Polatis patented beam-steering technology is at the core of all Polatis optical switch products, providing high reliability and performance, without the drawbacks of "traditional" optical switches
The Polatis series of non-blocking all-optical switches are built on the same DirectLight technology: a high performance, high reliability beam-steering core. All of the Polatis switch products are fully transparent, passing single or multiple wavelength signals with any line rate and any protocol, and with the minimum of optical impairments. Polatis products offer integrated value-added features, including per channel attenuation, per channel power monitoring, and signal blocking capability - a unique set of features in today's optical switching platforms.
Customers can choose from a series of flexible platforms, to match their applications needs for performance specification and features.
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Optical Switch Systems
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| A series of rack-mounted switch systems, designed for ANSI and ETSI rack equipment, with flexible symmetric, asymmetric and user-defined port assignment options. |
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Download pdf factsheets from the links below |
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Optical Switch Modules |
A series of switch modules, containing all required drive and control electronics, designed for integration into specialist applications.
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Download pdf factsheets from the links below |
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Optical Switch Cards |
A series of card-mounted solutions, based on a variety of industry standard chassis configurations & backplanes, including PXI and VXI. |
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Download pdf factsheets from the links below |
Technology
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The foundation of all Polatis switch products is based on the patented DirectLight beam-steering technology - a simple, elegant, and precise means for optical switching. At the core is a micro-actuation engine, a device comprising fibre collimators, piezoelectric actuators, and a motion amplifier. The patented device integration enables beam-steering in a compact and scalable package.
How it works: an optical beam is collimated and steered from an input array ("send" side) to an output array ("receive" side). In reconfigurable port configurations, a single fold mirror provides the ability to return light back to a single array. Voltage signals to the piezoelectric elements control the pointing, while acurate position feedback provides continuous closed loop precision.
Unlike traditional 3D MEMS architectures, beam-steering is not limited by many of the performance issues arising from using silicon micro-mirrors as optical elements. DirectLight is a highly reliable integrated device with minimal susceptibility to vibration and shock.
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Advantages of Beam-steering technology over MEMS
- Very clean optical path: with a very simple optical train, consisting of fibre and two collimators, DirectLight is capable of very low loss (typ=0.4 dB) and extremely high optical performance (PDL, PMD, WDL, repeatability and more.)
- Precision optical surfaces: DirectLight uses real bulk optics, rather than adapting silicon-etched surfaces for primary optical surfaces
- Active collimation: with the ability to calibrate out all passive misalignments after manufacture, DirectLight eliminates the cost and complexity of precision sub-micron packaging
- High force, high stiffness drive train: with 100x the stiffness of typical 3D MEMS devices, the system is far less susceptible to shock, vibration, or other environmental disturbances
- High resolution positioning & control: provides the ability to sense and tune very accurately, allowing maximum power throughput, or fine resolution power attenuation
Read more about the DirectLight beam-steering technology in these articles:
- OE Magazine, October 2004: Optimal Switching: the choice of actuation technology ultimately affects the optical performance of a tunable optical device
- NFOEC 2003 Paper: Beam-steering Optical Switch Fabric Utilizing Piezoelectric Actuation Technology
Key Features The beam-steering technology of the Polatis range results in features and characteristics unmatched by previous optical switches.
- Unparalleled performance: the lowest insertion loss and minimal overall signal impairment of any non-blocking matrix switch in its class.
- Compact footprint: small system and module footprint for physically constrained applications
- Low power consumption
- Maximum flexibility: the widest number of configurations and features of any switching platform, including single mode, multimode, user-selectable port asymmetry, integrated power meter and VOA functions, and more
- Ultra-stable signal: zero modulation on signal pass-through, unlike MEMS switches that use optical feedback
- Totally secure: zero optical tap means no opportunity for signal intrusion, unlike MEMS switches that must tap optical power for switching control
- High Reliability: Extended operating range and hermetically sealed optics for demanding applications
Applications
The performance and reliability of the Polatis range makes it suitable for a wide range of applications within the defence, telecomms and commercial enterprise sectors. - RF fibre Switching: flexible routing of RF signals from multiple remote antennas, preserving high signal to noise ratios
- Secure Networks: provide controlled access to optical-layer switching at remote nodes through switches with secured access
- Shipboard communications: fibre optic communication links, with redundant path failover
- Real time video signal routing: routing of high bandwidth secure video links
- Intrusion Detection & Monitoring: access device for switching in optical and packet monitoring equipment, and locating fault/intrusion points
- Real time network monitoring & test, for backbone and access networks, including PON.
- Inter-office Fibre Distribution: Minimize stranded plant by providing the capability for network-level capacity management without the complexity and danger of manual cut-over.
- Intra-office Equipment Cross-connect: Enable flow-through provisioning at the fibre level by inter-connecting service delivery and transport equipment.
- Remote and controlled access to secure or difficult to reach locations.
- Video head-end and content distribution: Provide protection and bandwidth allocation to distributed content servers.
- Router POP Optimization: Router cross-connect for port optimization, providing load balancing & resiliency through shared protection, while maximizing revenue generating ports.
- Fibre switcher in data/BCP centers for automated file recovery services; remote connectivity in enterprise networks for path diversity & recovery.
- Optical Networking Transport: Realize operational savings and new services through dynamic optical add/drop capabilities in WDM, TDM transport networks.
- Optical Networking Switching: Maintain wavelength/service integrity with optical bypass for MSPP and OXC grooming nodes, optimizing use of drop ports while maintaining remote reconfiguration.
- Advanced Research & Defense Networks: Easy to use bandwidth routers for high speed photonic research networks, distributed supercomputing, and secure video, data and comm. networks.
For more information on Polatis products in the UK and Ireland, contact Phoenix Datacom on +44(0)1296 397711 or send an email to info@phoenixdatacom.com
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