Molex Inc has announced the development and first samples of a new IEEE-1394 Small Multimedia Interface (SMI) Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) connector and transceiver system to help enable industrial networking applications between various electronic devices.
Molex’s new duplex-style SMI POF connector system operates at S200 (250 Mbps) speeds for up to 50 meters. The system meets 1394b high-speed signaling specifications, and can reportedly accommodate S400 bandwidth as new light sources are introduced. It can handle multiple data streams of video and audio at the same time to link devices such as set-top boxes, various digital media recorders, audio units and PCs. The SMI POF connector system also offers low insertion loss and shielded FOTs.
Molex’s SMI POF connector system features a duplex-style fiber-optics assembly that includes light sources developed by Firecomms, Ltd. The Firecomms transceiver is an active component that converts the fiber-optic light source into an electrical signal. Molex’s SMI POF connector system is expected to be used initially in stand-alone and wall-plate repeater boxes, networking applications and possibly installed directly into set-top boxes, and plasma and LCD flat-display screens.
A plastic coupler is available for making optical in-line connections as needed. The coupler can also be mounted into a standard wall-plate for pass-through applications.
For more information on the SMI POF product, please visit www.molex.com/fiber/smipof.html.
For more new product announcements, visit http://mixonline.com/products/new/.
