To read the original article in NEWTECH magazine in Hebrew: NEW-TECH Military Magazine

The evolution of FALCON ™ - the new name of the lens technology!

In the early 1980s the Swedish Defense Materiel Administration specified the next generation of field tactical communication system. The purpose was to offer the Swedish Armed Forces a system which was designed for usage in all environments around the world. The expanded beam technology was identified as the technology of the future, because of its unique and reliable functionality in harsh environments. Micropol Fiberoptic was given the task to develop a solution and the FALCON expanded beam connector was born.
Reliable cable systems and expanded beam connectors need to perform in severe situations, like the Antarctic ice or Saharan heat. They can’t be stopped by clay, mud or dust and can be run over by cars and lorries. For any manufacturing company there is an essential need to know the requirements for high performance in harsh environments. The FALCON connector is based on the Swedish specification matured since the 1980s and is today the toughest specification of harsh environment fiber optic systems in the world. Part of this specification is today forming the US specification M83526/20&21 and include some unique features:
• Insertion loss <1,2 dB vs. NATO standard <2,5 dB
• Temperature range -57°C – +100°C
• Only 12-channel junior connector in the world with collimated light beam according to MIL-DTL-83526
• Only expanded beam approved for 40G transmission

Micropol Fiberoptic is the supplier of choice to the Swedish Armed Forces in all environments where reliable field tactical communication is a must and is Sweden’s only and most experienced company within the field of passive fiber optics. Micropol’s production facility includes clean room production, warehouse facilities and engineering capabilities. The FALCON Expanded Beam Connectors are the results of decades of development and hard testing to meet the world’s toughest standards and specifications.
Peter Ljungkvist, Micropol’s CEO & Sales Director, explains the evolution of the company and technologies: ” Our name “Micropol” is generated from “micro polishing” which is our mark – we polish fiber at a precision that few can copy. For this reason, our products have lower reflections and losses and can transfer higher data speed then our competitors, without additional cost. For the Defense & Security market, we offer optical cable systems and different types of expanded beam connectors, both single- and multimode. Our FALCON connectors offer the best attenuation values and smallest connector foot-print on the market. The patent pending technology we developed has by far the best optical performance in the world, and are outperforming the NATO standard (<2,5dB) by offering an insertion loss of <1,2dB.

In addition, Micropol supplies cable systems with rugged, high-quality field cables that can cope with both extreme temperatures ranging from -40C to +100C and high physical impact. Our fiber optic cables are tested to last +15.000.000 bends at 30 mm radius and can hang free for 2 km with proportions intact. Lengths range from a few decimeters to up to several kilometers. Bulkhead connectors can be provided with conductive surface to discard EMI. our 12-channel junior connector is the only connector in the world with collimated light beam according to MIL-DTL-83526”.
Peter adds: “we develop and design customized connectors suitable precisely according to the customer’s application. Every item is individually tested and customers are provided with test protocols. We also use interferometers which secures that the polished end surfaces have the correct centricity and curvability and comply to the relevant polishing standard.
The most recent addition to the FALCON specification is the ability to transfer 40G over one channel and lens, which offers a unique possibility to reduce the numbers of channels when transmitting large amounts of data.

Peter adds: ”At Micropol we combine unique design and production technology to offer more complex and compact solutions for passive fiber optics. Our work is of extreme high precision and we are known for providing short lead times, high quality and customized applications. all systems delivered by Micropol, are compatible with NATO’s standard and have 100% NATO interoperability. Micropol is a listed supplier in the NATO Master Catalogue of Reference for Logistics (NMCRL) and through our deliveries to different OEMs, we are present in many NATO systems. Our technology has also been approved directly by the Swedish Armed Forces, the Finnish Armed Forces and the Netherland Armed Forces”.

During the 2000’s, the fiber optic market has continued to grow. In parallel to the defense and security segment, Micropol’s offering is adding value to customers within telecom, broadcast, medical technology, off-shore, mining and industry. Since 1980 Micropol’s business has evolved from deliveries to the Swedish Armed Forces to a large variety of product and solutions also to the civil market -” Our customers are found in a large variety of markets where advanced fiber optic solutions are crucial. In the past, we have secured the growth of the company by extensive deliveries to the Swedish Armed Forces. In addition, we deliver a variety of cable systems, mostly for integrated use to global OEMs – we are present under, on and above the surface. We also provide military data centers with ODF and patch cords, some of which are in controlled environment, but still adopted for military use, e.g., using metal connectors” says Peter. “"Micropol Fiberoptic's new capability with the FALCON 40G connector once again proves its technological leadership in the field of passive optical fibers for demanding environments.".
The FMV (Swedish Defense Materiel Administration) Certificate of Conformity published in 2018 a summary of the advantage of Micropol’s technology:
“The Swedish Optical Communication System (FOKS) is since 2012 based on connectors from Tyco Electronics. However, the demands from the Swedish Defense Material Administration (FMV) regarding even lower insertion loss and higher reflection attenuations demanded for a new expanded beam lens technology. Today this lens technology is referred to as FALCON.
The FOKS system is quite more stringent than the US standard, when it comes to ruggedized handling of the tactical fiber optical cable system. In addition, the system involving the FALCON technology shows performance values that are better than specification when it comes to for example attenuation values and attenuations of reflections.”

In Israel, Micropol's products are marketed by Comtel Israel Electronics Solutions Ltd. Mr. Kobi Ganon, Sales and Business Development Manager of Comtel Israel, explains – “Our partnership in Israel with Micropol has brought innovative technologies and unique solutions, that are currently embedded in the Israeli industry, and provide a solution to the Military, medical, telecom and industrial market. This successful partnership has led to a breakthrough in technological capability, when it comes to responding to a rugged environment in extreme conditions. FALCON connector with Extended Beam technology is an accurate solution for the Israeli defense industry”.

For further details:sales@comtel.co.il - 09-7677240
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