KDPOF has provided its Automotive Gigabit Ethernet plastic optical fibre (POF) for electric and autonomous driving to several car makers and tier-1 suppliers. The technology is designed to solve the electrical challenges and interferences of new powertrain architectures.
The control of all the subsystems involved in the electrical powertrain requires a communication bus that transports the control, actuation and sensor signals among the different components in all domains. This has to be immune to the electromagnetic noise whilst also complying with the mechanical, temperature, and weight constraints of the overall vehicle. 1000BASE-RH, the Ethernet specification for a Gigabit capable, POF-based communication protocol, is ideal for the new architectures, as it provides a natural galvanic isolation between communicating modules and a radiation free harness. Moreover, it can operate at 100Mb/s for most current needs while also supporting future needs at 1Gb/s.
Said Carlos Pardo, CEO and co-Founder of KDPOF: ‘We are happy to announce that several car makers and tier-1 suppliers have adopted our optical technology for electrical powertrains and autonomous vehicles. Electromagnetic noise is a major issue in any electrical power train, both in full electrical or hybrid architectures. It affects the operation of the electronic circuits within the car and countermeasures have to be taken at early stages of the design.’