The LightCONEX^® optical interconnect family includes plug-in and backplane module connectors that have been developed to be compliant with the forthcoming VITA 66.5 standard and in alignment with the SOSA^™ technical standard. These active blind-mate optical interconnects are revolutionary solutions for VPX systems and meet the stringent SWaP requirements of today’s defense applications in which high-bandwidth fiber optic transceivers are replacing copper interconnects.

Features & Benefits

The backplane connector has a spring-loaded mechanical transfer (MT) ferrule to ensure a secure MT-to-MT mating connection under extreme shock and vibration conditions.

• Increases volumetric density of 3U and 6U high-speed switch and payload VPX boards by integrating optical transceiver into plug-in connector.
• Intermateability with VITA 66.5-defined backplane connectors enables multiple sources and drives faster design cycles.
• Reduces optical interconnect SWaP with rugged MIL-STD qualified edge-mounted optical interconnects.
• Enables ultra-high bandwidth port bandwidth density of up to 700 Gbps full-duplex in a half-width slot.
• Simplifies VPX board assembly and rework by eliminating fiber pigtail on edge-mount transceiver.