Applications Of Perfluorinated Plastic Fiber
The raison d'être for PFBVE GI-POF is to qualitatively simplify field installation of high-speed data links, especially in the gigabit-per-second regime. In comparison to silica-based optical fibers, GI-POF eliminates the need for trained installers and specialized cleaving and polishing tools. In comparison to high-speed unshielded twisted-pair (UTP) copper links, GI-POF simplifies the cable pulling and termination aspects of the installation process. As with all optical media, GI-POF also eliminates the potential for various forms of electromagnetic interference, which would complicate installation and use ofGb/s UTP copper links. As mentioned earlier, the ease of use of GI-POF will become increasingly attractive as high speed data links migrate outward from controlled, centralized, high-cost environments (telephony and large enterprise networks) into less controlled, fragmented consumer environments such as small office, home, vehicular data networks, and inter/intraequipment interconnection.
In vehicular applications, the older technology ofstep-index PMMA-based POF has gained significant acceptance beginning in the late 1990s. During these years, PMM A fibers were investigated in a number of aircraft and automotive passenger compartment data systems."0,1" By the year 2000, every Mercedes-Benz automobile contained a step-index POF data network in the passenger compartment. Since automotive applications involve distances uniformly less than 10 meters, and since link speeds should not exceed 100 Mb/s in the foreseeablefuture, this older POF technology should continue to be the best fit for this niche. Although passenger aircraft demand much larger bandwidth-distance products than automobiles, aircraft applications also typically have very demanding temperature requirements. Since data links are often routed in the same trays with power cables, continuous operating temperatures of 125°C are typical. As a result, PFBVE-based GI-POF appears not to be suitable in such applications. Although other perfluorinated polymers should permit much higher operating temperatures, those materials have not been adequately developed for POF use at this writing.
In the immediate future, the most promising area for perfluorinated GI-appears to be in equipment interconnection. In these applications, bandwidth demands often exceed a few hundred Mb/s and in many cases are expected to increase rapidly with time. Also, for connections between equipment cabinets, many applications must support remote deployment ofdifferent units, so that intercabinet links must be capable of supporting 100-300meter distances. In many cases however, relatively few links are required, so that bringing in trained personnel to install silica fiber or (where applicable) copper cables and connectors may be prohibitively expensive on a per-link basis. Moreover, trained personnel will be required again whenever the link must be repaired or relocated. In such cases, GI-POF will offer an attractive and affordable way to maintain the flexibility now familiar in such applications, while also permitting much higher data rates.
In the longer term, GI-POF appears to be technically well suited for data networks in homes and small offices. GI-POF can easily support the bandwidths (potentially up to IOGb/s) and distances that such applications demand. Also, since these applications typically involve installation behind walls, future-proofing is paramount. Since perfluorinated GI-POF offers high bandwidth with minimal wavelength dependence, in addition to simplicity and low installed cost, it appears to be extremely well suited for such applications. However, since these types of networks almost always require adherence to LAN applications standards, considerable work in standardization of GI-POF will be required to exploit its technical possibilities in this area.
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