Jeff Stambovsky
jeff.stambovsky@gofoton.com

Go!Foton To Present New Optical Switch AT OFC 2022

San Diego, March 8 …… Go!Foton, a world leader in optical components and connectivity solutions for carriers and data centers, will display the company’s recently developed optical switch at this year’s OFC Conference and Exhibition. The conference takes place from March 6 to March 10 at the San Diego Convention Center.

According to Go!Foton CEO and President Dr. Simin Cai, the new device functions as an automated optical patch panel that switches ports by utilizing the basic mechanics of a step-motor driving two opposing discs, each containing a series of embedded connectors lined up with those of the facing disc. “With this innovation, we have replaced the complexity and power-dependency of mirror manipulation in favor of an efficient mechanical process,” Dr. Cai said.  

 “Leveraging the discs’ rotation symmetry by applying the principles of differential geometry and hypergeometric transformation has enabled us to minimize the cord entanglement that would have otherwise proven to be a showstopper for such a straightforward mechanical device,” explained CTO Dr. David Z. Chen. “And unlike MEMS switches, our design executes in 30-60 seconds fully passive latched terminations that are not subject to signal failure caused by electrical outages.”

Dr. Chen said that Go!Foton was motivated by the company’s need for a less complex, smaller-footprint switch than those already on the market for implementation in its PEACOC® based product family, and especially in its newly launched EKO™ intelligent networking platform. “And because we are vertically integrated and maintain all of the required competencies in-house, we were able to bring this project from farm to table in a very short period of time,” he added.

The Go!Foton optical switch accommodates twelve ports and sustains optical insertion loss of less than 0.3 dB for UPC and APC connectors. Dr. Chen added that the company is currently in the process of finalizing enhancements to manage both higher port counts and smaller form factor optical connectors. 

Go!Foton will be demonstrating the new optical switch at Booth #3714 of the 2022 Optical Fiber Conference (OFC) taking place through March 10 at the San Diego Convention Center.

About Go!Foton:  Go!Foton (www.GoFoton.com) brings innovation to the market with proven expertise in optics and photonics that solves real world problems for its customers with a scalable and customized approach.  The company serves the data center and telecom markets with solutions including its Platform with Enhanced Access for Compact Optical Connectors  (PEACOC^®), a groundbreaking technology that has revolutionized the way network operators manage the increasingly complex world of optical connectivity. The company also supplies optical materials and components to the imaging, medical, and instrumentation industries. A global enterprise with sales offices in the U.S., Europe, and Japan, Go!Foton maintains R&D and manufacturing facilities in the U.S., Japan, China, and the Philippines.