BFi OPTiLAS is proud to announce the extension of its agreement with Stanford Research Systems (SRS). After a successful collaboration in Benelux, Denmark and France, the agreement will now also include Italy, Finland, Norway, Portugal, Spain and Sweden.

SRS designs and manufactures test instruments for research and industrial applications. SRS is known to provide high performance and high reliability devices, delivered from stock for most units, at a very aggressive price.

Product range includes:

• Scientific Instruments (Lock-In Amplifiers, Digital Delay Generators, Laser Diode Controllers …)
• Test & Measurement Instruments (Function Generators, FFT Analyzers, LCR Meters…)
• Time & Frequency Instruments (Rb Frequency Standards, Frequency Counters…)
• Vacuum and Analytical Instruments (Residual Gas Analyzers, Melting Point Apparatus, Nitrogen Lasers…)

BFi OPTiLAS, thanks to its collaboration with Photonic Products, is proud to launch Powerfully Precise Blue-Violet Laser Modules. These new laser diode modules are powerful 35mW and 60mW versions of their bestselling 405nm (blue-violet) laser diode modules with TTL modulation.

The extra output power offered by these laser modules also provides higher energy density and greater accuracy and sensitivity for biomedical and biochemical analysis applications such as flow cytometry and laser-induced fluorescence sensing. TTL modulation input accepts signals from DC up to 1 kHz and can be used to enable, inhibit or modulate the laser.

The glass AR coated aspherical lens may be adjusted to produce either a collimated beam or focused spot. The standard lens may be replaced by other optical systems such as line generators. The modules measure a compact 12 mm diameter x 43mm length.

Ideal for use in power hungry applications such as industrial and medical imaging and inspection, high resolution printing and emerging technologies where precision and sensitivity are vital, the laser modules are a complete laser solution for OEMs.

BFi OPTiLAS, thanks to its collaboration with Photonic Products, is proud to launch a range of new industrial laser diode modules.

The industrial laser modules are available in a variety of wavelengths from 635nm to 830nm with either a standard elliptical output beam or line or cross generating optics. With optical output powers from 0.95mW to 30mW, operating voltage of 5V DC regulated ± 10% and operating temperature from -10° C to +50° C, the modules are also static, surge and reverse polarity protected and RoHS compliant.

Constructed to withstand the harshest conditions and satisfy rigorous industrial demands, these laser modules are encapsulated in a hard-coat anodised case with a scratch-resistant sapphire window to protect the lens and offer rugged, durable performance at an extremely economical price. They are designed and built for ease of use in challenging industrial environments. Any time the laser needs to be changed, the connectors; either 2.5mm DC jack or industrial screw-on, make child’s play of installation and replacement. Their compact size allows for easy and efficient integration into existing production systems.

BFi OPTiLAS range of industrial laser diode modules is designed to be a complete OEM laser solution for heavy duty manufacturing processes such as micro-machining, marking, cutting, drilling, welding, forming, soldering and many other industrial laser uses where superior quality, durability and robust performance are critical.

BFi OPTiLAS, thanks to its collaboration with Ophir Inc. is proud to launch Quasar, a Wireless Bluetooth Interface for Laser Measurement.

Quasar is the industry's first wireless Bluetooth interface that broadcasts laser meter data to any PC or laptop within 10 meters. Quasar enables operators to separate the placement of the remote laser energy meter and the operator's PC or laptop to provide optimal flexibility for complex laser meter applications. An optional antenna provides extended range up to 60 meters.

BFi OPTiLAS is also launching Ophir Vega. Vega is an advanced handheld laser meter with brilliant color display for laser beam measurement. Available with digital or analog needle display, Vega offers an illuminated display screen with backlit navigation buttons that are easy to use under all lighting conditions. The 320x240 color display assists operators with identifying trends or warning signals; colors can be optimized for use with laser protection glasses.

CyOptics had introduced 10Gb/s TOSAs with a wide operating temperature range of -40°C to +90°C for DWDM applications.

