Multi-Module Optical Switches Use Liquid-Crystal Technology

Based on liquid-crystal technology, the company's WaveWalker multi-module optical switches are claimed to offer faster switching speed than are available with other technologies. The first device available in the series is an N-1x2 that is said to be ideal for dual-ring protection, add/drop network reconfiguration, and field test equipment multiplexing. It can be configured as a 2-, 4-, and 8-1x2 switch.
Key features of the device includes low insertion loss, low polarization dependent loss (PDL), intelligent control, telemetry signaling, low crosstalk over temperature and wavelength, and a small form factor. Delivering 1x1 to 8x8 switching functionality, target insertion loss is claimed to be 1 dB to 1.5 dB. Other features include a crosstalk of 40 dB and switching speeds from 2 ms to 5 ms.