Micronor Inc. announced it will be exhibiting at the SPIE Photonics West Exhibition and Conference, January 31-February 2 in San Francisco. The show will mark the debut of the FOTEMP1-OEM-MNT, an OEM solution for fiber-optic temperature measurement and a joint development of Micronor and its partner Optocon AG. The product operates in conjunction with all the vendor’s TS Series GaAs fiber-optic temperature sensors to provide a discrete temperature monitoring solution that can operate accurately and reliably in challenging environments where electronics-based temperature sensors (thermocouples, RTDs) cannot function. The FOTEMP1-OEM-MNT controller features a measurement range of -200°C to +300°C, ±0.2°C accuracy, and built-in USB, RS-232, and SPI interfaces.
The fiber-optic sensor’s entirely nonmetallic, passive optical design provides immunity to EMI, RFI, microwaves, high voltage, extreme magnetic fields, radiation, chemicals, and explosive atmospheres. Typical applications include monitoring temperature inside high voltage transformers and switchgear, MR imaging, semiconductor manufacturing, material processing, and bioengineering. The use of low-loss optical fiber allows interference-free, remote temperature monitoring up to 2,000 meters—distances characteristic of mines, tank farms, and downhole applications.
The temperature sensor’s operation is based on the inherent temperature dependency of the bandgap of the GaAs semiconductor crystal. A continuous broadband light source is coupled into the sensor’s large core 200-µm optical fiber which illuminates a GaAs crystal mounted on the sensor’s fiber tip. GaAs absorbs wavelengths below its bandgap and the sensor reflects the wavelengths above. The transition region between the reflected and transmitted spectrum—that is, the bandgap spectral position—corresponds to absolute temperature.
In small quantities, a complete fiber optic temperature measurement system sells for $1,349, consisting of the standard FOTEMP1-OEM-MNT at $999 and a general purpose TS2-02 GaAs fiber optic temperature sensor at $350. Typical lead time is stock to four weeks. An Extended Calibration option extends the low-end measurement range to cryogenic levels of -200°C. OEM discounts are available for larger quantities.
