Design Note #113
The use of light for communications is as old as fire and smoke signals. Applied to 1300nm laser light over single mode fiber and we have something really powerful. Multi-gigabit laser communications, driven by Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) makes high bandwidth data communications possible. OTEC has designed a series of laser communications relay devices which permit the duplex transmission of high definition video signals over fiber optic light pipes. These highly reliable communications links find application in broadcast video, medical, security, avionics, and telecommunications products.
HD-SDI video requires 1.5 to 3.5 gigabits of bandwidth per video channel. The conventional transmission of multiple channels over coaxial cable can be physically heavy, prone to interference, and difficult to cable. Laser communications makes the multiplexing of multiple channels both secure and light weight. Couple that with the added benefit of 8b/10b data encoding and the digital link has an extra measure of reliability as well.
Multiple high speed transceiver lanes available in today’s low and medium cost FPGA devices make this technology available in even the most cost sensitive applications. Verilog HDL firmware from OTEC performs synchronizer, multiplexer, de-multiplexer, data security, and link quality functions.
The development of custom electronic products for our OEM clients is OTEC’s entire business. The design of laser communication systems with rapid design cycles, demanding technical requirements, and unforgiving schedules sets us apart. Contact OTEC today!
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