Lehigh Valley, PA, July 22, 2008 – CyOptics Inc., a leader in Indium Phosphide (InP) optical chip and component technologies, today announced the availability of its 10Gbps XMD TOSAs (Transmit Optical Sub-Assemblies) and TOSAs with integrated driver IC enabling DWDM 80km applications with an extended operating temperature range.

The new 10Gbps Miniature Device (XMD) Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) TOSAs, 1625L3 for 40km and 1626L3 for 80km applications are available for an extended operating temperature range of –40 to +90degC, while the 10Gbps TOSAs with integrated driver IC, 1635L7 (40km) and 1636L7 (80km), are offered for an operating temperature range of -5 to +85degC. All products target high performance XFP transceivers addressing OC-192/STM-64 SONET/SDH, 10Gbps DWDM and 10 Gigabit Ethernet applications.
Both product families deliver very low, industry leading thermo-electric cooler power consumption values over the entire temperature range of less than 0.8W for the 1626L3 and, less than 1.2W for the 1636L7.
The introduction of the extended temperature TOSA devices enhances the CyOptics 10Gbps product portfolio of FP, DFB, and EML-based TOSAs as well as PIN and APD-based ROSAs (Receive Optical Sub-Assembly). CyOptics products meet the stringent RoHS 6/6 environmental compliance requirements. CyOptics’ core competencies include chip level design and fabrication and precision automated packaging and test.

BFi OPTiLAS is proud to announce a Pan-European partnership agreement has been signed with Laird Technologies GmbH. This agreement covers distribution of Laird's Electro Magnetic Interference (EMI) and Thermal Interface Materials (TIM) product lines.

Laird Technologies is a global leader in the design and supply of critical components and systems for advanced electronics and wireless products.
Due to BFi OPTiLAS's successful distribution of Laird's EMI-Ferrite products in recent years (also known as Signal Integrity Products, SIP),adding Laird Technologies’ EMI shielding materials to BFI OPTiLAS product portfolio was a natural step forward so as to serve the whole noise suppression market.
BFi OPTiLAS has great 'spec in' presence at the PCB level in a wide variety of applications and markets, and there is also the need to resolve thermal or EMI issues. This offers an enormous synergistic potential.

"We look forward to a successful long term partnership with Laird Technologies, who is a recognised global leader in Thermal and EMI solutions. These products fit perfectly in our current portfolio and strengthens our capability to offer complete solutions at the leading edge of technology" said Philippe Gruson, President of BFi OPTiLAS.

EMI Shielding Products include: board level shield, EMI-gaskets, fingerstocks, Electro-air filters, electrically conductive elastomers, and microwave absorbers, etc.
Thermal Interface Materials include gap fillers (including putties), thermally conductive insulator materials, phase change materials, thermally conductive circuit boards, thermal grease etc.

Laird Technologies' products are ideal for a wide range of applications spanning many markets including aerospace, automotive electronics, computer, data communications, industrial and instrumentation, medical, power conversion, network, telecommunications markets etc.

About Laird Technologies GmbH
Laird Technologies is a global market leader in the design and supply of electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding, thermal management products, mechanical actuation systems, signal integrity components, and wireless antennae solutions, as well as radio frequency (RF) modules and systems.

BFi OPTiLAS, collaborating with LDI in Benelux, France, Italy, Nordics region, Spain and UK, offers high power 635nm laser diode.

The CWR 635 LDI laser is a high performance, visible (635nm), single emitter (100 um) multi-mode laser chip that can be offered in several packages. The laser is designed for CW operation and it offers High Output Power levels at a lower price than what is available on the market today.

LDI’s 635 nm device is RoHS compliant with operating current of 300mW and voltage of 2.25V. The Spectral width is <3 nm, FWHM, and beam divergence is <40 degrees by <10 degrees, FWHM.

The CWR 635 laser is appropriate for applications in Medical, Imaging, Illumination, Display, Entertainment, Laser Projector and Process Control market.

It offers a more cost effective alternative to equipment used for Photodynamic Therapy and Therapeutic devices. LDI's chip design results in a highly reliable, long lifetime device.

