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Technology Stocks : Frank Coluccio Technology Forum - ASAP -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Frank A. Coluccio who wrote (1651)	5/24/2000 11:26:00 PM
From: Jack Hartmann	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 1782

Calient enters optical-switch fray By Craig Matsumoto EE Times (05/23/00, 4:36 p.m. EST) SAN MATEO, Calif. ? Adding a new voice to the din created by companies developing micro-mirror-based switches, startup Calient Networks will produce components that it says will create an all-optical switch scalable to thousands of ports. Calling itself a systems company, but keeping its product secret until the Supercomm trade show in June, Calient Networks (Sunnyvale, Calif.) apparently will pit itself against companies such as Xros Inc. and Optical Micro Machines Inc. Originally named Chromisys, Calient claims it can develop a switch capable of terminating 1,000 40-Gbit/second signals using a micromirror array as its switch fabric. Calient products will go into trials this fall and should hit volume production in "early 2001," said Tim Dixon, the company's vice president of marketing. All-optical switching is a hot development prospect because current methods require an incoming light signal to be converted to electricity before being sent through a switch fabric. In addition to taking up time and power, this "OEO" conversion ? optical to electric, then back into optical ? has to be handled by new types of components whenever network speeds exceed the limits of existing parts. "Every two to three years, the trunk interfaces run out of steam, and they have to upgrade those," Dixon said. One alternative being pursued by multiple companies is to switch the light itself using an array of mirrors built of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). Key to the success of Calient's MEMS technology is the ability of the micromirrors to cover a wide range of angles, Dixon said. "The big issue is being able to hit a large array of mirrors from any one mirror. We've been able to solve that with a novel silicon structure," Dixon said. Aiming small The company also claims it can build a micromirror array smaller than most others. "The key is when we get to 16,000 ports or 32,000 ports it's going to fit in the size of your fist rather than the size of my office," Dixon said. Calient has hired "five or six" different foundries to handle the manufacturing of its components, with final assembly and test to be done at a Calient facility in Santa Barbara, Calif. The company stresses it's not a components vendor, but officials won't yet say whether they intend to build full switches or just subsystems. One detail Dixon revealed is that a switch based on Calient technology will be able to accommodate legacy OEO-conversion line cards. Carriers can "pepper in" those cards as needed, he said. In addition, Calient plans to add provisioning software to its switch. The idea is to allow carriers to set up connections quickly, eliminating the weeks-long wait associated with traditional networks. eetimes.com ********** Optical switch to terminate 1,000 40-Gbit/second signals with only a micromirror array! In an announcement that likely caused a chorus of "No ways!" at Xros and Optical Micro Machines, Calient Networks Tuesday said it is developing an all-optical switch scalable to thousands of ports. That, my friends, is a weighty assertion if there ever was one. Presently optical fiber transmits data via a laser beam which is converted to an electrical signal by a router, switched, converted back into a laser signal and transmitted to its final destination. Optical switching relies on an array of minute mirrors that route data without any conversion process. If Calient can keep its word -- it says it should hit volume production in early 2001 -- fiber may realize its full potential sooner than expected. mercurycenter.com *************** Frank, I have admit it is hard to evaluted these optical switching companies. Jack