Optoelectronics Briefs

Sept. 1, 2005

DDC unveils second-generation Fibre Channel network adapter cards

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Engineers from Data Device Corp. (DDC) in Bohemia, N.Y., are offering the company’s second generation of FibreACCESS Fibre Channel network adapter modules, which offer the functionality of DDC’s existing FibreACCESS network access controllers at lower cost and reduced power consumption. The rugged low-profile transceiver option offers a footprint about half the size of a standard small-form-factor optical transceiver, enabling military/aerospace customers to increase fiber-optic cable bend radius while minimizing overall size and weight. The FibreACCESS cards offer military-optimized features such as implicit login, Class 2 service, and extended link services. The FibreACCESS supports lightweight avionics-specific protocols such as ASM and RAW modes, standard upper layer protocols such as TCP/IP and SCSI, and custom ULPs. DDC can provide customizability and long lifecycle support for military applications, while the FPGA-based design facilitates maintenance and functionality changes through firmware upgrades. With an operating temperature range from -40 to 85 degrees Celsius, the FibreACCESS is a conduction-cooled flyable design that is interoperable with avionics and commercial Fibre Channel cards and switches. For more information, contact DDC’s Tom Cheng by phone at 631-567-5600, ext. 7459, by e-mail at [email protected], or online at www.ddc-web.com.

NASA turns to Adtech Optics for space optoelectronics

Officials of the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md., are looking to Adtech Optics Inc. in City of Industry, Calif., for crucial optoelectronic components for space-based laser radar systems. Adtech will provide NASA Goddard with indium gallium arsenide (InGaAs) and indium phosphide (InP) photon-counting avalanche photodiode-array modules for imaging laser radar (lidar) systems. No financial details were available. Imaging lidar is a crucial instrument for 3-D imaging necessary in space docking and assembling under NASA’s new exploration vision, NASA officials say. One of the key components for imaging lidar is the InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode array. Adtech experts will design and build 50-micron 64-by-64-pixel InGaAs/InP avalanche photodiode arrays with 100-micron pitch with reliable edge termination, NASA officials say. NASA officials say Adtech is the only vendor that meets government requirements for this job.

Banner offers vision sensor for multiple features

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Officials of Banner Engineering Corp. in Minneapolis are offering the PresencePLUS P4 Edge 1.3 vision sensor for detailed automated error proofing and inspections. The sensor uses a 1280-by-1024-pixel imager to capture minute details of several features at ranges from a few inches to several feet, depending on the lens used. The sensor comes with two lens positions-in line on the end of the housing, and right angle on the side of the housing. Both versions are 66.8 millimeters wide; the in-line model is 126.1 millimeters long, and the right angle model is 124.5 millimeters long. For more information contact Banner Engineering online at www.bannerengineering.com.

Navy looks to ATK for optoelectronic sensor upgrades

U.S. Navy officials are looking to the ATK subsidiary Alliant Integrated Defense Co. LLC in Clearwater, Fla., for AAR-47(V)2 sensor upgrade hardware weapons replacement assemblies. Alliant will provide the assemblies under terms of a $17.4 million contract modification from Naval Air Systems Command at Patuxent River Naval Air Station, Md. The contract calls for 1,334 optical sensor converters with laser warning capabilities, 230 computer processors, 263 control indicators, and 148 computer processor kits. Of these optical sensor converters, 619 are for the Navy, 426 for the U.S. Air Force, 16 for the U.S. Army, 237 for the government of Australia, 32 for the government of Korea, and four for the government of Italy. Of the computer processors, 60 are for the Navy, 77 for the Air force; four for the Army, 59 for Australia, 29 for Korea, and one for Italy. Of the control indicators, 108 are for the Navy, 77 for the Air Force, three for the Army, 45 for Australia, 29 for Korea, and one for Italy. The Navy will receive 148 computer-processor kits.

Laser distance sensors for a variety of measurement uses

Rugged laser distance sensors for noncontact measurement of solid, semisolid, or most fluid surfaces indoors and outdoors is available from Metroloty Resource Co. (MRC) in Ortonville, Mich. The class II eye-safe MR L-1 distance laser sensors are for distance measurements ranging from eight inches to 660 feet. Accuracy ranges from 0.06 to 0.1 inches, depending on the sensor. Measurement time is 0.3 seconds, at beam diameters from six to 60 millimeters. Applications include vehicle spotting, distance measurement to buildings or military targets, profiling railway tunnels, and distance measuring in explosion-endangers or in docking supertankers. For more information contact MRC online at www.metrologyresource.com.

Toshiba unveils remote head camera IK-M44A

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Officials of Toshiba Digital Solutions in Irvine, Calif, are offering the IK-M44A remote-head color camera system with three camera head options. The camera is for machine vision, microscopy, nondestructive testing, and scientific imaging. Its camera-control unit can switch from any of its available three camera heads, which helps users do a variety of imaging jobs. Head options include the 1/3-inch CCD microminiature “lipstick” head, the IK-UM44H; the 1/2-inch CCD camera head, the IK-M44H; or the C-mount camera head, the IK-C44H, for use with a wide variety of optics and couplers. The cameras are remotely controlled by a flexible cable as long as 100 feet and is for space-sensitive areas. For more information contact Toshiba online at www.toshiba.com/taisisd/indmed.

Low-cost multi-output pulse generator for optoelectronics research

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Quantum Composers in Bozeman, Mont., is offering the 9800, a simple, low-cost pulse generator for generating and synchronizing several pulses for optoelectronic and process control in research and development and test in military and aerospace laboratories. The 9800 allows the user to combine a variety of input and output modes to meet test requirements. Two banks of outputs per module are available. For more information contact Quantum Composers online at www.quantumcomposers.com.

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