BFi OPTiLAS, Pan-European distributor of Luminit, is introducing 2 new product ranges for the lighting industry:

• Seamless mini rolls of our symmetrical and elliptical angles specially are designed for linear lighting applications. Available angles are as follows: 20º, 50º, 45ºx75º, 10ºx50º, 3ºx40º, 1ºx30º.
• DTF® Directional Turning Films combine the high transmission, light source diffusion and angular distribution of the Light Shaping Diffuser with a prismatic structure. The DTF film is useful where the light energy distribution needs to be placed off normal or cannot be placed in the direct line of sight.

Contact your local BFi OPTiLAS sales office for more information or for test samples.

Cyber Laser is a well known Japanese company offering various innovative industrial laser solutions including:

• Femtosecond amplified laser sources designed for industrial applications: highest available power (100 µJ @ 100 kHz) from IFRIT-HR, ultra-compact 1 mJ @ 1 kHz IFRIT “maintenance free” unit and SHG/THG options are also available.
• High power UV / Green industrial all-solid state lasers: SIVA-TD offers 60 W (50-100 kHz)@ 515 nm, SPICA is an air-cooled unit offering 1-100 kHz operation at 532 / 355 / 266 nm and ALTAIR is a unique design providing 0.5 W at 266 nm and 0.1 W at 199 nm in true CW mode.

Cyber laser innovative technologies open a new area of opportunity for various material processing and bio applications.

Contact your local BFi OPTiLAS sales offices: France - Germany, and Italy for more information.

BFi OPTiLAS is proud to announce an exclusive distribution agreement has been signed with Bright Solutions. This agreement covers Austria, Benelux, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Switzerland and UK.

Bright Solutions offers various innovative industrial laser solutions including the BDL High Power Fiber Coupled Laser Diode Modules (10 to 120 Watts output power at wavelengths from 790 to 1500 nm), the LUCE Q-Switched DPSS lasers (air cooled, 4-30 ns pulse width, up to 30 Watts, 200 kHz, 250 kW peak power, 1064 nm or 532 nm) and the unique WEDGE concept, offering unique performance and unrivalled peak power from a rugged compact air-cooled laser (500 ps to 3.5 ns pulse duration for a peak power of 2 MW at up to 3 kHz, 2 mJ per pulse, 1064 nm or 532 nm).

BFi OPTiLAS and Agilent Technologies have signed a franchise distribution agreement enabling BFi OPTiLAS to distribute Agilent products within The Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg.
Under the terms of the agreement BFi OPTiLAS will bring to market Agilent’s basic test and measurement instruments portfolio.

This portfolio includes a comprehensive range of DMMs, signal generators, power supplies, data acquisition products and oscilloscopes, suitable for a wide variety of research, development and production test applications.

Highlights from the range include the exciting new MSO7000 family of combination oscilloscopes and the wide range of data acquisition products.

MGA-675T6: 4.9-6.0GHz WiMAX & WLAN Low Noise Amplifier Module with Shutdown Mode

This Low noise amplifier is suited for various markets including WLAN and WiMAX fixed/mobile terminals: CPE, PCI Card, USB dongle, or handheld devices.

The MGA-675T6 offers very low noise figure combined with high linearity to improve the sensitivity of the WLAN/WiMAX receiver. It delivers exceptional performance.

It has an integrated on-chip bias circuit and requires minimal external matching components. This simplifies customer's product design and shortens products’ time to market.

The built-in shutdown function enables the MGA-675T6 to be turned off when not in use and reduce current consumption.

It is housed in a low profile 2 x 1.3 x 0.4mm, 6-pin Ultra thin package which allows customers to design smaller and compact products or add more features and functionalities to their products.

BFi OPTiLAS, exclusive European partner of Bristol Instruments, Inc. is excited to introduce a new laser wavelength meter for scientists and engineers who need to know the exact wavelength of their mid-infrared lasers. Now, researchers using sources such as tunable quantum cascade lasers for high-resolution spectroscopy, photochemistry, or optical sensing applications can achieve more meaningful experimental results with accurate laser wavelength information.

