Tag: POF

Intel confirms that POF is being studied for Light Peak

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This is a simple update on the last post regarding POF and Light Peak. In an interview to Tech-On, Jason Ziller, director of Optical I/O Planning/Marketing at Intel states: Q: How long is the wavelength of optical signals used for Light Peak? Ziller: It is 850nm. Optical signals are transmitted via optical fibers made of glass. The wavelength was decided in consideration of cost, durability, transmission range and so forth. However, it is possible that plastic optical fibers (POF) will be used in the future because its properties are drastically improving. Now, I’m yet to understand how can multimode glass …

Plastic fiber as a use case for Intel’s Light Peak

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For those who haven’t seen any keynote from Intel’s IDF for the last couple of years, Light Peak is the code name for a revolutionary technology that will allow cheap interconnects at 10Gbps, for domestic usage, based on optical technology. Here’s a quick into on Light Peak: Now, there’s a number of obvious limitations on using glass optical fiber. To start with, it’s brittle. No one is considering a consumer cable that cannot be bent! Nor can it have a maximum number of usages, nor having to be polished at each end. There’s simply no way glass optical fiber will make …

Plastic Fiber and the Status of the Home network

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Probably, one of the most important technologies ever invented for the home is plastic fiber, POF (plastic optical fiber). Unfortunately, it’s mostly unknown to most people, unless you work on the industrial grade networks. POF is basically the same technology as the old S/PDIF optical cable, but with a XXI century technology, from 2Mbps to 100Mbps (1Gbps already in the works, or maybe available) full duplex. What’s the advantage? Size. POF cables are between 1.5 and 2mm wide and extremely flexible. Those compare with Ethernet cables which are around five times thicker and far less flexible. This is not really …

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