The rapid proliferation of data and voice communications has begun to put strain on fiberoptic networks, and in turn on service providers to expand their capabilities to deliver larger amounts of data at faster speed to remote locations with increased quality. Although fiberoptic networks have stepped up to the challenge of delivering more and faster, with the ever increasing data heavy applications such as mobile TV, gaming and other applications it becomes imperative that the technology needs to keep evolving to handle these situations as well. Ideally, we need robust amplifiers to take noise free signals from the origin to the destination at rapid speeds. Currently, semiconductor optical amplifiers do the job of amplifying any optical signal that comes from either fiber and transmit an amplified version of the signal out of the second fiber. However, drawbacks of these amplifiers include high-coupling loss and also low signal-to-noise ratio.
To address these drawbacks, researchers from the Chalmers Institute of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, have developed new optical amplifiers that can help increase the reach of signals from current distance of 1000 km to 4000 km in turn setting the stage for low-noise data communications that can reach remote locations. The new amplifier technology can help in connecting countries or continents more efficiently, as the new optical amplifier will enable placing amplification hubs at bigger intervals compared to existing amplification hubs according to Peter Andrekson, who has codeveloped the low-noise amplifier together with his research group in fiberoptics at Chalmers Institute of Technology. The research paper was recently published in the journal, Nature Photonics. According to the research paper, authors claim that their phase sensitive amplifier can improve the signal to noise ratio by 6 db when compared to the conventional optical amplifiers, which can theoretically improve the signal to noise ratio only by 3db. Further, the researchers experimentally demonstrated an optic-fiber -based non-degenerate phase-sensitive amplifier link consisting of a phase-insensitive parametric copier followed by a phase-sensitive amplifier (PSA). The researchers attribute the success of achieving a low-noise signal to the copier--PSA cascade.
Researchers suggest using highly nonlinear fibers (HNLF) or silicon for the gain media due to their high efficiency and low-coupling loss. HNLFs were also used to create PSA. Although still in experimental stages, the new technology certainly promises a drastic improvement in increasing the reach of data, which is the need of the day. According to Peter Andrekson, the technology is also scalable to other wavelengths such as visible or infrared radiation, thus could find applications in spectroscopy, laser radar technology apart from the main telecommunication market. Commercialization can be achieved through active participation of private companies who are in need of this technology. To develop the current prototype, funding was provided by the European project--PHASORS, and the Swedish Research Council (VR). Participating partners in the EU project include University of Southampton, University College Cork, University of Athens, Eblana, OFS, One-Five Photonics, and EXFO Sweden AB.
Details: Peter Andrekson, Professor of Photonics, Chalmers Institute of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden. Phone: +46-31-772-16-06. E-mail: peter.andrekson@chalmers.se. 4. ENERGY-EFFICIENT POWER CONVERSION
The trend in consumer electronics is toward increased functionality and greater circuit density, which requires power supply ICs with power management functions that minimize power consumption while maintaining the necessary functions to protect the system from external interference. Power management ICs (PMICs) are used in electronic applications or devices to manage the voltage and current. These circuits can incorporate multiple functions for power management such as battery management, voltage regulation, charging and digital current to digital current (DC-DC) converters, among other functions.
Initially, power management was confined to linear power supplies, which are 30% to 40% efficient, bulky, hot, and unmanageable. Then came switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) with introduction to the pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) controller and pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller with hysteric control topology. As the complexity of a system climbs up the ladder, with as many as five voltage rails per processor, and with multiple processors per printed circuit board, power supply complexity goes up. These systems need tracking, sequencing and margining, coupled with tighter voltage regulations on voltage rails.
Spun out of Cambridge University, UK-based Cambridge Semiconductor Ltd., (CamSemi) is a developer of integrated circuits for advanced power management and conversion in energy storage and lighting applications. The company was founded to help manufacturers to find better, lower cost solutions to designing more energy-efficiency power conversion products. Its products aim to improve conversion efficiencies and reduce no-load values, as well as bring down system costs and component counts.
Flyback and self-excited converter (ringing choke converter [RCC]) are the two most common SMPS products, suitable for all regional input chargers and adapters. These products meet the market demand for energy, but are not ideal for low-cost and mass production of products. In particular, audio, cordless phones, and network equipment need a high level of design capability. Hence, many consumer electronics manufacturers do not want to introduce SMPS topology. However, with the emergence of CamSemi’s Resonant Discontinuous Forward Converter (RDFC), the device consumes less than 60 Watts. With a low-cost structure, such as a bridge, it can provide high efficiency, low-standby power consumption. In addition, the device has very low-electromagnetic interference (EMI) and the small footprint transformers reduce the demand for copper and steel.
CamSemi's products are based on its portfolio of patented and proprietary technologies including intelligent control architectures and ultrahigh voltage (UHV) process technology. These breakthrough approaches can benefit multiple markets, although initial products are targeted at the switch mode power supply and lighting sectors.
