Video: Point-to-point Link with POF Media Converters
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Installing POF will help to improve the Internet connectivity in the home. A POF link can cover up to 50 m, giving 1 Gb/s performance. The installation does not require high-level skills and can be done with simple tools. POF cable is typically installed through the existing conduits in the house, so it’s easy to reach any room and keep the cable hidden.

This video shows how to connect and check a point-to-point (P2P) POF link by using commercial media converters. Key points are the simplicity and quickness of the cut and connect. The media converter consists of one RJ45 copper port and one optical POF port. It allows the implementation of a P2P link which can cover, for example:

  • Improve wireless connectivity of the furthest room: [Router] <-> POF <-> [WiFi Access Point]
  • Move the router to the optimum place: [ONT] <-> POF <-> [Router]

List of materials used in the video:

  • 2x POF media converters + PSUs
  • POF cable
  • POF cutter
  • 2x laptops
  • 2x UTP cable
IEEE 802.3 Automotive Optical Multi-Gigabit Standard
IEEE 802.3 Automotive Optical Multi-Gigabit Standard
IEEE 802.3 Automotive Optical Multi-Gigabit Standard

The key development objectives for the new standard target outranging performance. The high speed will reach at least 25 Gb/s and will be scalable to 50 or 100 Gb/s. The temperatures range from -40 °C to 105 °C. Distances are 15 meters with 4 inline connectors for cars and 40 meters for cars and buses. Meeting OEM reliability requirements, the failure rate is below 10 FIT (Failures In Time: 1 FIT equals 1 failure per 1,000 devices operating 1 million hours). 

Optical Multi-Gigabit Physical Layer for Automotive Applications

Complexity stays low with simple modulation. For fiber, the OM3 class is chosen, since it is already extensively used by data centers and avionics. Only extensively used light sources will be selected. Two connector grades are defined in order to allow cost-effective implementations. Regarding topology, asymmetric up and down links have been considered from the beginning. The use of the Energy-Efficient- Ethernet (EEE) specification is an appropriate candidate to implement this feature. Cameras, displays, and further asymmetrical use cases have been included as test cases for the standardization. An OAM side-channel will be available for dependability and link management. The absence of retransmissions means controlled latency for video distribution. Symmetric links will be added for backbone communications. 

With cost-down and consistency in focus, optics, fibers, connectors, and electronics already developed for nGBASE-SR will be reused. Further specifications include 850 nm VCSEL, multimode OM3 fiber, PAM2 receivers, and connectors. Standardization work focuses on the automotive requirements: VCSEL reliability for the operation temperature range, connector development with quality grades, standardized wake-up and sleep protocols, and an adaptive DSP to cope with the large parametric deviation of the VCSEL. Increasing the yield percentage results in cost reduction. 

Read on in the Whitepaper “Off-the-shelf System Solution – Optical Multi-Gigabit Connectivity in Vehicles

Relevant use cases from different carmakers in Europe and the USA incorporate the comprehensive features and benefits of optical network technology. These include the interconnectivity of telematics control modules with the optical links, providing reliable reception and increased dynamic range of detected signals. Redundant and safe backbones for autonomous driving guarantee ASIL-D safety architecture with optical and copper in parallel. Further applications are ADAS interconnections with cameras, lidar, and radar sensors. For battery management systems, optical connectivity delivers galvanic isolation among voltage domains.

