AFL Invests in U.S. Fiber Optics Manufacturing; LPO Specifications Defined by Industry Veterans: Week in Brief: 3/29/24

A group of networking, semiconductor, and optics companies have formed the Linear Pluggable Optics Multi-Source Agreement (LPO MSA) to develop the specifications for networking equipment and optical modules required to enable a broad ecosystem of interoperable LPO solutions. Founded by Semtech Corporation, NVIDIA, Intel, and Broadcom, these specifications target the industry-wide challenge of reducing the power, cost, and latency of high-speed optical interconnects while improving the reliability. The initial target of the MSA is an optimized optical interconnect with LPO modules on both ends of the link. This will define the electrical and optical requirements to ensure interoperability between multiple vendors of networking equipment and optics modules.

IRVINE, Calif. — The board of directors for Masimo, a noninvasive monitoring technologies and audio products developer, has authorized its management to evaluate a proposed separation of its consumer business. Masimo expects that the separation will include its consumer audio and consumer health products, but it will retain its professional health care and telehealth products. The company expects that this will improve the profitability of the health care business.

RICHARDSON, Texas — Optical transceiver manufacturer Fast Photonics USA has opened a manufacturing facility in Richardson, Texas. The 20,000 sq ft facility has the ability to expand to 100,000 sq ft and will utilize robotic manufacturing and testing techniques to enable high production volume. The facility will produce 100G to 1.6T optical transceivers and active optical cables for telecom and datacom applications.

Fiber optic cable reels used by AFL. Courtesy of AFL.

DUNCAN, S.C. — AFL, a manufacturer of fiber optic cables, has made an investment of more than $50 million to expand its fiber optic cable manufacturing operations in South Carolina. The investment will enable increased production production capacity of products compliant with the Build America, Buy America Act. The investment builds on AFL’s previous investment of more than $35 million in the expansion of domestic cable manufacturing to support broadband deployment and modernization of the power grid.

GRENOBLE, France — Semiconductor diamond deep tech company Diamfab has raised a funding round of €8.7 million ($9.4 million). The company is a spin-off from the Institut Néel, a French National Center for Scientific Research laboratory, and the result of 30 years of R&D into synthetic diamond growth. The funding will enable Diamfab to set up a pilot line to pre-industrialize its technology and accelerate its development with the aim of meeting demand for diamond semiconductors.

A diagram outlining the change in sales structure after the launch of Dexerials Photonics Solutions Corporation (DXPS). Courtesy of Dexerials Corporation.

SHIMOTSUKE, Japan — Dexerials Corporation; a provider of technologies, materials, and devices for smartphones and automobiles; will be integrating its subsidiaries Dexerials Precision Components Corporation (DXPC) and Kyoto Semiconductor Co., Ltd. under the name Dexerials Photonics Solutions Corporation (DXPS), effective April 1. DXPS will develop and manufacture microdevices and optical semiconductor device products that have been operated by DXPC and Kyoto Semiconductor.

WESTBOROUGH, Mass. — Optical solutions and micro-displays provider Kopin Corporation has been awarded a contract from space, cyber, and C-UAS and Autonomous Systems company BlueHalo LLC for the design, development, and production of advanced simulated binoculars and monoscope products for use in their Advanced Stinger Trainer (AST) system. The initial contract award provides for development and fielding in the first of what is expected to be upgrades of multiple training installations, supporting numerous armed forces over the next several years.

GRENOBLE, France — Quobly, a silicon spin qubit-based quantum computing company, has partnered with Nanoacademic Technologies, a provider of digital simulation & modeling tools for quantum technologies. The partnership will leverage Nanoacademic’s QTCAD software platform to assist Quobly’s research and development around silicon spin qubits and development of a scalable silicon-based quantum processor. This collaboration will also enable Quobly to leverage the software for simulation and modeling training and the refinement of new and tailored code.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. — Sensing and perception systems company Aeva has received a notice from the New Yok Stock Exchange (NYSE) that it has successfully regained compliance with continued listing minimum price criteria and will no longer be on the NYSE’s noncompliant issuers list. Aeva previously received notice from the NYSE that it was not in compliance because the average closing price of Aeva’s common shares was below $1.00 over a consecutive 30 trading-day period.