SX Series MEMS Optical Switches - Sercalo

SX Series 

Single Mode/Multimode 

Latching/Non-Latching 

MEMS Optical Switches 

Landstrasse 151, 9494 Schaan. 

Principality of Liechtenstein 

www.sercalo.com info@sercalo.com 

Tel. +423 237 57 97 

Fax. +423 237 57 48

2 

SX Series - MEMS Optical Switches 

FEATURES 

● 23X10x6 mm size 

● Low Cost 

● TTL/CMOS levels 

● Latching or non-latching 

● 2x2,1x2, 1x2 variants 

● Single mode or multi-mode 

OVERVIEW 

The Sercalo SX series are miniature opto-mechanical switches for fiber optic 

communication systems and submodules. The latching switch structure is based on 

integrated silicon MEMS technology and is available in 1x1, 1x2 and 2x2 switch 

architectures. The switch offers very small size, ease of integration and the established 

solid state reliability of Sercalo’s MEMS components. 

Inside the switch package both the CMOS/TTL compatible driver and a capacitive 

position sensor are integrated. The sensor gives a non-contact read-out of the switch 

position for self test and monitoring. 

The plastic package is one of the smallest in the industry. It is optimized for low cost 

production while maintaining highest reliability comparable to a solid state device. The 

component is designed to meet Telcordia 1221 quality standards. 

SWITCHES DESCRIPTION 



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Single Mode/Multimode Latching/Non-Latching 

The Sercalo SX switches are composed of an optical subsystem and an electrical 

driver interface. The optical switching function is realized by a silicon MEMS chip, on which a 

mirror can be moved in and out of the optical path by electrostatic actuation. In the latching 

SXL variants a bistable suspension mechanism keeps the last selected state in power off. In 

the non-latching SXN variants the switch returns into the bar state when electrical power is 

removed.

3 


SWITCHES OVERVIEW 

To operate the switch 5V and 0V are applied on pins 1 and 2, which are used by the 

DC-DC converter of the internal driver to supply a high voltage for the actuator control. 

CMOS or TTL logic levels on pins 3-4 control the high voltage on the electrostatic actuator. 

To set the switch state in the latching variant, pin 3 respectively pin 4 are set to logic 

high (5V) for 10 ms and the corresponding switch state is selected. At rest pins 3 and 4 

should be pulled to 0 V and must not be floating. 

In the non-latching variant only pin 3 is used to set the state of the switch. To set the 

cross state pin 3 must be at logic high. When pin 3 goes to logic low, or at power off, the 

switch returns into the bar state. 

Bar State Cross State 



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Single Mode/Multimode Latching/Non-Latching

4 


SWITCHES APPLICATIONS 

Sercalo Switches out stand in the market from its excellent quality characteristics 

thanks to MEMS technologies. Sercalo Switches have the following characteristics: 

- Working in all the full wavelength range 

- High Repeatability 

- Solid State Reliability 

- Working over billions of switching cycles without wearing out 

- No recalibration, No drift 

- High crosstalk 

They can be used in the following applications: 

1. Measurement Resource Sharing 

Measurement 

System 

OTDR, DTS, FBG, etc 

OTDR: Optical Tine Domain Reflectometer 

DTS: Distributed Temperature Sensing 

FBG: Fiber Bragg Grating 

Sercalo SX Series can be used in measurement environments in the means of 

resource sharing applications. The output signal of a Measurement System is used as the 

input of a Sercalo switch which afterwards sends the signal to the appropriate device or 

fiber (the applications can also be seen from left to right). 

This is fully advantageous in the case of automatic testing and in the study of a 

device's behavior at different conditions all in one measurement. 

The activity domain of the Sercalo switches are diverse. Simply by changing the 

measurement system we change the domain of use, in the telecommunications world an 

OTDR will be used, in the temperature testing domain a DTS system and in the stress 

testing a FBG system, etc. 

The big benefits of Sercalo switches in this type of systems are their high 

repeatability, no recalibration and no wear out. 

1x4 



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DUT1 

DUT2 

DUT3 

DUT4 

DUT Device Under Test

5 


2. Line Protection 

Sender 

5% 

5% 

5% 

. 

5% 

5% 

Backup line 

3. Remote Network Monitoring 

1x12 1x4 

1x2 

Sercalo SX Series can be used in backup scenarios, in the moment of a network 

failure, or in the case of a fiber breakage; in this case scenario information is transmitted 

through a backup line. Once the failure has occurred, it needs to be solved in all cases 

with the fastest procedure. Sercalo Switches in this type of scenario brings the benefit of 

its high reliability 

Telecom Network 

Sercalo SX Series can be used in remote network monitoring. In this scenario, 

after taking one part of the light that is being transmitted over the network, we can use 

Sercalo switches to send the sample to the measurement equipment, for example, a 

power meter or a Bit Error Rate Tester. In this way, thanks to Sercalo Switches we can 

monitor the network automatically and remotely using effectively the measuring resources. 



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PM 

BERT 

.

