Press Release

Leading AWG Companies Announce A Small Form Factor MSA Reducing Package Footprint By One Third

Tokyo, Japan; San Jose, CA: July 23, 2007 - NEL, Hitachi Cable, Gemfire, Fitel, NEC and NeoPhotonics, leading companies in the planar lightwave circuit (PLC) passive components industry, today announced the addition of a new option within the Multi-Source Agreement For Thermally Stabilized Array Waveguide Grating (AWG) Modules (MSA) for a Small Form Factor package configuration. This small form factor module provides a footprint approximately one third smaller than the highly successful AWG MSA first published in December of 2002, depending on the configuration. These standardized AWGs provide multiplexing and demultiplexing for DWDM optical equipment through a common interface allowing equipment manufacturers a choice among several compatible suppliers, simultaneously reducing lead-times and cost. The new small form factor provides all of the benefits of standardization while saving precious board space. Version 2.0 of the MSA, containing descriptions of both the standard and small form factor AWG packages, has now been published. For more information please see the AWG MSA website at www.awgmsa.com.

"As one of the founding members we at NEL have been very pleased with the broad industry acceptance of the initial MSA for thermally stabilized AWGs, and we expect this Small Form Factor MSA to be equally successful," said Haruki Kozawaguchi, Executive Director of NEL corporation. "These MSAs define common mechanical features and electrical interfaces for the AWG Module, including the package dimensions, bolt holes, electrical pin positions and assignments, fiber positions, heater resistance, and firmware. The optical performance parameters, such as insertion loss, crosstalk and passband, are not specified by MSA, but are determined individually by the member companies."

"AWG technology has advanced greatly since the original AWG MSA was defined in 2002," explained Seiich Okubo, Chief Technology Officer of Hitachi Cable. "An AWG with the same number of channels and channel spacing can now be put in a package that is only two thirds of the size of the original. This new Small Form Factor MSA package will allow equipment manufacturers to utilize this small size while retaining the benefits of a standard mechanical and electrical interface."

"This new Small Form Factor AWG Agreement is a great simplification over the original MSA by providing a single slim, compact form factor for two choices of input/ output fiber locations while allowing for either internal or external electronic control," stated Nigel Cockroft, VP of Telecom Products at Gemfire Corporation. "Given the rapidly increasing deployment of AWGs and pressures to minimize system space we expect this new design will be very popular and will allow system integrators to move forward with confidence."

"It is important that MSA standards keep pace with technology developments," said G. Ferris Lipscomb, VP Marketing at NeoPhotonics. "This new Small Form Factor MSA allows the benefits of this technology development to be utilized by equipment manufacturers. However, we also expect the original MSA to be supported as well, since many systems world wide are based on that standard."

The thermally stabilized AWG MSA group is an open forum, welcoming applications from AWG manufactures that wish to join. For more information on detailed technical specifications or joining the MSA, please contact the following MSA representatives:

 

Fitel, Toshihiko Ota, toshi@ch.furukawa.co.jp

Gemfire Corp., Nigel Cockroft, n.cockroft@gemfire.com

Hitachi Cable, Susumu Himi, himi.susumu@hitachi-cable.co.jp

NEL, Takashi Saida, saida@photo.nel.co.jp

NeoPhotonics Corp., G. Ferris Lipscomb, flipscomb@neophotonics.com