Bi-Directional Fiber Optic Transceivers for Avionics Applications

Advancements in fiber optic technology are poised to revolutionize navigation, communications, displays, and controls in the avionics industry. Fiber optic links possess immunity to RFI/EMI noise, pose no spark or fire hazard, and are capable of carrying any range of radio, microwave, or millimeter-wave frequencies with virtually no loss. At present, mass utilization of fiber-optic components in the avionics industry is hindered by the lack of low-cost bi-directional transceivers that are lightweight, resistant to mechanical vibrations, and capable of wide operating temperatures. We present a novel platform for building bi-directional avionics-grade transceivers. Our transceivers are based on silica-on-silicon planar lightwave circuit (PLC) technology. The chip assembly process is fully automated through the use of robotics and pattern recognition techniques, offering one of the lowest cost platforms for building avionics-grade transceivers. Our transceivers contain no micro-optic components or embedded thin film filters, making them light-weight, yet rugged. In this paper, we describe the fabrication and performance of a 2.5 Gb/s bi-directional transceiver. Remarkably, a packaged transceiver weighs only 1.9 g and is specifically designed to operate in extreme environments.