6 

5. Measurement Setup 

Another application of Sercalo Swiches is in measurement setup scenarios. In this 

case, Sercalo Switch is used to switch between different wavelengths that are used to test 

the behavior of the Device Under Test; afterwards a phase of analyze can be done. 

wear out. 


4. By-Pass Switching 

In this ring using network protection, when 

a breakage occurs the solution is to send the 

information on the backup line. But what if a 

second breakage also occurs in the backup line? 

In this situation 1 and 2 cannot communicate 

anymore. In this case Sercalo switches can be 

used as a by-pass switching solution. And by 

placing a 2x2 switch in 3, information can reach 2 

from . We can highlight in this type of applications 

Sercalo switches high reliability 

λ 1 

λ 2 

λ 3 

λ 4 

1x4 

DUT Analyzer 

The benefits of using Sercalo aretheir high repeatability, no recalibration and no 

Finally, Sercalo Switches can be used in: 

● Optical Reconfiguration 

● Protection Switching 

4 

● Network Restoration 

● Network Monitoring 



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1 

2x2 

3 

2

7 


TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS (for single mode fibers 1 ) 

Switch 

Unit Min Typ 

Max 

Wavelength Range nm 1240 1640 

Insertion Loss dB 0.4 1 

Crosstalk dB 75 60 

dB 55 50 

Polarization Dependent Loss dB 0.03 0.07 

dB .002 

Switching Time ms 0.5 1 

Durability cycles 

2 

Backreflection* 

Repeatability 3 

109 Switch Unit Min Typ Max 

Switch 



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Integrated Driver Unit Min Typ Max 

Supply voltage Vcc (pin 1) 

V 3.2 3.3 or 5 5.25 

Current consumption Icc (pin 1) mA 

1 45 

Logic Level Low (pins 3, 4) V 0.3 

Logic Level High (pins 3, 4) V 3 

Selection Pulse Width ms 2 10 

1 for multimode: range 600-1700nm; IL at 1300nm : 1.2dB max; CT max: 40dB; RL max: 35dB; 

Switching time:

8 

Switch Type 

L= latching 

N= non-latching 


ORDERING INFORMATION 

Driver Type 

T=TTL/CMOS 

logic 

SX L T - 2x2 - 9 N 

SPECIFICATION GRAPHS 

Number of measurements 

110 

90 

70 

50 

30 

10 

-10 

0.05 

Variants 

2x2 

2x1 (no port 4) 

1x1 (no port 4,2) 



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Fiber type 

9= SMF28 

50= MM50 

62= MM62 

Insertion loss distribution in SL2x2 switches 

bar 

cross 

0.15 

0.25 

0.35 

0.45 

0.55 

0.65 

Insertion Loss [dB] 

Figure 1: Insertion loss distribution 

bar state: μ = 0.39 σ=0.17 

cross state μ =0.28 σ=0.14 

0.75 

0.85 

Fiber Pigtail Type 

N= loose tube 

0.9mm 

B= bare fiber 

0.25mm 

NLC=LC/PC pigtail 

≈20cm (specify 

length)

9 


IL [dB] 

-0.2 

-0.4 

-0.6 

-0.8 

PDL 

0 

-1 

1510 1535 1560 1585 1610 1635 

Wavelength [nm ] 

Figure 2: Spectral Response over temperature 

0.08 

0.07 

0.06 

0.05 

0.04 

0.03 

0.02 

0.01 

0 

1510 1540 1570 1600 1630 

Wavelength [nm ] 

Figure 3: PDL at different wavelengths 



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5 °C 

15 °C 

25 °C 

35 °C 

50 °C 

60 °C 

70 °C 

80 °C 

bar 

cross

10 


1 5V supply 

2 Ground 

3 CR select 

4 BR select 

5 sensor output 

VIEW FROM 

PIN SIDE 

SIDE VIEW 

1 5V supply 

2 Ground 

3 CR select 

4 BR select 


5.9 

VIEW FROM 

PIN SIDE 

SIDE VIEW 

5.9 

4 

2 

10 

10 

2 

2 

1 

7.62 



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23.2 

15.24 

3 4 

Figure 4: SXLTS 2x2 pin outilne 

2 

1 

7.62 

23.2 

15.24 

3 4 

Figure 5: SXLTS 2X1 pin outilne 

5 

5 

2.54 

2.54 

1 

1 

3 

3 

10.1 

10.1

11 


1 5V supply 

2 Ground 

3 CR select 

4 BR select 


V cc= 

5V 

1 

GND 

VIEW FROM 

PIN SIDE 

SIDE VIEW 

2 

DC-DC 

converter 

2 

1 

15.24 

Figure 6: SXLTS 2x1 pin outilne 

~50 V 

7.62 23.2 



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3 4 

5 

MEMS Device 

BR CR 

100 kΩ 

HV 

switch 

4 3 

100 kΩ 

2.54 

10 

1 

3 

capacitive 

position sensor 

Pull Down Resistors 

Figure 7: SXLTS Electrical Schematic Diagram 

10.1 

5 

Sensor 

Output 

TTL or CMOS logic

SX Series MEMS Optical Switches - Sercalo

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