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Optical CrossLinks Products

Optical CrossLinks (OXL) is recognized as the leader in practical polymer waveguide technology and is the first and only commercial supplier of custom polymeric optical links and functional circuits. OXL supplies uniquely configured polymeric waveguide and fiber based optical interconnections. Referred to as GuideLink™ products, OXL's polymeric functional and optical link components and interconnects are fully connectorized and robustly packaged. GuideLink™ products include polymeric planar waveguide connections typically mounted on boards; compact signal distribution splitters, combiners and star coupler components; and optical sensor devices.

Complementary to the polymer products, OXL's fiber based DistributionLink™ products are fully connectorized custom fiber ribbons and wiring harness shuffles with protective ribbon cabling. Ribbons with up to 64 fibers of any size and length can be made and connectorized. DistributionLink™ products provide considerable design freedom for the customer, removing the constraint of using only 8 or 12 standard size fibers per ribbon. Both GuideLink™ and DistributionLink™ products use proprietary technology and are connectorized and interconnectable with standard or custom connectors. Self-supporting robust packaged and substrate attached components are optimized to meet customers' unique requirements and applications.

Preliminary GuideLink™ and DistributionLink™ Product Briefs  written to date are attached and highlighted below. (Click title to connect to pdf.)

Compact Multimode Splitters------ Fully connectorized, robustly packaged, small sized splitter products with low loss and excellent balance are described along with available custom modifications.

Compact Multimode Star Coupler ------ Fully connectorized, robustly packaged, small sized star coupler products with low loss and excellent balance are described along with available custom modifications.

Multimode Circuit Board Component Optical Interconnections ------ Pre-machined waveguide array films for board level component interconnections are described. Waveguide array films are precisely aligned to the components and have I/O mirrors and board edge connectors that are assembled off board with performance confirmed before and after board mounting. Also covered are the complimentary products for 90º backplane to daughter board connectivity. Point-to-point links, splitters, star couplers, crossovers, pitch variation, and custom routing are available in board attached links as well.

Multimode Fiber Array Ribbon Doubler ------ Compact arrays of 1x2 waveguides are embedded in a small ferrule the size of an MT connector enabling an MT connected 12 fiber ribbon array to be doubled to two 12 fiber ribbon arrays. Other custom variations are available.

Custom Optical Harnesses and Distribution Shuffles ------ Optical fiber ribbon with customer-defined arrangements can configure routing distribution harnesses of essentially any length ready for installation. Multiple fiber ribbons with intervening mix-controlled regions create any length continuous custom optical shuffles either perfect or random as needed. Connectorization options either standard footprint or custom are available.

Additional GuideLink™ product briefs to be prepared

Compact sensor read heads ------ Novel configurations of small multi-waveguide read heads are available with desired custom variations and connectorization as required.

Fluidic biochip capillaries ------ Custom configured multi layer films with embedded capillaries and reservoirs are available. Also capillaries in combination with waveguides for sensing or with novel sensing head configurations are possible.

Multimode add-drop multiplexers ------ Dielectric filters are embedded into slots precision machined into waveguide intersections for multimode WDM devices. Connectorization and packaging as required are constructed.

DistributionLink™ product briefs to be prepared

Custom connectorized optical fiber ribbons ------ Ribbons can be created using OXL designed dies using any size fiber, any length, up to 64 fiber per ribbon (expandable to 256) fully connectorized with standard MT footprint or custom configurations as appropriate. Custom cabling for protection around the ribbons can be provided.

