Market Studies
Plastic Optical Fibers for Data Communication

Published: November 1999

$2995 - Print copy
Overview:
Optical telecommunications using POF (Plastic Optical Fibers) have not reached their potential for a number of reasons, the foremost being the rapid growth of Glass Optical Fiber technology. Although developed many years before the breakthrough by Corning in 1970 for glass fibers, Plastic Optical Fibers have been relegated to low speed, short distance applications. As a result of recent technical developments, of graded index POF with bandwidths of 3GHz/100m, single-mode POF, optical amplification in plastic fibers, new POF materials with low loss to 1550nm and higher power and faster sources. Applications such as FDDI, ATM, Escon, Fibre Channel, Sonet, and FTTH are now within the realm of Plastic Optical Fibers. This new market and technology assessment report from IGI Consulting shows that previous market studies have underestimated the future potential of POF. While present interest is concerned with high-technology Local Area Network applications, the real growth market is now, and will continue to be in the future to be simple point-to-point links in a wide range of applications across all industries. The report reviews the factors which will impact market growth and provides forecasts of the market in the major growth areas: Data Links for PCs and workstations n Local Area Networks; Industrial data links; Consumer digital data links; Optical computing; Optical interconnects; Automobile networks and links.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Introduction

2.0 Advantages of POF Over Copper or Glass

3.0 Market and Technological Drivers for POF

  • 3.1 Technical Factors
  • 3.2 Markets
  • 3.3 Summary

4.0 POF Overview

  • 4.1 Historical Perspective
  • 4.2 POF Developments in Japan
  • 4.3 POF in the US
  • 4.4 POF in Europe
  • 4.5 Technical Characteristics of POF Fibers
    • 4.5.1 Basic Technical Characteristics
    • 4.5.2 Materials used for POF
    • 4.5.3 Attenuation
  • 4.6 High Temperature Plastic Optical Fibers
    • 4.6.1 Bandwidth
    • 4.6. 1.1 Low NA Step Index Fibers
    • 4.6.2 Graded Index PMMA POF (GI-POF)
    • 4.6.2.1 Graded Index Perfluorinated POF
  • 4.7 Manufacturing Methods of POF
    • 4.7.1 Step Index POF
    • 4.7.2 Manufacturing Graded Index POF
  • 4.8 Light Sources
    • 4.8.1 LEDs
    • 4.8.1.1 Feasibility of Low NA LED
    • 4.8.1.2 Low NA LED Source Perspective for POF Data Link
  • 4.9 Optical Amplifiers
  • 4.10 Optical Connectors
  • 4.11 Splicing
  • 4.12 Couplers
  • 4.13 Switches and Integrated Optics
  • 4.14 Planar Waveguides and Other Passive Devices
  • 4.15 Test Equipment
  • 4.16 POF Hardware
  • 4.17 Environmental Testing of POF Components
  • 4.18 Conclusion

5.0 Illustrative Examples of POF Data Communications Applications

  • 5.1 Introduction
  • 5.2 Range of Applications
  • 5.3 Optocouplers
  • 5.4 Printed Circuit Board (PCB) Interconnects
  • 5.5 Digital Audio Interface
  • 5.6 Avionic Data Links
    • 5.6.1 Practical Experience in Military and Civilian Avionic Systems
    • 5.6.2 McDonald Douglas
    • 5.6.3 Boeing
    • 5.6.4 Requirements for in Aircraft
  • 5.7 Automotive Applications of POF
    • 5.7.1 Class A Multiplexed Networks
    • 5.7.2 Class B Networks
    • 5.7.3 Class C Networks
    • 5.7.4 Fiber Optic Multiplexing
    • 5.7.4.1 Multiplexing Costs and Market
  • 5.8 Local Area Networks
    • 5.8.1 Netronix
    • 5.8. 1.1 POF v. Glass Comparison
    • 5.8.1.2 Operating Experience
    • 5.8.2 Codenoll on
    • 5.8.4 NEC Corp .
  • 5.9 Centronics Links
  • 5. 10 RS-232 Links
  • 5.11 IEEE 1394 Fire Wire
  • 5.12 Tollbooth Applications
  • 5.13 Underground Storage Tanks (UST)
  • 5.14 Factory Automation
  • 5.15 Medical Applications
  • 5.16 High Voltage Isolation
  • 5.17 Home Automation
    • 5.17.1 CEBus
    • 5.17.2 Home Access Network (HAN)
    • 5.17.3 IEEE 1394 Hotspur
    • 5.17 Test Equipment
  • 5.18 Security (Tempest)
  • 5.19 EML(RFI
  • 5.20 Hydraulic Lifts
  • 5.22 Trains
  • 5.23 Controller Area Network (CAN)
  • 5.24 Point of Sales Terminals
  • 5.25 Robotics
  • 5.26 Programmable Controllers (PLC)
  • 5.27 Instrumentation
  • 5.28 High Speed Video
  • 5.29 Video
  • 5.30 POF and Wireless

6.0 POF Cost Comparisons

7.0 POF and Related Standards

  • 7.1 What drives standards?
  • 7.2 History of the Development of Fiber Optics Standards
  • 7.3 Trends in POF Standards Trends
  • 7.4 SERCOS
  • 7.5 Centronics Links
  • 7.6 RS 232 Links
  • 7.7 RS-422
  • 7.8 Controller Area Network (CAN)
  • 7.9 IEEE Standard 1596-1992 Scalable Coherent Interface
  • 7.10 IEEE- 1394 High Speed Service Bus Standard (Fire Wire)
  • 7.11 IEEE LAN Standards
  • 7.12 SAE Truck and Bus Committee
  • 7.13 CEBus
  • 7.14 Automated Meter Reading Standards
  • 7.15 IBM Escon
  • 7.16 Fibre Channel
  • 7.18 DOD-STD-1553 Optical Data Bus
  • 7.19 STANAG 39 10 Optical Data Bus
  • 7.20 IEEE 802.8 POF Study Group - "A POF Compromise
  • 7.21 ARINC 629 - High Speed Data Bus for Commercial Aircraft
  • 7.22 ARINC 636 - On-Board Local Area Networks (OLAN)
  • 7.23 ATM
  • 7.24 NEMI (National Electrical Manufacturers Initiative)
  • 7.25 Universal Serial Bus (USB)
  • 7.26 Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA)
  • 7.27 Japanese POF Standards
  • 7.28 IEC
  • 7.29 Standards Summary

