for transmission rates of 100Gbps. It is a key component for ultra-high bandwidth and high-speed data transmission. According to the different encapsulation methods, 100G optical transceivers are mainly CFP2, CFP4 and QSFP28. The principle of 100G QSFP28 optical transceiver is similar to that of 40G QSFP+ optical module, which adopts 4-channel full-duplex mode for data transmission.
l GLSUN 10G/40G/100G Optical Transceiver Applications
-Applications of 10G Optical Transceivers
10G optical transceivers mainly include SFP+ optical modules and XFP optical modules. The XFP optical module is relatively large because it appeared earlier, while the SFP+ optical module is an upgraded version of the SFP optical module, and has low cost, small size, and compatibility. It has been widely used in data center networks due to its strong performance and other advantages.
Today, 10G network technology and market are mature, and the solution for 10G data centers is usually 10G switches with SFP+ 10G optical modules. The 10G optical module transmits data signals through optical fibers, providing high-speed, high-bandwidth data transmission capabilities. Whether in a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), 10G optical modules can meet the demand for high bandwidth and large-capacity data transmission.
-Applications of 40G Optical Transceivers
The current mainstream packaging type of 40G optical transceivers is QSFP+. This compact hot-swappable optical module usually has 4 transmission channels, and the data rate of each channel is 10Gbps, and this optical module complies with 10G/40G Ethernet, 20G/40G Infiniband and other standards, it greatly meets the market's demand for high density and high speed.
-Applications of 100G Optical Transceivers
The main package type of 100G optical transceiver is QSFP28. The QSFP28 optical transceiver supports 4×25G data transmission mode, and because of its high port density, low power consumption and low cost, it is favored by data center users.
100G optical modules are used to connect cloud servers, virtual machines and network devices to achieve fast data transmission and network connections. It is widely used in data centers, telecom operators, cloud computing and other fields that require large-capacity data transmission and high-speed connections.
2023年6月19日星期一
The Applications of MEMS Optical Switches
MEMS optical switch is based on micro-electro-mechanical system, using optical micromirror or optical micromirror array to change the propagation direction of light beam to realize the switching of optical path. What scenarios can MEMS optical switches be applied to?
MCS(Multicast Optical Switch)
The multicast optical switch (MCS) based on PLC technology and MEMS technology is a key component of the next-generation reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexing system (ROADM); Every functional unit consists of 1xM Splitters and 1xN MEMS optical switches; provide connections from N add (or drop) ports to M directions.
iODF (Intelligent Optical Distribution Frame)
Through the cascade integration of optical switches, it can be used in iODF to replace the traditional distribution frame in the industry private network.
OXC (Optical Cross Connect)
Through the cascade integration of optical switches, it can be used in small-scale OXCs to meet the needs of industry private networks and key lines in data centers.
Optical Performance Monitoring
Integrated with TOF or OPM, combined with monitoring software, through Time Division Multiplexing TDM, to monitor the signal performance of DWDM channel in the multi-core optical fiber in the optical cable, widely used in optical transmission network optical cable monitoring, ROADM network, DCI, etc.
Optical Cable Monitoring
Integrated with OTDR, combined with monitoring software, through time-division multiplexing OTDR, to monitor the quality status of multi-core optical fibers in optical cables, widely used in the optical cable monitoring of PON network, optical transmission network, enterprise private network, etc.
Fiber Optic Sensing
The main products are 1x4 and 1x8 for fiber optic sensing.
Test Instrumentation and Factory Automation
The test instrument and factory automation markets are relatively small, but they have high added value and have high requirements on the optical performance of optical switches, such as insertion loss, return loss, and repeatability.
DWDM System
Channel power equalization, link node power attenuation, optical receiver protection, and fast control of optical line on/off.