The new model 621B-MIR is designed to operate over the entire wavelength range of 4 to 11 μm. Proven 621 series Michelson interferometer technology is used to measure absolute laser wavelength to an accuracy of ‡ 1 part per million. As with all Bristol Instruments laser wavelength meters, the measurement accuracy of the 621B-MIR system is guaranteed with continuous calibration using a built-in wavelength standard. BFi OPTiLAS also offers Quantum Cascade lasers, optical components and other photonic equipments in the MIR range.

New Modules Simplify Design and Advances Performance of Mobile Handsets,
Access Points and Base Station Equipment
Avago Technologies today announced two new power amplifier product families designed for next generation cellular and WiMAX applications.

Avago has added the MGA-30116/-30216/-30316 family of half watt base station power amplifiers and the ALM-42316 low voltage power amplifier for mobile handset and fixed terminals to its product offerings. Avago’s new power amplifiers support cellular (GSM, CDMA, WCDMA, CDMA2000 and TD-SCDMA) and WiMAX frequencies.

More specifically, the ALM-42316 delivers 23 dBm linear output power (2.5% EVM at 64 QAM OFDM) and a high gain of 30 dB when operated at 3.3V and 400 mA. With built-in detector, bypass switch and shutdown function, the ALM-42316 is designed for (802.16e) mobile terminals operating in the 3.3-3.8 GHz frequency band and is housed in a 5 x 5 x 1.1mm molded chip-on-board (MCOB) package.

The half watt MGA-30x16 family of power amplifiers provides very high linearity and exceptional PAE (power added efficiency) at 1 dB gain compression point. It enables a common footprint and PCB layout for base station applications ranging from 750 MHz to 3.9 GHz. The MGA-30x16 family of power amplifiers is housed in a miniature 3 x 3 x 0.85mm 16-pin quad-flat-non-lead (QFN) package which allows for the design of highly compact next-generation base station equipment, such as pico or femtocell base station receivers.

BFi OPTiLAS is very proud to announce the signature of a distribution agreement with Cascade Technologies. This agreement covers distribution of Cascade's scientific products in the following countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Luxemburg, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, The Netherlands, UK and Ireland. This agreement was reached after a complete review of sales options in Europe.

Cascade Technologies offers a wide range of Mid IR Quantum Cascade Laser sources as well as Mid IR tunable laser systems and data acquisition solutions. Available wavelengths cover the 2 - 12 microns range.

The main applications include:

• Gas Sensing
• Mid IR Laser Spectroscopy
• Laser, Detector
• Fibre optics Characterisation

Cascade products address both the R&D and industrial / OEM environments.

About Cascade Technologies
Cascade Technologies uses its revolutionary, patented core technology - based around the application of Quantum Cascade Lasers - to design, develop and supply innovative solutions for a wide range of global markets. These include the monitoring of greenhouse and general industrial emissions, hazardous gases, and explosives and drugs. Based at Stirling University Innovation Park, Cascade Technologies currently has world-class scientists and engineers working under development and supply agreements on several revolutionary products for key blue chip clients, whilst further bespoke product development, manufacturing, marketing and distribution agreements are being sought with customers worldwide. The company's technology provides highly specific and sensitive measurement, whilst its portable size offers cost savings compared to competitive offerings. It is also immune to many outside influences that typically affect sensors of this type.

The VMMK-1218 & VMMK-1225 allows a high dynamic range, ultra-low noise, high gain and single positive DC supply.

The GaAs Cap chip scale sub-miniature leadless package is small and ultra thin, yet can be handled and placed with standard 0402 pick and place assembly and work in low voltage operation and any broadband applications up to 25 GHz.

They do not require negative voltage to turn it on which translates to low cost and ease of use for the customer.

Typical Applications include:

• Low Noise and Driver for Cellular/PCS and WCDMA base stations
• WLAN and WiMAX notebook computers
• Receivers
• VSAT and SATCOM systems
• WLL and MMDS transceivers
• Military radar
• E-pHEMT applications

Compact Bearing-less Encoder Provides Designers with a High Frequency Housed Encoder Solution that Offers Up to 500 CPR, and Easy Installation Avago Technologies announced a new series of miniature low cost, high performance three-channel housed optical incremental encoders for use in a wide range of office and industrial automation applications.

