Multifunctional Athermal AWG Multiplexer
PR Newswire, Mar. 27, 2025
SAN FRANCISCO and SEOUL, South Korea, March 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- POINTek, Inc., a global leader and provider of high performance Athermal AWGs (AAWGs) and optical module packaging services, today announced the release of a new Multifunctional AAWG brick which is designed to access the necessary access service such as OTDR, EDFA and Monitor channels to the DWDM fiber lines easily. The new Multifunctional AAWG bricks can provide very efficient solutions for the low-cost infrastructure in which the various optical fiber network managements add OTDR, EDFA and Monitor channels by way of plug-in units without additional cost.
Figure 1. Multifunctional AAWG with built-in plugs for OTDR, EDFA and Monitor channels.
POINTek's new multifunctional AAWG brick has 4 built-in functional access ports in the common port, which are available for 1625nm OTDR, EDFA IN, EDFA OUT and 2:98 Monitor. Because of the built-in feature of these services, the post-installation costs for any of these services are going to be very small without redesigning the fiber lines.
"This new multifunctional AAWG brick is a very efficient solution to install the necessary and additional service to the fiber network lines because all connection and access ports are built inside the AAWG package, so that the necessary equipment such as OTDR can be simply plugged into the designated access port. This new device is a kind of an infrastructure. For example, after the new fiber lines are installed, the expensive services equipment could be added as only a need-basis without additional fiber line modification if this new AAWG brick has been installed," says Dr. T.H. Rhee, CEO of POINTek. "We designed this AAWG flexibly for 1625nm OTDR laser frequency not to interfere with the main traffic signal frequencies. As well, when the EDFA is not necessary for the applications such as data centers, a simple loop-back jumper cord to EDFA IN and EDFA OUT ports can keep the main traffic signals moving undisturbed. Therefore, this new Multifunctional AAWG brick offers very efficient and cost-effective solution to multiple purposes," Rhee adds.
POINTek has expanded its typical AAWG applications from the legacy DWDM networks to OSP such as 5G Wireless fronthaul since 2018, and we have been successful in fostering the conventional Telcom-focused AAWG applications to new business areas.
"We are the earliest change maker for the new technology adopters in the market. POINTek has led the technological trend in the past decades by releasing many world first AAWGs timely meeting for the market demand in new technologies. Now, we are expanding our areas of concern from Telecom Photonics very suitable to Data Center and moving onto the Aerospace and AI/Silicon Photonics arenas," according to Dr. Donald Yu, CMO of POINTek who runs global marketing operations at the Southern California USA.
"All of our conventional Telecom products have been modified to be applicable to Data Center Photonics; these products include, for example, our Ultra Los Low AWGs and Low Profile AWGs. Also, we modified our heritage high-performance AWGs to be applicable to aerospace and AI photonics. POINTek's AWG Interrogators, Cyclic AWGs and Polarization Maintaining AWGs are in these categories. In addition, we have released the new Fiber Arrays for AI/Silicon Photonics, which have the ultra-short optical fiber protrusion lengths to maximize the wafer yields for Photonics IC. We have fully utilized our own creative expertise in designing these products for greater and far-reaching performance, meeting the application-specific customer requirements and their satisfaction. And we keep advancing our optical packaging idea adapting to the new market trends," Yu adds.
These new Multifunctional Athermal AWG Multiplexer products along with several new AAWG modules tailored to Data Center, Aerospace, and AI/Silicon photonics applications products will be shown in POINTek booth 2759 at the forthcoming OFC2025 Exposition in Moscone Convention Center, San Francisco in April 1~3, 2025.
About POINTek, Inc.
Launched in 2000 with the goal of developing cutting edge Planar Optical Waveguide Technology, POINTek has become a global leader in the following two decades since its establishment, providing top-quality high performance athermal AWGs and other specialty optical components for Aerospace and AI/Si photonics.
For more information, visit the POINTek home page http://www.pointekinc.com.