TI Analog Mirrors have been developed in conjunction with multiple application partners to incorporate critical features. System designers using TI Analog Mirrors can expect superior signal integrity with high optical efficiency, flexible system integration, and simple power and IO requirements from a supplier with proven reliability.

Experienced and Reliable Supplier

Texas Instruments has over a decade of experience designing and manufacturing single- and dual-axis pointing and scanning mirrors for custom applications. Engineers and optical designers working with TI Analog Mirrors can confidently source parts from Texas Instruments, an analog mirror supplier with established production and proven reliability.

Optically Efficient System Design

The optical properties of TI Analog Mirrors provide superior signal integrity by minimizing insertion loss. TI Analog Mirrors are etched from a single piece of silicon which provides for a very flat and virtually defect-free optical surface. Each mirror has a highly reflective coating made of material selected for its desired wavelength range. For example, the gold coated TALP1000B provides a 9mm2 optical surface with a radius of curvature of over 5 m and greater than 95% reflectivity in the IR wavelength range.

The mirrors use either magnetic or piezoelectric actuation, making them less sensitive to small particle contamination and enabling a windowless package. Simple, windowless packaging means that engineers can design cost-effective optical systems without regard to polarization effects that reduce usable optical power in alternative technologies.

The size of the mirror itself can be up to 9 mm2, producing highly focused spot sizes that can accommodate smaller lens designs. While the active optical surface is relatively large, the mirror’s minimal packaging has a small footprint with no window. This form factor allows the products to fit into tighter cavities, and reduces the overall size of the system or subsystem. Further simplifying the optical design, the mirror’s rotation axis is coincidental with the reflection plane.

Precise Analog Light Steering

Whether the application requires point and hold operations or light scanning, TI Analog Mirrors can enable very precise light positioning, especially when combined with feedback control. For example, with proper feedback and drive control, for example, the tilt angle of a TALP1000B dual-axis mirror can be moved point-to-point in less than 5 ms.

TI Pointing Mirrors may also be driven with a variety of user defined waveforms to provide the desired light motion including continuous free-form scan and periodic scan shapes such as sinusoidal, saw tooth, or triangular. The 13-bit integrated position feedback on the TALP1000B also allows detection of a change in position as small as 1 part in 4,000. TI Scanning Mirrors are high Q, mechanical resonant devices that can be driven with a simple sine or pulse-width modulation (PWM) waveform at the mirror’s resonant frequency.

Low Power Design

TI Analog Mirrors promote energy-efficient designs through low power consumption in the mW range. TI Pointing Mirrors use magnetic actuation while TI Scanning Mirrors use either magnetic or piezoelectric actuation to better match specific application needs. Lower power consumption also simplifies waste heat management compared to alternative technologies.

Additionally, the input and output (IO) signals operating the mirrors are simple and straightforward. For example, for each axis a mirror typically has a differential voltage input to control its tilt angle. For TI Analog Mirrors with an integrated position feedback sensor, other pins provide high resolution differential outputs to enable closed-loop steering control. See product datasheets for detailed power, drive, and IO specifications.