Optical Gigabit connectivity secures high electromagnetic compatibility

KDPOF offers an optical link concept for telematics control modules. The company, in partnership with ALPS, has created a concept for an LTE-A telematics control module that employs Gigabit Ethernet over POF to connect to the central communications hub such as a head unit. Since POF offers inherently high EMC, the links do not interfere with the smart antenna receivers. With the required speed going beyond 100Mbps, a 1Gbps Ethernet link is needed. Furthermore, replacing the current RF link with an Ethernet data link will not only aggregate LTE-A packets but other sources including digital radio, as well. "Several OEMs choose the IEEE Std 802.3bv for Gigabit Ethernet over POF (GEPOF), which is the ideal solution to connect Smart Antenna to the central communications hub while avoiding electromagnetic interference (EMI)," explained Carlos Pardo, CEO and Co-founder of KDPOF. "The optical link enhances antenna performance, whereas in conventional systems, antenna reception sensitivity is reduced by the radiated emissions coming from the electrical communications links, such as UTP (Unshielded Twisted Pair) copper cables, coax, and the shielded alternatives." New plastic, composite and crystal roofs or roofs with openings do not guard the antenna against electromagnetic noise produced inside the car compartment. Instead, a significant quantity of energy is radiated by the coaxial cable that is linked back into the ISA electronics, which seriously degrades its performance. The natural EMC problem-free POF is perfectly suited for an Ethernet connection, evading back-coupling conditions like the above-mentioned one. Additionally, the EMC problem-free link permits easy re-positioning of the antenna module among vehicle configurations. Another advantage is the simple integration with current ISA chipsets thanks to the Ethernet (SGMII/RGMII) host bus of the Gigabit POF transceiver. Moreover, thanks to the Gigabit capacity of the Ethernet link over POF, the data link will aggregate multiple data streams such as LTE-A, Wi-Fi, V2x, RDS, DAB radio, etc. Nikkei Tech Days,June 5 and 6, 2019, Osaka, Japan.