TOKYO, April 23, 2019 – Alps Alpine Co., Ltd. (Tokyo: 6770;
President & CEO: Toshihiro Kuriyama), a manufacturer of high-quality
electronic products, has developed the FLHL2 Series Lens Array with Mirror
for optical transceivers that are used, for example, in optical networks for
data centers.
The recent rise in application of Internet of Things (IoT)
technology and artificial intelligence points to an expected threefold
increase in global IP traffic between 2017 and 2022*. This will
be buoyed further by other trends, such as the introduction of 5G mobile and
wireless networks. Optical transceivers used in facilities like data centers
will need to be much faster and have higher density, demanding even greater
size reductions and high-density mounting of the components inside them.
Responding to these needs, Alps Alpine has developed the FLHL2
Series, with a 0.75mm lens pitch and dimensions of 1.3 × 1.3 × 3.5mm
(H×W×L), which integrates condenser lens and mirror components of an optical
transceiver receiver. Lenses and mirror previously had to be positioned
separately to convey light to the photodiode. Integrating these two
components helps to reduce the number of parts and shorten the optical
distance, thereby contributing to downsizing of optical transceivers.
Cutting the number of components also reduces the work required for
transceiver assembly, leading to lower costs.
Features
-
Lens array combining condenser lenses and mirror helps downsize optical
transceivers and reduce the manufacturing workload
-
Glass lens with little light loss, based on a strong track record over
many years
- Lead-free glass (RoHS*-compliant)
*European Union law on the restriction of the use of certain hazardous
substances in electrical and electronic equipment
＜Comparison with Existing Design＞
The FLHL2 Series – mass production will begin in August this year – was
designed for existing optical transceivers, but Alps Alpine also looks to
develop lens arrays with 0.5mm and 0.25mm lens pitches in anticipation of
future market requirements for downsizing and multi-channel transceivers
as IoT spreads and 5G services are introduced.
Alps Alpine has been a leader in the market for optical communication
lenses since developing one of the world’s smallest glass lenses for
submarine cables in 2000. Applying optical design technology built up over
many years, the company will continue to support the realization of
high-speed data communication as part of a connected society.
*Source: Cisco VNI Global Mobile Data Forecast, 2017-2022
Specifications
| Model |
FLHL2 Series |
| Dimensions (H×W×L) |
1.3 × 1.3 × 3.5mm |
| Type |
Photodiode coupling lens |
| Target device |
Chip type PD |
| Wavelength (λ) |
1310nm/1550nm |
| Focal length (f) |
1.51mm (1550nm) |
| L1 [WD] |
0.62mm (1550nm) |
| Numerical aperture (NA) |
0.2 |
| Beam diameter |
0.6mm (1550nm) at effective NA |
About Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
On January 1, 2019, Alps Electric Co., Ltd. and Alpine
Electronics, Inc. integrated their businesses and started out afresh as
Alps Alpine Co., Ltd with 42,289 employees. Alps Alpine will steadily
bring about synergies by drawing on the two companies' advantages in core
devices, system design and software development.
The new company will create its own unique value for not only the
automotive market, but also mobile devices and consumer electronics, as
well as new sectors such as energy, healthcare and industry. For more
information please visit www.alpsalpine.com
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