Hi,
I'm new to hardware designs with fibre optics. My application is
relative simple, I want to network embedded processors using fibre
optics as physical layer. At the moment I'm using RS232 for point to
point connections. To increase the data-rate and to have better
protection against EMI interference, I want to replace the electrical
wires with optical fibres.
My application is point to point. The data-rate is not fixed yet,
however it should be somewhere between 25 and 150Mb/s. Therefore,
plastic fibres should be sufficient. At the moment I'm struggling to
find appropriate interface chips which provide the UART or NIC
functionality for fibre optics on one side and a microcontoller
interface at the other. Here is a small block diagram:
MC <-> NIC <<->> EO <=> EO <<->>NIC <-> MC
where
MC microcontroller
<-> Microcontroller interface (SPI, Parallel, ...)
NIC gluelogic
<<->> Electrical interface
EO electrical to optical transceiver
 <=> fibre optics.

Here are my questions:
Where can I find more information about interfacing microcontroller to
fibre optics?
What are appropriate glue logic chips which provide the `NIC'
functionality?

Thank you for your help in advance.
Oliver Faust

On Mar 30, 9:26=A0am, Oliver Faust <oliver.fa...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
> I'm new to hardware designs with fibre optics. My application is
> relative simple, I want to network embedded processors using fibre
> optics as physical layer. At the moment I'm using RS232 for point to
> point connections. To increase the data-rate and to have better
> protection against EMI interference, I want to replace the electrical
> wires with optical fibres.
> My application is point to point. The data-rate is not fixed yet,
> however it should be somewhere between 25 and 150Mb/s. Therefore,
> plastic fibres should be sufficient. At the moment I'm struggling to
> find appropriate interface chips which provide the UART or NIC
> functionality for fibre optics on one side and a microcontoller
> interface at the other. Here is a small block diagram:
> MC <-> NIC <<->> EO <=3D> EO <<->>NIC <-> MC
> where
> MC microcontroller
> <-> Microcontroller interface (SPI, Parallel, ...)
> NIC gluelogic
> <<->> Electrical interface
> EO electrical to optical transceiver
> =A0<=3D> fibre optics.
>
> Here are my questions:
> Where can I find more information about interfacing microcontroller to
> fibre optics?
> What are appropriate glue logic chips which provide the `NIC'
> functionality?
>
> Thank you for your help in advance.
> Oliver Faust

The following book is a good starting point:

http://www.lvr.com/eec.htm

--
Joe

>
> The following book is a good starting point:
>
> http://www.lvr.com/eec.htm
>
> --
> Joe

Thank you for this quick response. However, the book, you link to,
does not specifically talk about fiber optics. The only interesting
chapter might be chapter 2 (Building a Network: Hardware Options). The
protocol side of my project is well defined, the network is already up
and running. At the moment, my difficulty is to get glue logic chips
which interface the microcontroller to fiber optics. For example, a
suitable technology would be fiber channel (FC) on the optical side.
However, this technology is to fast for my application (slowest FC
data rate 1Gb/s). My question is: Is there a standard way of
transferring data over an optical link at rates of about 100Mb/s? With
standard way, I mean there should be IP cores or interface chips which
implement this optical transfer standard (protocol).

Oliver

"Oliver Faust" <o...@gmail.com> wrote in message 
news:6...@c36g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
> >
>> The following book is a good starting point:
>>
>> http://www.lvr.com/eec.htm
>>
>> --
>> Joe
>
> Thank you for this quick response. However, the book, you link to,
> does not specifically talk about fiber optics. The only interesting
> chapter might be chapter 2 (Building a Network: Hardware Options). The
> protocol side of my project is well defined, the network is already up
> and running. At the moment, my difficulty is to get glue logic chips
> which interface the microcontroller to fiber optics. For example, a
> suitable technology would be fiber channel (FC) on the optical side.
> However, this technology is to fast for my application (slowest FC
> data rate 1Gb/s). My question is: Is there a standard way of
> transferring data over an optical link at rates of about 100Mb/s? With
> standard way, I mean there should be IP cores or interface chips which
> implement this optical transfer standard (protocol).
>
> Oliver

Usb can do that.

How far do you have to go? RS422? How complicated does it have to be I think 
you can getaway with twisted pairs.

Bob

Oliver Faust wrote:

> Hi,
> I'm new to hardware designs with fibre optics. My application is
> relative simple, I want to network embedded processors using fibre
> optics as physical layer. At the moment I'm using RS232 for point to
> point connections. To increase the data-rate and to have better
> protection against EMI interference, I want to replace the electrical
> wires with optical fibres.
> My application is point to point. The data-rate is not fixed yet,
> however it should be somewhere between 25 and 150Mb/s. Therefore,
> plastic fibres should be sufficient. At the moment I'm struggling to
> find appropriate interface chips which provide the UART or NIC
> functionality for fibre optics on one side and a microcontoller
> interface at the other.

