Date: Jan 02, 2013 Author: press release Source: Company Data (
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Vixar Inc., Chromis Fiberoptics, Silicon Line, and Unive Inc. collaborate to demonstrate 1st POF-based compact mobile high-speed HDMI AOC.
Consumer Electronics Show, Las Vegas, NV, January 2, 2013: Vixar, a supplier of high performance, energy efficient, optoelectronic components and subassemblies, has worked closely with Chromis Fiberoptics, Silicon Line GmbH, and Unive Inc. to be first to demonstrate a compact mobile high-speed HDMI Active Optical Cable (AOC) using Plastic Optical Fiber (POF). The demonstration will be at the 2013 International CES event (Booth #75508, located in The Venetian), January 8-11, 2013.
Data rate increases in standards-based media interconnect are beyond the limits of copper for practical cable lengths, yet the price of glass fiber is prohibitive for many applications from 3 to 100 meters. While copper is the lowest cost for the very shortest bandwidth-distance needs, it has severe practical reach (distance) limits, e.g., a few meters for USB® 3.0 and Thunderbolt®.
Glass fiber satisfies the longest bandwidth-distance requirements, but has high costs and bend-radius limitations that make it impractical for some applications, including most consumer electronics. Even though the least expensive glass fiber (multimode glass fiber) has moderate cost/meter, termination cost/end adds significantly to the overall cost in terms of either labor costs or capital equipment costs.
These constraints for copper-based and glass-based cables force a large portion of the cable market to either pay a high price for glass-based cables or accept the bandwidth-distance requirements of copper.
The combination of graded-index POF (GI-POF) and 680 nm VCSELs offers an alternative to much of this problem. This combination supports data rates of greater than 10 Gbps at approximately 20 meters, and at a significantly lower cost than glass fiber solutions. (See figure below.) This approach can be offered at more than 40% less than standard multimode glass solutions and 65% less than glass solutions formulated to compete with GI-POF's bend-radius.
The demonstrated AOC has a very compact type D plug connector and a hybrid cable that is lightweight, flexible, clear, and thin. The chipset's ultra low power requirement is completely satisfied by the HDMI interface. Visible red light provides a distinctive attraction when the cable is in use. A very compact optical module based on high-precision plastic injection molding and a passive aligned assembly enables low-cost, high-volume production for mobile and consumer applications.
About Vixar
Vixar is located in Plymouth, MN. Vixar specializes in components and custom subassemblies of a type of semiconductor laser known as a VCSEL (Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser). These devices enable miniaturization and improved energy efficiency for wireless industrial and medical sensors, the reduction in size and cost of medical diagnostic equipment for personalized medicine, and higher speed, lower cost links for consumer based networks and equipment. Vixar's contribution to this demonstration at CES in Las Vegas is their 680 nm VCSEL designed to support 10 Gbps.
Media contact: Wade Campbell, wcampbell@vixarinc.com, 763-746-8045, x305, vixarinc.com
About Chromis Fiberoptic
Chromis Fiberoptics, located in Warren, NJ, is the world technology leader in the design and manufacturing of Plastic Optical Fibers (POF) and POF cables. Chromis' products enable optical networking over plastic fiber at speeds up to 10 Gb/s. Chromis supplies a variety of plastic fibers and cables for consumer electronics, active optical cables, and building networking applications. Chromis Fiberoptics contributed their GI-POF cable to the demonstration.
For more information, please visit the company website at http://www.chromisfiber.com, or email your inquiries to info@chromisfiber.com.
About Silicon Line GmbH
Silicon Line is a fabless analog IC company designing and providing physical layer technologies that enable ultra-low power, low cost optical links at multi-gigabit rates for mobile and consumer platforms. Silicon Line GmbH contributed their ultra-low power VCSEL driver and TIA chipset for HDMI to the demonstration. Silicon Line is located at Elsenheimerstrasse 48, D-80687 Munich, Germany.
Additional information is available at www.silicon-line.com.
Media Contact: Ian Jackson, Silicon Line GmbH, Phone: +49 89 23549061 or press@silicon-line.com
About Unive
Unive is located in Fremont, CA and Bundang, Korea. Unive's optics business unit has a very unique optical engine solution in optical interconnect technology based on proprietary high precision plastic injection mold, fully passive aligned optical assembly process and a special mounting machine for high volume manufacturing. The technology enables low cost active optical cable products for mobile and consumer applications. Unive contributed the very compact optical assembly based on a high precision plastic injection mold, and integrated the components into an AOC.
Media contact: Yung Sung Son, ysson@unive-inc.com, 408-782-4506, www.aoc-unive.com
