OPTICAL CONNECTOR PACKAGING FOR PARALLEL OPTICAL FIBER NETWORKS

RUGGEDIZED OPTICAL ARRAY CONNECTORS ARE BEING DEVELOPED FOR INTERCONNECTION OF ELECTRONIC PROCESSING MODULES THROUGH PARALLEL FIBER RIBBON OPTICAL BACKPLANES. COMPUTER MANUFACTURERS CONSIDER OPTICAL BACKPLANES AN INEVITABLE NEXT STEP IN INTERCONNECTIONS AND OPTICAL CONNECTOR ARRAYS TO BE THE MOST-NEEDED COMPONENT. ARRAYS OF VERTICAL-CAVITY SURFACE-EMITTING LASERS (VCSELS) ARE IDEALLY SUITED FOR THE TRANSMITTERS. RESEARCHERS ARE: (1) SPECIFYING THE PERFORMANCE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE OPTICAL BACKPLANE COMPONENTS: MICROLASER ARRAYS, FIBERS, CONNECTORS, AND DETECTORS; (2) SURVEYING THE MECHANICAL AND MICRO-OPTIC "TOOLS" AVAILABLE FOR OPTICAL CONNECTOR ARRAYS; (3) DESIGNING VCSELS FOR MULTIMODE FIBER BACKPLANES; (4) DESIGNING CONNECTOR ARRAYS FOR THE OPTICAL BACKPLANES; AND (5) DEVELOPING THE PLAN FOR DEMONSTRATION AND COMMERCIALIZATION. OPTICAL BACKPLANES ARE MOST IMMEDIATELY NEEDED IN THE AVIONICS INDUSTRY, HENCE THE PROGRAM TARGETS INITIAL HIGH-PERFORMANCE AVIONIC COMPUTERS. THE WORK ALSO DIRECTLY IMPACTS THE DEVELOPMENT OF FIBER OPTICAL NETWORKS FOR AIRCRAFT SENSOR COMMUNICATION AND FOR LOCAL AREA NETWORKS.