CED Member Update: M2 Optics Awarded Patent for Wavelength-Selective Optical Switching Device

The SwitchLightTM enables users to select and route specific wavelengths at the physical layer for communications network monitoring, multicasting, and other optical add-drop applications.

February 26, 2016 – M2 Optics Inc. announced today that Patent 9,268,087 has been issued to the company by the USPTO for the SwitchLight device, which allows for selective fiber optic channel monitoring and replication/multicasting of WDM signals.

SwitchLight is an all-optical (Layer 1) device that offers a 1xN switching architecture for routing optical signals within the live network or test environments. By integrating WDM components into the proprietary design along with the single mode or multimode optical switches, a user can select one or more wavelengths from an optical signal for monitoring or multicasting purposes. Taking it a step further, each wavelength can be managed on an independent fiber path, or multiplexed back onto a single fiber within the unit depending upon the application requirements.

Similar to most other solutions offered by M2 Optics, every SwitchLight is manufactured to the user’s specifications, resulting in a more cost-effective approach when a 1xN architecture is preferred to using a larger switch matrix. Built with mechanical, all-optical switches there is no optical to electrical (OEO) conversion, so the SwitchLight offers both low-loss and low-latency switching. Lastly, every device includes an integrated software API, enabling the use of multiple popular scripts (TCL, Python, etc) for easier integration into the network or test environment.

The ability to separate optical signals out by wavelength has become a necessity for monitoring tasks in communication networks, so a switching device with these capabilities will be of significant value in this arena. The device is already being utilized by both service providers and government agencies, but the company has been receiving interest and expects more organizations to take advantage of SwitchLight going forward, due to the additional flexibility resulting from the wavelength-selective features.

For more information about SwitchLight, please visit M2 Optics or contact an authorized sales partner in your region.

About M2: M2 Optics specializes in manufacturing customized equipment for fiber optic network simulation, monitoring, and testing applications. Our customers include many of the most recognized Communications Service Providers, Equipment Manufacturers, Data Centers, Financial Institutions, and Government Agencies around the world.