CamSemi believes that the next big wave in the offline-power-conversion space will be in lighting. Incandescent lamps are only 5% efficient, and will be phased out over the next five to 10 years. The company has accelerated the development of stand-alone controllers to bring those to market first while the intention of launching integrated products remains in the pipeline.
To address these drawbacks, researchers from the Chalmers Institute of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, have developed new optical amplifiers that can help increase the reach of signals from current distance of 1000 km to 4000 km in turn setting the stage for low-noise data communications that can reach remote locations. The new amplifier technology can help in connecting countries or continents more efficiently, as the new optical amplifier will enable placing amplification hubs at bigger intervals compared to existing amplification hubs according to Peter Andrekson, who has codeveloped the low-noise amplifier together with his research group in fiberoptics at Chalmers Institute of Technology. The research paper was recently published in the journal, Nature Photonics. According to the research paper, authors claim that their phase sensitive amplifier can improve the signal to noise ratio by 6 db when compared to the conventional optical amplifiers, which can theoretically improve the signal to noise ratio only by 3db. Further, the researchers experimentally demonstrated an optic-fiber -based non-degenerate phase-sensitive amplifier link consisting of a phase-insensitive parametric copier followed by a phase-sensitive amplifier (PSA). The researchers attribute the success of achieving a low-noise signal to the copier--PSA cascade.
Researchers suggest using highly nonlinear fibers (HNLF) or silicon for the gain media due to their high efficiency and low-coupling loss. HNLFs were also used to create PSA. Although still in experimental stages, the new technology certainly promises a drastic improvement in increasing the reach of data, which is the need of the day. According to Peter Andrekson, the technology is also scalable to other wavelengths such as visible or infrared radiation, thus could find applications in spectroscopy, laser radar technology apart from the main telecommunication market. Commercialization can be achieved through active participation of private companies who are in need of this technology. To develop the current prototype, funding was provided by the European project--PHASORS, and the Swedish Research Council (VR). Participating partners in the EU project include University of Southampton, University College Cork, University of Athens, Eblana, OFS, One-Five Photonics, and EXFO Sweden AB.
Details: Peter Andrekson, Professor of Photonics, Chalmers Institute of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg, Sweden. Phone: +46-31-772-16-06. E-mail: peter.andrekson@chalmers.se. 4. ENERGY-EFFICIENT POWER CONVERSION
The trend in consumer electronics is toward increased functionality and greater circuit density, which requires power supply ICs with power management functions that minimize power consumption while maintaining the necessary functions to protect the system from external interference. Power management ICs (PMICs) are used in electronic applications or devices to manage the voltage and current. These circuits can incorporate multiple functions for power management such as battery management, voltage regulation, charging and digital current to digital current (DC-DC) converters, among other functions.
Initially, power management was confined to linear power supplies, which are 30% to 40% efficient, bulky, hot, and unmanageable. Then came switch-mode power supplies (SMPS) with introduction to the pulse-frequency modulation (PFM) controller and pulse-width modulation (PWM) controller with hysteric control topology. As the complexity of a system climbs up the ladder, with as many as five voltage rails per processor, and with multiple processors per printed circuit board, power supply complexity goes up. These systems need tracking, sequencing and margining, coupled with tighter voltage regulations on voltage rails.
Spun out of Cambridge University, UK-based Cambridge Semiconductor Ltd., (CamSemi) is a developer of integrated circuits for advanced power management and conversion in energy storage and lighting applications. The company was founded to help manufacturers to find better, lower cost solutions to designing more energy-efficiency power conversion products. Its products aim to improve conversion efficiencies and reduce no-load values, as well as bring down system costs and component counts.
Flyback and self-excited converter (ringing choke converter [RCC]) are the two most common SMPS products, suitable for all regional input chargers and adapters. These products meet the market demand for energy, but are not ideal for low-cost and mass production of products. In particular, audio, cordless phones, and network equipment need a high level of design capability. Hence, many consumer electronics manufacturers do not want to introduce SMPS topology. However, with the emergence of CamSemi’s Resonant Discontinuous Forward Converter (RDFC), the device consumes less than 60 Watts. With a low-cost structure, such as a bridge, it can provide high efficiency, low-standby power consumption. In addition, the device has very low-electromagnetic interference (EMI) and the small footprint transformers reduce the demand for copper and steel.
CamSemi's products are based on its portfolio of patented and proprietary technologies including intelligent control architectures and ultrahigh voltage (UHV) process technology. These breakthrough approaches can benefit multiple markets, although initial products are targeted at the switch mode power supply and lighting sectors.
CamSemi believes that the next big wave in the offline-power-conversion space will be in lighting. Incandescent lamps are only 5% efficient, and will be phased out over the next five to 10 years. The company has accelerated the development of stand-alone controllers to bring those to market first while the intention of launching integrated products remains in the pipeline.
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