Fiber switches from communication industries are specified for very small bandwidth around 1500 nm of +/- 20 nm. Fiber switching in optical measurement requires a wavelength range from 200 nm to 2000 nm and much broader bandwidths. New technologies are required. FOX is basically an optical device with two rectangular optical paths. By means of a filter wheel in the center several light beam variations can be realized. Each entrance has a separate shutter. FOX can be used as a desktop solution or as a part of an integrated measuring device. It is controlled by an external remote control box that can be operated manually or by PC via serial interface.

Working modes

The FOX can be switched to three different modes by using the integrated shutters and the filter wheel. With no filter in the optical path both light beams can pass the FOX unaffected. With a mirror in the optical path, both beams are switched to the other output collimator. The FOX does not affect the light beams any further. Using a dichroitic mirror, the optical paths can be selected by wavelengths. Due to the universal design of the FOX with a filter wheel inside, it can be equipped with several filters at the same time.

Controller box

With the external controller box, the filter wheel can be turned and the shutters of the entrance windows can be operated. The control box is either operated by the manual controls on the front or via RS232 interface from a windows PC.