News Article
AIS launches Low Cost Compact FBGAs with InGaAs Detectors
The new technology in optical fiber and semiconductor lasers offers lower loss, higher bandwidth and immunity to electromagnetic interference. It also boasts lighter weight, lower costs, and lower maintenance needs over traditional methods.
Applied Infrared Sensing (AIS) has launched a new series of Fiber Bragg Grating Analyzers (FBGA)from BaySpec (USA).
Australian based firm AIS works in a variety of sectors including security, industrial and scientific markets and offers a wide range of infrared CCTV and thermal imaging cameras. It also manufactures infrared illuminators and barriers, fiber optic and microwave intrusion and motion sensors and security fences, coastal surveillance as well as sophisticated equipment for research and development.
The firms latest FBGAs employ a highly efficient Volume Phase Grating (VPG) as the spectral dispersion element and an ultra sensitive InGaAs array detector as the detection element. They provide high-speed parallel processing and continuous spectrum measurements.
As an input, the device uses a tapped signal from the main data transmission link through a single mode fiber, then collimating it with a micro lens. The signal is spectrally dispersed with the VPGVPG, and the diffracted field is focused onto an InGaAs array detector. The control electronics read out the processed digital signal to extract required information. Both the raw data and the processed data are available to the host.
The invention of optical fiber and semiconductor lasers in the 1960s opened new applications in communications and sensing.
Optical fibers provide a fundamental improvement over traditional methods offering lower loss, higher bandwidth, immunity to electromagnetic interference, lighter weight, lower cost, and lower maintenance.
By applying a UV laser to ‘burn’ or write a diffraction grating (a Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG)) in the fiber it became possible to reflect certain wavelength of light, which used together with an interrogation analyzer precise sensing measurements could be taken.
This technology is widely used for Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) applications, for real time fault detection and imbedded monitoring of smart structures (stress measurement).
The FBGAs are available in two versions: a standard high speed FBG analyzer and an infrared FBG analyzer. Both FBG analyzers represent integrated spectral engines with an internal reference source that interrogates multiple wavelengths for precise FBG sensor system measurements requiring high end of life wavelength accuracy at high frequency response time. The devices cover wide wavelength ranges and provide simultaneous measurements at very fast response rates and are claimed to have excellent wavelength resolution.
