POF Markets and Applications
Introduction
The worldwide market for POF was approximately $500 million in 2002 and is expected to grow to $2 billion by 2006, according to a study published by Information Gatekeepers (IGI). The major areas of growth will be in the Consumer and Automotive markets. To a lesser extent, modest growth is expected in the Interconnect, Premises and Industrial Control markets. This article will explore some of reasons POF is being used and some of the applications that are fueling this growth.
What Is POF
POF stands for Polymer Optical Fiber or Plastic Optical Fiber. Optical fibers are used to transmit light for data and/or lighting applications. The standard POF fiber has a core size of 980 um and a cladding diameter of 1000 um. POF is about 8 times larger in diameter compared to standard glass optical fiber (GOF). This larger size makes it easier to work with POF compared to GOF, since the tolerances are not as tight.
Advantages of POF
To understand why the growth of POF is as high as it is, one has to look at its advantages over other mediums such as GOF or copper.
- The inherent characteristics of plastic make it more flexible and more resistant to damage than GOF.
- It also weighs less and takes up less volume than copper. POF is also very resistant to vibration and bending.
- The large core makes it easier to align the light path inside of POF connectors and light emitters and detectors.
- In electrically noisy environments, POF is selected over copper since it does not cause any electromagnetic interference (EMI) or radio frequency interference (RFI) nor is it affected by either.
- POF has a much higher bandwidth capability than any copper based solution. The higher the frequency of the transmission, the more economical it becomes to use POF compared to any copper based solution, including twisted pair and coax.
- Optical fiber transmissions are extremely difficult to tap, making POF a good choice where security is important.
- POF is easier to terminate, polish and connect than GOF, resulting in lower installation costs.
Disadvantages of POF
POF has a couple of disadvantages compare to GOF and copper- based solutions:
- POF has a high attenuation (loss) compared to GOF. This means it can only be used for short distances, typically up to 50 meters (165 ft)
- POF is not well suited for high temperature applications such as on engine mounted sensors.
Applications
Networking
POF is the ideal medium for building networks over short distances. These networks can be installed in homes, office buildings and any kind of vehicle. For computer LAN’s, the cost premium of using POF over copper is getting smaller and smaller. Once the cost of the network interface cards (NICs) is close to par with copper- based NICs, there will be no reason not to use POF.
Automotive
As automobiles become more and more complicated, the weight and volume of copper- based networks creates a problem for new automobile designs. A single POF can replace many individual copper wires, resulting in major weight and space savings. Many new vehicles now have a navigation system, hand free cell phone, a TV/DVD rear seat entertainment system, etc. The communication between all of these devices must be done without them interfering with one another and other vehicle networks. POF works very well in this application.
POF is used for many of the safety systems, such as passenger restraint, ABS, engine controls, etc.
Automobile manufacturers in Europe have been installing POF in automobiles for a few years. The reason they are further ahead than the U.S. or Japanese auto-makers is because they have adopted a standard (known as MOST), paving the way for POF use in automobiles. For example, the new BMW 7 Series has more than 100 meters (330 ft) of POF in it.
The U.S. and Japanese automobile manufacturers are looking at using a different standard known as IDB-1394, however this has not been finalized. High volume use of POF in U.S. and Japanese vehicles is expected to occur in the next year or two. Most automotive use of POF has been for data transmission. POF also can be used for illumination purposes such as dome lights, door lights and instrument panels. One advantage is that a centralized light source can be used and can replace dozens of individual bulbs, making the system more service friendly.
Aerospace
POF is currently being used in flight entertainment systems and is being looked at for a variety of other applications, such as in lighting for the instrument control panels. The same reasons that make POF a good choice for the automotive make it a good choice for aerospace applications.
Industrial Controls / Factory Automation
POF is being used as the transmission medium in a communication standard known as SERCOS. SERCOS is the only internationally approved communication standard for motion control.
Sensors
POF is used as a means to connect between sensors and control systems. The reason is that POF offers good electrical isolation and electromagnetic immunity. POF sensors are currently available which can measure a variety of conditions, such as pressure, temperature, chemical characteristics, etc.. One application where POF has a major advantage is in hazardous locations, such as in fuel tanks or other explosive environments. Since the POF sensors do not use electricity, they are the best choice for use in hazardous locations.
Signs and Illumination
POF is used in the sign and illumination industries for many different applications, including decorative, architectural, traffic signals and medical, etc.. Some types of POF are designed to emit light along their entire length while others are designed to project light out of their ends. The variety of POF types and related components is growing rapidly and POF is being used in many new applications. Typical applications include underwater lights for swimming pools, colored lights for water fountains, museum lighting for delicate objects and the lighting of footpaths and building facades. POF is also used extensively in the entertainment industry for stage shows and effects.
Conclusion
POF has some unique advantages over other transmission mediums, making it an excellent choice for use in a wide variety of applications. As standards evolve and mature, POF production volume will increase and the need for increased automation will follow. Knowledge of POF and its use will be instrumental in finding opportunities to supply POF cable processing equipment to those markets.
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