Avago Technologies Announces Enhancements To Versatile Link Plastic Optical Fiber Product Family

New products integrate digital driver and receiver logic for added integration and value

Avago Technologies, a leading supplier of analog interface components for wireless, wireline, and industrial applications, recently announced their latest product enhancements to the popular Versatile Link Plastic Optical Fiber product family. This product platform has become a widely adopted solution for industrial communications and control links for industrial applications.

Avago POF products offer infinite voltage isolation and EMI immunity performance that far exceeds what can be achieved with traditional copper cable standards. POF cable solutions can weigh up to 75% less then copper cables, while providing similar or greater performance with a 50% tighter bend radius at comparable cost.

“The enhanced Versatile Link POF product family is already an industry-standard for robust industrial communications” said Bernd Luecke, Director of Marketing for Avago Industrial Fiber Optic Products in Regensburg, Germany. “The enhancements Avago has released now give designers more capability to integrate their designs and achieve lower cost without compromising on performance or circuit isolation.”

Designed for robust industrial networking applications, communications over plastic optical fiber (POF) offers key benefits versus copper-based implementations.  Since optical fiber has no metal in its construction, the communication link has infinite isolation between nodes at the same time and since light is used to transmit the signals there are no effects from or creation of electromagnetic interference (EMI) on the transmission line. 

There are additional challenges of copper cables caused by the longer assembly time and labor costs due to the steps needed for cable prep (stripping multiple layers of insulation, tinning the strands, multiple wires to solder and terminate the foil shield). Testing an assembled copper cable is also slightly more complex the Plastic Optical Fiber as copper requires tests for continuity, shorts, opens and breakdown voltage.

The new Versatile Link products from Avago deliver a durable low cost solution while also providing increased performance and easier design solutions. The product family offers system designers integrated digital logic (TTL) interfaces for both transmitter and receivers.

Integrated circuits within the Versatile Link components manage the translation from electrical-optical signals on both ends. These new products are the first Versatile Link parts to offer 3.3V and 5V power supply options. 

Availability
All of the horizontal package devices are available now, and the two tilted package devices will be available within the next quarter. For pricing, contact your local Avago sales representative or distributor.

Further information on Avago fiber optics is available online at www.avagotech.com/pof

Resources
“Fiber versus Copper Links: Making the Right Chose for Industrial Environments” White Paper is available on Avago Technologies website (Publication #: AV02-3500EN)

About Avago Technologies
Avago Technologies is a leading supplier of analog interface components for communications, industrial and consumer applications. By leveraging its core competencies in III-V compound and silicon semiconductor design and processing, the company provides an extensive range of analog, mixed signal and optoelectronics components and subsystems to approximately 40,000 end customers. Backed by strong customer service support, the company's products serve four diverse end markets: wireless communications, wired infrastructure, industrial and automotive electronics, and consumer and computing peripherals. Avago has a global employee presence and heritage of technical innovation dating back almost 50 years to its Hewlett-Packard roots. For more information, visit www.avagotech.com.