Trumpf Photonic Components, a leader in high-speed VCSEL (vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser) and photodiode solutions for data communication, and KDPOF, an expert in high-speed optical networking solutions based in Spain, have become strategic partners in the field of automotive datacom solutions. Both companies hope to implement state-of-the art optical data communication standards and solutions for the automotive industry and are combining their knowledge in the field of components and networks for data communication. “With our strategic partnership we are going one step further and aim to establish VCSEL and optical networks as indispensable part in future cars,” explained Rubén Pérez-Aranda, CTO at KDPOF. „Having a supplier like Trumpf as a partner in working groups enriches the discussion with deep manufacturing and design knowledge of VCSEL and photodiodes components.“
Self-driving cars and VCSEL technology
Due to the push in the automotive sector towards autonomous driving, cars now need to process large volumes of data. Optical interconnects are required to manage the data flow, acting as a kind of nervous system connecting sensors and electronic brains, while at the same time meeting tight electro-magnetic interference requirements.
“It’s great to enter a strategic partnership with KDPOF, combining our long-term expertise to shape the future of data communication within car networks,” said Joseph Pankert, VP Product Management at Trumpf Photonic Components. “Our long-term studies have already proven that 980nm VCSELs can operate at much higher temperatures while maintaining excellent reliability. This is exactly what the automotive industry is demanding, and therefore we support the movement towards a new, long-wavelength standard”, Pankert added.
Demanding applications
Compared to datacenters, automotive applications require not only a much wider range of operating temperatures, ranging from minus 40 °C up to 125 °C, but also an interconnect length of less than 40 meters. For superior robustness against wear-outs and random failures, 980nm VCSEL is recognized as the wavelength preferred to become the new standard. Next to performance characteristics, 980nm enters to existing OM3 fibers with only limited dispersion loss.
Official standard on its way
Both TRUMPF and KDPOF are participants in the IEEE P802.3cz task force. The current draft approved in IEEE 802.3 working group ballot for automotive optical multi-gigabit data transmission provides optical specifications that make use of reliable light sources based on proven longer wavelength technology. Driver assistance and autonomous vehicle operation will benefit from the equipment made of standardized components. “The automotive industry is a very demanding”, said Pérez-Aranda. „The IEEE 802.3 standard is therefore focusing on highly reliable conditions that delivers a service life of 15 years and more.“