Avago's AEDx-8xxx encoder series, which includes a codewheel, LED light source and detector IC enclosed in a plastic package has been specifically designed for use in stepper motors, miniature servo motors, packaging machines and a wide range of industrial and factory automation applications. Avago's AEDx-8xxx series offers several benefits such as minimal installation cost, ease of assembly, high operating frequency that supports miniature servo motors (up to 24K RPM), and more accurate position control with the use of an index as a reference point.

This encoder solution is also compatible with SMT automation equipment and pick and place machines. Moreover, this encoder series can operate in temperatures from -40 to 100 degrees C to meet most industrial temperature requirements.

Typical applications include: industrial printers and plotters, tape drives, industrial sewing machines, packaging machines and industrial and factory automation equipment.

BFi OPTiLAS is proposing in all Europe the new FieldPRo5XS continuous zoom thermal imager, made by Axsys Infrared Systems (Nashua, USA).

With outstanding long range target detection and recognition, the FieldPro5XS combines exceptional performance with Axsys reliability and ease of use. Built around a high sensitivity 640x480 pixels (15μ-pitch) cooled InSb detector, this camera operates in the MWIR (3-5 microns) Bandwidth. The waterproof housing, graded IP67 is environmentally sealed and dry nitrogen backfilled. The 5X continuous zoom Germanium Lens covers Medium (5°) to Narrow (1°) Horizontal Field of View.

This camera can detect a man in full night up to 8 km away, and a vehicle up to a distance of 19km.

BFi OPTiLAS is proud to announce availability of a brand new range of Nd:YAG rods. The exclusive BFi OPTiLAS source has proven industry records and high volume production capabilities at very attractive prices.

Control of the full process (growth, cutting, polishing, coating and quality control) ensures optimum quality, consistency and reduced delivery time. These are ideal for all OEM customers and customized test process can be implemented on request for specific requirements. On top of Nd:YAG rods, BFi OPTiLAS and its partner can also provide various other laser materials such as Nd:GGG (Disk lasers), Yb:YAG, Er:YAG, Tm:YAG, undoped YAG, Nd:Ce:YAG, Ho:Cr:Tm:YAG, Cr4+:YAG and bonding crystals.

Trek, Inc. (a designer and manufacturer of high-performance electrostatic instrumentation and high-voltage power amplifiers), recently introduced a High Voltage Power Amplifier (Model 40/15) which, by providing up to 80 kV peak-to-peak (±40 kV), delivers the highest level of output voltages for any amplifier in its class. The Model 40/15 HV amplifier is the first of its kind to achieve such high voltage ranges along with high performance capabilities typically available only with lower voltage units. The 40/15 offers outstanding DC stability, high speed and precise control of output voltages in the range of 0 to ±40 kV DC or peak AC with an output current range of 0 to ±15 mA DC or peak AC. It offers exceptional stability and wideband performance, with high slew rates over a wide range of AC signals, together with low-noise operation.
Research applications for the 40/15 include electrostatic deflection and dielectric studies. Other applications include research in the fields of plasma chemistry, electrostatic levitation, electrostatic coatings and partial discharge.
Like all Trek amplifiers, this High Voltage Amplifier Model 40/15 offers: DC stability, wide bandwidth, well-regulated and controlled AC output signals, and full four-quadrant, class AB, all-solid-state output stages. The four-quadrant, active output stage sinks or sources current into reactive or resistive loads throughout the output voltage range. This is essential for achieving the accurate output response and high slew rates demanded by reactive loads.
Technical parameters for the Model 40/15 include: output voltage range of 0 to ±40 kV DC or peak AC; output current range of 0 to ±15 mA DC or peak AC; DC accuracy better than 0.1% of full scale; slew rate greater than 350 V/μs; DC offset adjustment from 0 to ±40 kV; adjustable current limit or current trip; precision voltage and current monitors. The unit is CE marked.