Optical CrossLinks product prototyping capabilities

Optical CrossLinks (OXL) produces custom optical interconnections covering a broad range of application requirements for fully interconnected optical solutions from rack to rack, to backplane, to boards and down to the chip level. OXL has developed product prototyping capabilities for custom optical fiber ribbons and photo imaged self-developing polymer waveguides all fully connectorizable that are based on unique and proprietary technologies. These include:

Custom multiple optical fiber ribbon distribution products       These encompass:     

1. custom fiber ribbons using any length or fiber type with up to 64 fibers today (expandable to 256);

     
2. custom optical fiber distribution for wiring harnesses and for shuffles, either perfect or custom arranged, are created using a proprietary continuous fiber weaving process;

     
3. fiber ribbon configurations with any length as needed, with no fusion splices, fire retardant ribbon jacketing, small pencil sized form factor for mixing redistribution regions in the ribbon providing nearly equal path lengths for low skew;

     
4. connectorization with MT style footprint or larger custom based connector ferrules as needed. Proprietary designs enable high density connectors of up to 60 standard 125 micron glass fibers within a standard MT footprint with center to center 2D array format on 250 micron centers and similarly configured but fewer for larger fibers.

     

Our optical fiber based custom product family is classified under OXL's DistributionLink™ products, which we believe are highly competitive with conventional flex circuit products where fibers are embedded in large polymer sheets. As an example we are currently delivering multiple units of nearly 100 foot lengths each fully connectorized using a) 18 fiber ribbon with standard 62.5/125 micron core/cladding and b) 12 fiber ribbon with 200/250 micron core/cladding for an aerospace application. They will interface to our polymeric splitters and multimode add drop devices noted below.
      
Examples of Delivered Custom Fiber Based Prototypes
View of DistributionLink™ Facilities

Polymer waveguides products       These are created through photoimaging and self-developing, and the resulting waveguides are symmetrically and precisely placed in large film sheets encapsulated by high Tg low CTE polymers. They are configured using micromachining for routing and linking components and optical fibers with high density and 1 or 2D connectorization for chip to chip, on boards, and board to board interconnections. These products, all classified by OXL under the name GuideLink™, have capabilities that encompass:

1. point to point links and/or) diverse functionality for a broad range of applications and optical functions are possible, such as splitters, crossovers, 5mm ROC and mirrors for in or out of plane, stacked 2D array interconnections with extremely high density, chip or board to board MT style interconnects with standard footprint size compatibility, and multimode guide spacing to less than 10 microns,

     
2. photoimaged waveguide structures inside guides at crossover junctions produce near zero optical cross-over loss that facilitates a) extremely dense optical circuits at the board level with complex cross over routing, and b) associated multimode sensor heads, sensor devices and add/drop multiplexer filter device applications where filters are coated or inserted into the crossover point,

     
3. precise connectorization in single or multiple layers in standard MT footprint or custom ferrule designs is enabled by OXL's reproducible film thickness based on our unique guide forming process and precise laser based micromachining combined with our proprietary connector technology, also used for the custom fiber ribbons products above.

     
4. compatibility with electronic industry manufacturing processes and operational requirements,

     
5. high volume cost effective near continuous manufacturing processes for complex waveguide circuit/pattern creation using photomasks up to 18 x 12 inches to date.

Products have been and continue to be delivered using or embodying the above attributes or capabilities to numerous customers. Connectorized polymer waveguide board and chip level and custom fiber ribbon array optical interconnection prototype products have been made and delivered for evaluation and for beta test applications to major customers involved in high speed computers and switching applications, high speed transmitter and receiver products, and for aerospace fly by light signal distribution prototyping. Multimode waveguides with embedded dielectric filters using unique photoimaged internal guide structures have been assembled under a prototype development for add drop multiplexers initially for unmanned aircraft systems, but ultimately they could be used for fiber to the home signal distribution.
      
Examples of Delivered Custom Polymer Based Prototypes

A recent market survey by a potential investor indicated that no other group besides OXL had developed and delivered products with practical connectorization for polymer waveguide circuits and devices, and connectorization is considered the critical issue. OXL has been successful due to the unique precoated film self-developing process for creating and embedding waveguides symmetrically in precise thickness films. In-house custom excimer laser equipment and work station for micromachining enables rapid custom work for all proprietary connectorization and part singulation to be under our control. In-house modeling for photomask design specifications, clean room for exposures, lamination of film layers and other optical test, assembly and evaluation equipment are available at OXL.