Finisar VCSELs power Logitech mice - update
Logitech has launched a new optical mouse for PC users that features VCSELs supplied by the US chip manufacturer Finisar.
Using a laser in the tracking system of the cordless device allows it to work over a wider range of surfaces than is possible with LED-based trackers. Last year, Logitech introduced laser-based mice for the first time (see related story), although that laser tracking system was provided by Agilent.
The VCSELs used in Logitech s "V400" cordless mice are manufactured at Finisar's Advanced Optical Components (AOC) division in Texas that the Sunnyvale, CA, company acquired from Honeywell in 2004 (see related story).
AOC is supplying Philips with a "twin eye" laser sensor assembly that incorporates a new VCSEL-based design, which Philips then sells to Logitech.
AOC's VCSEL is fabricated directly on top of a monitor photodiode, and the company claims that this shrinks the overall size of the tracker, while allowing longer battery life thanks to a low power consumption.
The deployment should help Finisar reduce its dependency on the cyclical telecoms market by widening the scope of its applications base.
Finisar CEO Jerry Rawls says that the VCSELs could also find applications in identification devices, printers and mobile phones.
Finisar posted a record revenue figure in its most recent financial quarter, and Rawls believes that the company is on a "march to profitability".
