American Photonics

American Photonics, Inc. (API) was a very early developer of local area network technologies in the 1980s, based first in Brewster, New York, moving later to Brookfield Center, CT.

American Photonics, Inc., was founded in 1982 by James Walyus (1938–2000) while he was employed by Exxon Optical Information Systems (Exxon OIS) of Elmsford, New York. His intention was to create an organization that would develop leading-edge, yet commercially viable, optical communication technologies that could be sold into large potential markets.

After some initial research in networking technologies, API was contracted by Interlan (another early Ethernet networking company, subsequently acquired by Micom and then by Racal Electronics PLC) to develop an adjunct to its 10Base5 Ethernet transceivers and network interface cards (NICs, or network cards). This adjunct product was to extend the distance between the transceiver and the NIC by way of fiber optics, as the distance was severely limited by the 15-pin Attachment Unit Interface (AUI) cable used in this connection.

Building upon this early success, API developed the RL1000 line of Ethernet 10Base5 transceivers. The RL1000 physical design was patterned on the rugged 3Com 3C107 transceiver, with the added feature of indicator lamps much like the Cabletron Systems ST500 transceiver, and it became relatively popular as a result.

Another early Ethernet product designed by API was the RL6000 Ethernet Repeater. This unit directly competed with the Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC) DEREP-AA repeater, but had the advantages of being modular (allowing for fiber interfaces, Thinnet or AUI Cable interfaces) and smaller (occupying less than half the space of a DEREP-AA). Consequently, API was able to overtake DEC in sales of this product in 1984, a significant feat for a start-up in the Ethernet industry.

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