Fibre optic switching their features

25th October 2021

Tom Anstee

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Solid-state high speed fibre optic are switching their features fast response and ultra-high reliability to meet the most demanding applications. They are the preferred choice for aerospace and undersea applications, etc. There are no moving parts, being activated by an electrical pulse inside an inorganic magneto-optic crystal to facilitate solid-state binary switching that is intrinsically stable against temperature fluctuation, vibration, and fatigue. The switches have a fail-safe latching capability, thereby maintaining their position when power is removed.

Magneto-optic technology offers fast switch (5µs latching, 1310 and 1550nm), Matrix NxM (up to 32×32, latching), and the polarisation switch (fast, reliable),µs rise/fall, kHz repetition. Devices have a built-in isolator as well as circulator function, they can also be made true bidirectional.

Solid-state fibre optic switching connects optical channels by redirecting an incoming optical signal into a selected output fibre using a non-mechanical configuration, activated via an electrical control signal. They feature low insertion loss, high extinction ratio, high channel isolation, and extremely high reliability and repeatability. They are designed to meet the most demanding switching requirements of continuous operation without failure, longevity, operation under shock/vibration environment and large temperature variations, and fast response time.

Available for multicasting connecting optical channels by redirecting an incoming optical signal either into a selected output fibre or splitting equally into the two output fibres, they are activated via an electrical control signal. Latching operation preserves the selected optical path after the drive signal has been removed.

High optical power versions are available for 5W CW power handling. There are a range of configurations 1×1, 1×2, 2×2, 1×4, 1×5, 1×6, 1×8, 1×16, and non-blocking 4×4, 8×8 and multicasting 16×24 for both polarisation independent and polarisation maintaining versions.

Switches are controllable by a direct low voltage signal or digitally with an integrated electronic driver featuring both TTL and RS232 interface.