8.0 POF Components - Present Status

  • 8.1 POF Fibers
    • 8. 1.1 Mitsubishi Rayon
    • 8.1.2 Asahi
    • 8.1.3 Toray Industries Inc
    • 8.1.4 Boston Optical Fiber (BOF)
    • 8.1.5 Research Production Center for Plastic Optical Fiber
  • 8.2 POF Cables
    • 8.2.1 Mitsubishi Rayon Co. Ltd
    • 8.2.2 Asahi Chemical Co. Ltd
    • 8.2.3 Toray Industries Co .
  • 8.4 POF Light Sources
    • 8.4.1 LEDs
  • 8.4.2 Laser Diodes
  • 8.5 Photodiodes
  • 8.6 Connectors
  • 8.7 Couplers
  • 8.8 Test Equipment
  • 8.9 Splicing Equipment
  • 8. 10 Hardware
  • 8.11 Data Links
  • 8.12 Summary

9.0 POF Component Price Trends

  • 9.1 POF Fibers
    • 9. 1.1 Step Index Fibers
    • 9.1.2 Graded Index POF
  • 9.2 Cables
  • 9.3 Cable Assemblies
  • 9.4 POF Transmitters and Receivers
  • 9.5 Conclusions

10.0 Factors Affecting Market Growth

  • 10.1 Technology
  • 10.2 Standards
  • 10.3 Market Needs
  • 10.4 Government Funding
  • 10.5 Education of Endusers

11.0 POF Activities in Various Countries

  • 11.1 us
  • 11.2 Plastic Optical Fiber Organization in Japan
  • 11.3 POF in Europe
  • 11.3.1 French Plastic Optical Fibre Club (FOP)

12.0 POF Market Projections

  • 12.1 Overall Opto-electronics Market
  • 12.2 How the Japanese View the POF Market
  • 12.3 IGIC's Forecast of the POF Market
    • 12.3.1 Worldwide POF Market Summary
    • 12.3.2 The U.S. Market for POF

13.0 Profiles of Major POF Datacomm Suppliers

  • 13.1 3M
  • 13.2 Acome
  • 13.3 Amoco Chemical Co
  • 13.4 AMP Inc .
  • 13.5 Asahi Chemical Industry Co. Ltd
  • 13.6 AT&T
  • 13.7 Augat Aster
  • 13.8 Bayer AG
  • 13.9 BDM International
  • 13.10 Boston Optical Fiber
  • 13.11 Bridgestone Corp
  • 13.12 Brookhaven National Laboratory
  • 13.13 Center National d'Etudes des Telecommunications (CNET)
  • 13.14 Codenoll Technology Corp
  • 13.15 Dow Chemical USA
  • 13.16 Dupont
  • 13.17 Fotec Inc
  • 13.18 Fujitsu Ltd
  • 13.19 Hewlett Packard
  • 13.20 Hirschmann of America Inc
  • 13.21 Hitachi America Ltd
  • 13.22 Hoechst Celanese
  • 13.23 Honeywell Optoelectronics
  • 13.24 HSPN (High Speed Plastic Network)
  • 13.25 IBM Research Laboratories
  • 13.26 Keio University
  • 13.27 Leviton Telecom
  • 13.28 Microparts Gesellschaft
  • 13.29 Mitsubishi Rayon
  • 13.30 Molex Fiber
  • 13.31 Motorola Inc .
  • 13.32 Nanoptics
  • 13.33 NEC Electronics
  • 13.34 NEC Research Institute
  • 13.35 Netronix
  • 13.36 Omron Electronics Inc
  • 13.37 Optectron SA
  • 13.38 Packard Electric (now Delphi Packard Electric Systems)
  • 13.39 Panduit
  • 13.40 Peachtree Fiber Optics
  • 13.41 Polycore Technologies
  • 13.42 Research Production Center for Polymer Optical Fiber
  • 13.43 Polyoptical Products
  • 13.44 Rohm GbmH
  • 13.45 Sharp Electronics
  • 13.46 Siemens Components Inc .
  • 13.47 Siliconix Inc
  • 13.48 SONY Corp. of America
  • 13.49 SpecTran Specialty Optics Co .
  • 13.50 1.1. Stanley
  • 13.51 Stewart Connector Systems Inc .
  • 13.52 Sumitomo Electric
  • 13.53 Teijin Ltd
  • 13.54 Thomas and Betts
  • 13.55 Toray Industries Inc
  • 13.56 Toshiba America
  • 13.57 TRA-CON Inc
  • 13.58 United Technologies Research

14.0 Opportunities in the Emerging POF Business

  • 14.1 Cables and Fiber
  • 14.2 Connectors
  • 14.3 Sources
  • 14.4 Couplers
  • 14.5 Test Equipment
  • 14.6 Splicing
  • 14.7 Hardware
  • 14.8 Data Links
  • 14.9 Distribution
  • 14. 10 Design and Engineering

15.0 Strategies for Success in the POF Market

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LIST OF EXHIBITS
Exhibit 2.1
Exhibit 4.1
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Exhibit 9.1
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Exhibit 13.1

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