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SL Series Fiber Optic MEMS Switches

Product information "SL Series Fiber Optic MEMS Switches"

Latching; 1x2 to 1x16; Fiber Type SM, MM, PM; 1240 to 1640 nm; Insertion Loss 0.5 to 1.6 dB; Crosstalk 60 dB; Switching Time 1 to 10 ms

Sercalo Microtechnology’s SL series are fast, latching opto-mechanical MEMS switches for the most demanding applications in fiber optic communication networks. They maintain the last switching state after power is removed and are available in configurations 1x2, 2x2, 1x4, 1x8 and 1x16 with a variety of driver options and a capacitive position sensor (SLTS variants). SL series switches are the best choice where highest reliability and self test capability are required.

The SL series’ highly reliable switching mechanism uses integrated micro-mirrors that can be moved in or out of the optical path by electrostatic actuation. This latching mechanism offers the best repeatability and long term stability, has a very fast response time down to below 1 ms for some models and only 0.5 to 1.6 dB insertion loss.

The underlying MEMS technology permits to obtain low insertion loss combined with high crosstalk between channels. With their miniature package, withstanding rugged environments and well suited for direct mounting on printed circuit boards, the SL series switches offer solid state reliability, accurate precision and fast response time and are qualified according to Telcordia GR 1221.

Powered by a voltage between 4.0 and 5.25 VDC on the supply pin, the LS series switch’s state is selected with a CMOS or TTL signal on the selector pins. A high pulse during at least 2 ms on one of the selector pins toggles the switch into either cross state or bar state. At 0 V on the selector pins or at power off, the switch remains in the last selected state. The switching mechanism offers the reliability of a solid state device; it neither wears out nor degrades over time. Even after billions of cycles the switching quality stays constant.

1x8 and 1x16 models communicate over a UART interface with TTL or RS-232 voltage levels and over a secondary SMBus/I2C or USB interface.

Key Features:

  • Reliable
  • Insertion Loss (IL): 0.5 to 1.6 dB
  • Response Time: 1 to 10 ms
  • Low Polarization Dependent Loss (PDL)
  • Crosstalk: 60 dB
  • Miniature Size
  • Latching


Applications: Protection Switching; Optical Reconfiguration; WDM; Source Selection; Monitoring; Wavelength Provisioning; Optical Network Protection/Restoration; Instrumentation; Test and Measurement

Manufacturer "Sercalo Microtechnology"
Founded in 1999 in Liechtenstein, Sercalo Microtechnology Ltd. designs, manufactures and markets fiberoptic MEMS components and submodules that enhance optical network performance. Sercalo´s products are used for various optical processing applications including optical switching and power balancing applications. Sercalo´s MEMS components are one of the first fiberoptic MEMS products on the market that even exceed the TELCORDIA 1221 reliability standards.
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Co-Axial 1xN/2xN/NxM Fiber Optic MEMS Switches
Non-latching; 1xN, 2xN, NxM; Fiber Type SM, PM; 1250 to 1670 nm; Insertion Loss 0.4 to 2.5 dB; Crosstalk 60 dB; Switching Time 5 to 10 ms Sercalo Microtechnology’s co-axial fiber optic MEMS switches are available in 1xN, 2xN and NxM configurations. Their compact design offers a very low size and lower cost than standard switches. Nevertheless, it has slower speed and larger wavelength dependent loss than the SW or SL types. These co-axial switches are non-latching: at power-off they break the optical connection, and routing of ports is not defined. They are based on a strictly non-blocking bidirectional architecture, i.e. the common port can be used as input or output of the light signal. The underlying MEMS technology results in low insertion loss and low crosstalk between channels while keeping a constant switching performance over life. The hermetically sealed MEMS and the laser welded fiber collimators guarantee broad temperature range and superior long-term stability. No epoxy is present in the optical path. The series of co-axial fiber optic MEMS switches is compliant to Telcordia 1221 reliability standards and RoHS requirements 2015/863/EU. Sercalo Microtechnology’s SC type co-axial 1xN and 2xN fiber optic switches are based on a design where a single MEMS mirror redirects light from a common fiber to one of N ports. The miniature packages withstands rugged environments and is well suited for direct mounting on printed circuit boards. These switches are available in four different variants to simplify integration in existing systems and reduce development cost: standard size – ribbon fibers (SC); miniature size – small driver board: 7 x 40 mm (mSC); compatible with industry pinout, 900 um sleeved fibers and connectors (rSC); bare optical component (bSC). Sercalo Microtechnology’s SCBU type co-axial NxM fiber optic switches are based on a design where a matrix of MEMS mirrors redirects light from N inputs to M outputs. The optical networks can be based on a strictly nonblocking matrix (from 4x4 up to 16x16 ports) or on a tree structure (up to 2x540 ports). Key Features: Low Insertion Loss Reliable Non-latching Bidirectional 1xN, 2xN, NxM Variants Up to 2x540 Optical Ports Wavelength Range: 1250 to 1670 nm Insertion Loss (IL): 0.4 to 2.5 dB Response Time: 5 to 10 ms Crosstalk: 60 dB UART, I2C/SMBus and Parallel Interface Ethernet Interface Available on Request RoHS Compliant Applications: Telecom; Optical Network Switching, Reconfiguration, Protection and Restoration; Instrumentation; Test and Measurement
Product number: SW10974
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