Read on in the Whitepaper “Off-the-shelf System Solution – Optical Multi-Gigabit Connectivity in Vehicles

KDPOF demos first 50 Gb/s Single Lane Automotive-grade Optical Multi-Gigabit Ethernet (Copyright: Getty Images)
KDPOF demos first 50 Gb/s Single Lane Automotive-grade Optical Multi-Gigabit Ethernet
(Copyright: Getty Images)

KDPOF will proudly display the world’s first demonstration of an automotive-grade optical transmission system with 50 gigabits per second single lane at the Automotive Ethernet Congress from February 12 to 13, 2020 in Munich, Germany. In his presentation, “Optical Multi-Gigabit Ethernet – on the Verge of Standardization and Implementation,” on February 13 at 14:30, Carlos Pardo, CEO and Co-founder of KDPOF, will show details on the process for the new standard for multi-gigabit in automotive. It will enhance the existing 10GBASE-SR, which is the current standard by IEEE, to establish a communications channel in optical fiber at 10 Gb/s. “With technological leaps such as electrical vehicles, automated driving, and V2X interconnection rushing through, automotive applications, utilization, and safety requirements are boosting the necessary network speed tremendously,” explained Carlos Pardo. “Consequently, in-vehicle networks are on the brink of speeds from one to multiple gigabits per second.”

IEEE 802.3 Automotive Optical Multi-Gigabit Standard

With the approval of the IEEE 802.3 working group, a team of individuals affiliated with more than 15 key carmakers and components suppliers, including KDPOF, has started the standardization of an IEEE 802.3 Automotive Optical Multi-Gigabit Standard with strong support from the industry. The working group headed by Carlos Pardo (KDPOF) kicked off last summer. The first prototypes are projected by the end of 2021. The study group will evaluate the creation of an IEEE Ethernet standard for the automotive industry, with speeds starting at 2.5 Gb/s and going up to 25 or 50 Gb/s.

Optical Multi-Gigabit Ethernet – on the Verge of Standardization and Implementation

The key advantages of the optical solution for specific applications using multi-gigabit speeds with in-vehicle connectivity are, among others, Electromagnetic Compatibility (EMC) thanks to the inherent galvanic isolation, low weight, and low cost. Relevant use cases from different carmakers in Europe and the USA incorporate the comprehensive features and benefits of the optical network technology. Use cases include the interconnectivity of telematics control modules, redundant and safe backbones for autonomous driving architectures, and advanced driver assist system (ADAS) sensors. 

Key leading optoelectronic, connector, and wire harness vendors worldwide are prepared and already provide a well-supplied and competitive market with all the new components needed for multi-gigabit in the car: Physical Layer (PHY), Fiber Optic Transceiver (FOT), fibers, connectors, and light sources. The technology will be scalable in order to enable even higher data rates such as 50 and 100 Gb/s in the future. By combining optimization in all areas of the new standard, the right balance of complexity and cost among all parts (CMOS IC, VCSEL, PD, ferrules, sleeves, cable, in-line connection technology, optics, and lenses, etc.) can be achieved in order to deliver the lowest cost, most reliable, and highly scalable solution to the automotive market. 

Demonstration
Automotive Ethernet Congress on February 12 to 13, 2020 in Munich, Germany 

Presentation 
“Optical Multi-Gigabit Ethernet – on the Verge of Standardization and Implementation” on February 13 at 14:30 by Carlos Pardo, CEO and Co-founder of KDPOF, at Automotive Ethernet Congress in Munich, Germany.

Further information 
White Paper “Off-the-shelf System Solution: Optical Multi-Gigabit Connectivity in Vehicles

KDPOF Presented Low Cost, Low Weight, and EMC Robustness of Gigabit Ethernet POF at Embedded Expo China
KDPOF Presented Low Cost, Low Weight, and EMC Robustness of Gigabit Ethernet POF at Embedded Expo China

At the Embedded Expo China in Shenzhen, China, KDPOF was overwhelmed by the great interest in their display of the benefits of gigabit data transmission over Plastic Optical Fiber. POF is the ideal solution for camera surround view systems providing low weight, EMC robustness and consequently low price. Between 4 and 8 cameras are connected to the system via Ethernet with more than 1 Gb/s bandwidth required to ensure image quality and low latency. KDPOF’s KD1053 transceiver provides high connectivity with a flexible digital host interface, low latency, low jitter, and low linking time.