Key Design Benefits of TI Analog Mirrors in ROADMs

• Low insertion loss maintains optimal optical power for high performance networking.
• Windowless packages eliminate polarization effects for simpler and more flexible optical design options.
• Straightforward drive requirements enables faster, more efficient development time.

Today’s network customers require reliability and high performance for ever-increasing signal density and bandwidth needs. Network operators use Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs) to offer flexible, remotely controlled channel add/drop capability for cost-effective network maintenance and reliable wavelength-selective channel measurements. ROADMs implemented with TI Analog Mirrors use an optical grating surface to separate the banded network signal into individual wavelengths and steer each channel’s new path. Each ROADM also typically incorporates an optical channel monitor (OCM) to measure and adjust performance parameters such as optical power levels. Check out the Optical Channel Monitor example to learn how TI Analog Mirrors can enable wavelength-selectable network monitoring.

Compared to competitive technology, TI Analog Mirrors provide relatively large and highly reflective optical surfaces that are exceptional at maintaining optical power while steering individual wavelengths. TI Analog Mirrors accomplish this while also enabling simple, elegant system designs. Their low voltage electromagnetic drive requirements can be met with straightforward circuit designs and makes the mirror insensitive to particulates, thereby eliminating the need for a sealed package. This windowless package enables small form factors and simplifies optical design which shortens development times and reduces system costs. Check out the TALP1000B product details for an example of a TI Analog Mirror suitable for this application.