OptiFlex
Asad Chaudhry
Guthrey Coy
Brandonn Gorman
Project Objectives/Goals
• Develop a “self-aware” fiber optic mesh that
is conscious of its current state (temperature,
shape, strain, etc.)
• Display the data on a monitor
Approach
• Use fiber optics as a sensor by inserting a
grating within the fiber.
• The grating will reflect back certain
waveforms.
• Sense the waveform information and use it to
reveal the condition of the mesh.
Block Diagram
Optical
Laser
Photodiode
Processing I/O
Beam-splitters
FPGA
FBG cable
Monitor
Implementation
• Optics:
– Beam-splitter
– Fiber Bragg grating
– Photodiode
• FPGA:
– Compare the voltage reading to the “base state”
Division of Labor
Task
Asad
Guthrey
Optics assembly
Brandonn
x
FPGA Interfacing
x
Programming
x
x
x
Algorithm Design
x
Documentation
x
x
x
Testing
x
x
x
Schedule
Components/Budget
Product
FBG cable
Quantity
Unit Cost
Cost
36
$39
$1,404
1
$150
$150
single mode fiber coupler
36
$100
$3,600
photo diode
36
$50
$1,800
1
$199
$199
"laser"
Altera Cyclone II FPGA Dev Kit
misc.
n/a
$500
Total
Cost
$7,653
Risks and contingency plan
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Malfunctioning components
Exceed budget
FPGA time constraints
Having enough input ports to work with
Breakable expensive fiber optic cables
Longer assembly/testing time than expected
The accuracy of the data we will gather
Extensions
• Use a 3D modeling software to represent the
shape of the mesh on a computer
Any Questions?