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Ethernet transmissions over large core polymer optical fibres: Demonstration of an extended reach (425m) LAN system

Abstract:

Optical community has expressed a wide consensus over the idea that 1mm poly-methil-meta-acrilate step-index fibres (PMMA SI-POF) can be a good candidate in future domotic networks and in edge networks, that is in the last part of access networks, due to their better mechanical behaviour and lower installation and handling costs with respect to conventional 50/125 or 62.5/125 multi-mode glass fibres. Current applications are anyway limited by relatively low transmission performances: up to now, the best performing commercial Ethernet transceivers using PMMA SI-POF are able to reach at the most 200m at 10Mb/s or 70m at 100Mb/s, thereby keeping these fibres in the niche of very-short reach applications, such as in the automotive market. A Prototype of a media converter for fully compliant 10Mb/s Ethernet transmissions over PMMA SI-POF experimentally demonstrated the feasibility of >400m long link, this length may open new applications to PMMA SI-POF. The 425-m record distance presented here has been achieved by both introducing a proprietary protocol implemented over a field programmable gate array platform and by a careful selection of (commercial) optoelectronic components. The prototype is to be considered as a proof-of-concept that PMMA SI-POF can be introduced in new areas such as the last part of access/edge networks or datacom applications in industrial automation or aircrafts/ships cabling. The 400-m distance is, for instance, the specification of an Italian fibre to the home operator for the last part of its access network architecture. © The Institution of Engineering and Technology 2007.