Phasebridge Develops FOG Transceiver

Phasebridge Inc. (booth 2624), a Pasadena, Calif., specialist in advanced photonic integration technologies, devices and systems, announced today it has developed a three-axis fiber optic gyroscope (FOG) transceiver, the PB3030, which it says is the first FOG transceiver to integrate all three axes into one package. The PB3030 was developed to the specifications of the US Navy under a contract through the Center for Commercialization of Advanced Technology (CCAT). It measures 0.8 x 1.4 x 0.3 inches and transmits more than 1 mW of output power with greater than 20 dB polarization extinction.
   Phasebridge said the transceiver is well-suited for the extreme temperature, shock and vibration specifications required for aerospace and munitions guidance and will enable precision inertial guidance in applications where size and cost are critical factors. The PB3030 offers greater than 30 nm of optical spectrum and an operating temperature range between -40 degrees to +85 degrees C.
   Tom Byrne, director of CCAT’s executive board, said, "This is a breakthrough transceiver technology that will revolutionize the fiber optic gyro industry. Currently, transceivers for each of the three axes must be purchased separately. This will offer cost and space savings and reduce time to market for FOG manufacturers."
   Competing technologies are either micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)-based gyros or global positioning systems (GPS). Byrne said GPS has relatively slow response times and is susceptible to jamming, while MEMS-based gyros cannot simultaneously meet the high reliability and precision required in more demanding applications.