8051 family devices have a UART that in one mode will run at 1 Mbps with
as 12MHZ clock crystal.


> Here is a small block diagram:
> MC <-> NIC <<->> EO <=> EO <<->>NIC <-> MC
> where
> MC microcontroller
> <-> Microcontroller interface (SPI, Parallel, ...)
> NIC gluelogic
> <<->> Electrical interface
> EO electrical to optical transceiver
>  <=> fibre optics.
>
> Here are my questions:
> Where can I find more information about interfacing microcontroller to
> fibre optics?
> What are appropriate glue logic chips which provide the `NIC'
> functionality?

Led drivers and receivers. But it's not a true NIC, your link will be
proprietary.

Graham

Oliver Faust wrote:

> > The following book is a good starting point:
> >
> > http://www.lvr.com/eec.htm
>
>
> Thank you for this quick response. However, the book, you link to,
> does not specifically talk about fiber optics. The only interesting
> chapter might be chapter 2 (Building a Network: Hardware Options). The
> protocol side of my project is well defined, the network is already up
> and running. At the moment, my difficulty is to get glue logic chips
> which interface the microcontroller to fiber optics. For example, a
> suitable technology would be fiber channel (FC) on the optical side.
> However, this technology is to fast for my application (slowest FC
> data rate 1Gb/s). My question is: Is there a standard way of
> transferring data over an optical link at rates of about 100Mb/s? With
> standard way, I mean there should be IP cores or interface chips which
> implement this optical transfer standard (protocol).

At 100 Mbps to an embedded controller ?

Graham

> Where can I find more information about interfacing microcontroller to
> fibre optics?

A possible solution - TTL-to-FO link or converter
1st read this: Cypress, AN13853, http://www.cypress.com/?docID=2349
then look after FO drivers mentioned in above AN, from OPTEK Technologies, 
http://www.optekinc.com/

-- 
StoneThrower
www.dgmicrosys.com

On Mar 30, 9:26 am, Oliver Faust <oliver.fa...@gmail.com> wrote:
> Hi,
> I'm new to hardware designs with fibre optics. My application is
> relative simple, I want to network embedded processors using fibre
> optics as physical layer. At the moment I'm using RS232 for point to
> point connections. To increase the data-rate and to have better
> protection against EMI interference, I want to replace the electrical
> wires with optical fibres.

Uhm, are you working on circuits that have to work on a neutron star?

On Mar 30, 3:26=A0pm, Oliver Faust <oliver.fa...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Here are my questions:
> Where can I find more information about interfacing microcontroller to
> fibre optics?
> What are appropriate glue logic chips which provide the `NIC'
> functionality?
>
> Thank you for your help in advance.
> Oliver Faust

I have used the Hirschmann simple RS232 to optical adaptors in the
long ago past:
 http://www.electroustic.co.uk/fibre.htm
Saves time :-)

On Mar 30, 5:37=A0pm, <castlebravo...@att.net> wrote:
> "Oliver Faust" <oliver.fa...@gmail.com> wrote in message
>
> news:6...@c36g2000yqn.googlegroups.com...
>
>
>
>
>
> >> The following book is a good starting point:
>
> >>http://www.lvr.com/eec.htm
>
> >> --
> >> Joe
>
> > Thank you for this quick response. However, the book, you link to,
> > does not specifically talk about fiber optics. The only interesting
> > chapter might be chapter 2 (Building a Network: Hardware Options). The
> > protocol side of my project is well defined, the network is already up
> > and running. At the moment, my difficulty is to get glue logic chips
> > which interface the microcontroller to fiber optics. For example, a
> > suitable technology would be fiber channel (FC) on the optical side.
> > However, this technology is to fast for my application (slowest FC
> > data rate 1Gb/s). My question is: Is there a standard way of
> > transferring data over an optical link at rates of about 100Mb/s? With
> > standard way, I mean there should be IP cores or interface chips which
> > implement this optical transfer standard (protocol).
>
> > Oliver
>
> Usb can do that.
>
> How far do you have to go? RS422? How complicated does it have to be I th=
ink
> you can getaway with twisted pairs.
>
> Bob

RS422 is another possible link standard which I consider for the
network links. However, for some applications RS422 is not suitable.
For example, in a very noisy (EMI) environment, such as cars or radio
applications, fiber optics have a clear advantages. In any case, the
project I'm working on should demonstrate that it is possible to build
a network of embedded processors with fiber optics as physical layer
executing our RTOS.

Oliver Faust