Proven High-Reliability Assembly Methods Applied To Avionics Fiber-Optics High-Speed Transceivers

CMC Electronics, An Esterline Company will present a paper titled, Proven High-Reliability Assembly Methods Applied To Avionics Fiber-Optics High-Speed Transceivers, at the SPIE Defense Security & Sensing Exhibition, April 23 – 27, 2012 at the Baltimore Convention Center Baltimore, Maryland, USA.

By Jocelyn Lauzon, Lorrain Leduc, Daniel Bessette, Nicolas Bélanger, Robert Larose and Bruno Dion
CMC Electronics, An Esterline Company
600 Dr. Frederik-Philips Blvd., Ville Saint-Laurent, Quebec, Canada H4M 2S9
Email: jocelyn.lauzon@cmcelectronics.ca

Abstract
Harsh environment avionics applications require operating temperature ranges that can extend to, and exceed -50 to 115°C. For obvious maintenance, management and cost arguments, product lifetimes as long as 20 years are also sought. This leads to mandatory long-term hermeticity that cannot be obtained with epoxy or silicone sealing; but only with glass seal or metal solder or brazing. A hermetic design can indirectly result in the required RF shielding of the component. For fiber-optics products, these specifications need to be compatible with the smallest possible size, weight and power consumption. The products also need to offer the best possible high-speed performances added to the known EMI immunity in the transmission lines.

Fiber-optics transceivers with data rates per fiber channel up to 10Gbps are now starting to be offered on the market for avionics applications. Some of them are being developed by companies involved in the "normal environment" telecommunications market that are trying to ruggedize their products packaging in order to diversify their customer base. Another approach, for which we will present detailed results, is to go back to the drawing boards and design a new product that is adapted to proven MIL-PRF-38534 high-reliability packaging assembly methods. These methods will lead to the introduction of additional requirements at the components level; such as long-term high-temperature resistance for the fiber-optic cables. We will compare both approaches and demonstrate the latter, associated with the redesign, is the preferable one.

The performance of the fiber-optic transceiver we have developed, in terms of qualification tests such as temperature cycling, constant acceleration, hermeticity, residual gaz analysis, operation under random vibration and mechanical shocks and accelerated lifetime tests will be presented. The tests are still under way, but so far, we have observed no performance degradation of such a product after more than 1050 hours of operation at 95°C.

Summary
Harsh environment avionics applications require operating temperature ranges from -50 to 115°C, small weight and size, RF shielding, 20 years lifetime, long-term hermeticity and good performance immunity to vibrations and mechanical shocks. For optical communication products manufacturability, two approaches can be considered: a) package ruggedization of existing products, b) design new products to be adapted to proven highreliability packaging assembly methods. In this presentation, we will compare both approaches using a fiber optics transceiver as a reference. We will demonstrate that the latter approach, based on a redesign, is the only one that can ensure performance requirements are met. We will also demonstrate it can be done at a reasonable cost.