OPTICAL FIBER BYPASS SWITCH FOR BATTERY POWERED SENSOR ARRAYS

The conventional optical fiber-based bypass switch is a critical optomechanical device which was developed to provide practical access to Ehternet, FDDI, and other fiber optic ring-based military and private secotr data networks. Within such networks, the fiber optic bypass switch must operate with high reliability and fault tolerance to maintain a low-loss optical link with the network or, if necessary, to bypass inactive network teminmals or nodes. Reliable fault tolerant bypass switches are commercially available for many private sector terrestrial applications, but to not meet the Navy's requirements for environmental stability, cost, size and power consumption. For this proposed research program, Fiber and Sensor Technologies, Inc. (F&S) has assembled a research team consisting of FiberCom, Inc., the Fiber & Electro-Optics Research Center (FEORC) at Virginia Tech, and AVX, Inc. to research, develop, manufacture, and market a compact, low-cost, micropowered bypass switch for remote, battery-powered sensor arrays. In the proposed Phase I program, F&S researchers will apply their expertise in the research, development, and manufacture of fiber optic devices and components to reduce the current size, power consumption, and cost of FiberCom's magnetic bypass switch, as well as develop new and innovative switching techniques using piezoceramic and shape memory alloy microactuators.