OFC, ANAHEIM, CA, March
13, 2001 - Optoplex, the leader
in dense wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) component
and subsystem technology, today introduced the first tunable
mux/demux solution and tunable
optical add/drop module (OADM) with Tunable Optoplexing™
technology.
Tunable Optoplexing™ makes it possible
to add or remove any wavelength from the optical beam,
independent of channel spacing, without separating out
all the component wavelengths. This is Optoplex's key
enabling technology aimed at providing fiber optic communications
network designers and system houses network components
that increase flexibility, improve performance of signal
add/drop, and enable more efficient use of available bandwidth
-- all this for a fraction of the cost of today's leading-edge
systems.
The current generation of dynamically
reconfigurable DWDM subsystems enables wavelengths to
be added or dropped at network nodes based on arrays of
fixed-wavelength optical switches. These systems are inherently
complex, limited in their ability to access and direct
individual wavelengths, and difficult to maintain. Although
the communications industry may be willing at present
to tolerate these drawbacks, the large losses introduced
into the network by virtue of their design requires the
addition of expensive fiber amplifiers. The resultant
maximum distance the data signals can travel in an optical
fiber before requiring amplification or regeneration is
greatly reduced. The additional cost of amplifiers and
maintenance would make such systems prohibitive for typical
metropolitan area networks.
Tunable multiplexing and tunable dynamically
reconfigurable OADMs enable dynamic routing of wavelengths,
dramatically simplifying the ability to add or drop channels,
without the need for complex and expensive optical switches.
In conjunction with new tunable laser technology, tunable
DWDM components will fundamentally change the architecture
of next generation optical networks, adding increased
flexibility, higher reliability and significantly lower
cost.
"The first generation technologies
enabling today's optical networks were focused on increasing
capacity," said Andy Zhou, President and CEO of Optoplex
Corporation. "Next generation technologies will increasingly
focus on network flexibility and the inherent benefits
of tunability for complete wavelength management across
the network. We predict that in several years all optical
networks will be moving into tunable and dynamically wavelength
reconfigurable and the build-out will begin with these
new products from Optoplex."
The tunable 40-channel mux/demux with
100GHz channel spacing and the tunable
OADM with 100GHz channel spacing are developed through
a combination of optical coating and module design innovations
and manufactured with scalable to volume production and
high quality production methods. Both devices will be
available in sample quantities for testing in June 2001.
