Abstract: A hermetically sealed ferrule includes one or more walls cooperating to enclose a volume. At least one of the walls defines an orifice permitting passage to the enclosed volume. A fiber optic ribbon passes through the orifice to the enclosed volume. The fiber optic ribbon includes a plurality of optical fibers with a protective coating surrounding each of the optical fibers. Each optical fiber is exposed where it passes through the orifice. A low-temperature melting point glass seals a space between the exposed optical fibers and the region of the wall defining the orifice. A first epoxy layer extends between the fiber optic ribbon, an outer surface of the region of the wall defining the orifice, and the low-temperature melting point glass. A second epoxy layer extends between the fiber optic ribbon, an inner surface of the region of the wall defining the orifice, and the low-temperature melting point glass.

Abstract: A substantially planar fan-out circuit that receives a set of signals at one end and conducts the signals via a set of waveguides to an opposite end of the circuit. The intensity of at least one of the optical signals is detected with an optical detector integrated into the optical circuit. The detected optical signal is attenuated with a variable optical attenuator integrated into the optical circuit. The variable optical attenuator effects an attenuation level based upon an output of the optical detector. The optical signals are delivered from the second end of the optical circuit, so that the optical signals are either more or less dispersed at the second end of the optical circuit than at the first end.