Fiber Optics

• Fiber Optics - Home

Fiber Optics - Contained transmission

August 20th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Fiber optics is the overlap of applied science and engineering concerned with such optical fibers.  Fiber optics is the contained transmission of light through long fiber rods of either glass or plastics.  The biggest challenge remaining for fiber optics is economic.  Today it is a serious competition for the more established communications systems.

Cables
Fiber optics was needed because television cables were becoming more capable of carrying more information than copper wire so computer and telephone companies needed something to compete.  Optical fiber cables can be installed with the same equipment that is used to install copper and coaxial cables, with some modifications due to the small size and limited pull tension and bend radius of optical cables. 

Optical cables can typically be installed in duct systems in spans of 6000 meters or more depending on the duct’s condition, layout of the duct system, and installation technique.  The longer cables can be coiled at an intermediate point and pulled farther into the duct system as necessary.  Installation of spare fibers today is more economical than installing additional cables later.

Fiber optics is based on sending signals by light and the science and technology of optical fibers comes down to transparent thin fibers, usually made of glass or plastic, used for transmitting light and how to send light through without any effort.

 

Wireless Data Between Computer Chips

July 16th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

I have always been very impressed with anything that went from using cables to being wireless. Personally I try to get my hands on everything that is wireless and most of the times it is for the better (because I can avoid all the cables). Sometimes however I change back to the old version because of the instability of some wireless devises.

Even though the article is almost one year old I just found it recently and I would like to share it with all of you (in case you haven’t read it already). It was posted in the New York Times 17 September 2006 about scientists that had made a chip that was able to transfer data using laser light instead of the wires or connections that are normally using with print cards etc.

The advance will make it possible to use laser light rather than wires to send data between chips, removing the most significant bottleneck in computer design.

A Tiny Laser on a Silicon Chip As a result, chip makers may be able to put the high-speed data communications industry on the same curve of increased processing speed and diminishing costs — the phenomenon known as Moore’s law — that has driven the computer industry for the last four decades.

The development is a result of research at Intel, the world’s largest chip maker, and the University of California, Santa Barbara. Commercializing the new technology may not happen before the end of the decade, but the prospect of being able to place hundreds or thousands of data-carrying light beams on standard industry chips is certain to shake up both the communications and computer industries.

Read the rest of the article here: NY Times

I don’t know about you but I am looking forward to the end of this decade. Reducing heat, energy usage and increasing speed. The sky is the limit (or something like that).

Multiple Usages

July 13th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

One of the things that I find truly fascinating about the technology behind fiber optics is that not only can you transfer light over huge distances without seeing any significant loss of strength but it can also be used to transfer data using the exact same technology.

Now I can’t say that I have any expert knowledge about how this works (I really don’t) but as a user I have great benefits from it. One of the most obvious benefits is that I can write this and post it to this blog instantly using the data transfer technology in fiber optics.

Currently (where I am located) we are seeing transfer speeds of about 100Mbit per second but I know that other parts of the world are seeing even faster transfer rates. Recently I stumbled upon an old article posted at ABC News Online that states that a Japanese company made a data fiber optics transfer record by sending a 2 hour movie through fiber optic cables in 0.5 seconds!!!

“A Japanese company has developed technology to transmit a two-hour movie in 0.5 seconds, the world’s fastest speed achieved with fibre-optic cables in the field, it says.
Kansai Electric used fibre-optic cables on power-transmitting steel towers to achieve the speed of one terabit per second, which is more than 100 times faster than inter-city data transmissions currently in use, a spokesman says.
The company, Japan’s second-largest power supplier, has not decided when to put the technology into practical use but says it is possible that it would come in 2010 or later.” - Find the original article here

Imagine what they can do today? I can’t wait to see what the current record is. The funny part is that within a few years (or 5 years maybe) we will all have fiber optic cables hooked to our computers and we’ll experience data transfer speeds that we would never have dreamt of when we bought our first 52kb modem *lol*.

Using Fiber Optics Lighting to Illuminate

May 30th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

The use of fiber optics lighting has revolutionized the world through the use in television, medical imaging and radio. Fiber optics has become common and because of the low power usage and the minimal space requirements all the major technology companies are shifting to the use of fiber optics. Even lighting in exclusive limousines is made by using fiber optics light.

As thin as hair and made of glass the fiber optics cables are using laser and light to transfer digital signals and information over great distances. Communication companies can now, through the invention of the fiber optics receiver transmitter systems, beam high quality radio, TV, telephone signals and any other thinkable media signals around the world in a matter of seconds and without reducing the quality and thereby satisfy the customers on-demand requests.

Inventing fiber optic light
The usage of fiber optics and fiber optics lighting expanded substantially in the twentieth century. The invention, however, began in the late 1800s, where the first scientists started to experiment with bending light so that it was possible to let the light shine around corners. Alexander Graham Bell is the famous inventor that dabbled in fiber optics, using mirrors and light to enhance the quality and delivery of his telephone system. Unfortunately he didn’t succeed in his endeavor and the technology failed to blossom.

Until around 1950 the terminology of “fiber optics” was unknown but at that point in time the technology began to take off. This was mainly due to laparoscopic surgery medical breakthroughs and the engineering applications used for the inspection of machinery.

Soon (meaning later that decade) the invention of laser pushed the fiber optics lighting industry further and the US military began using the fiber optics receiver transmitter systems. The 1970 brought transmission to and from sea and air ships in many military applications used at that time. As with a lot of other technology breakthroughs the military usage spurred the development for commercial usage and fiber optics was picked among telephone and television companies. They were testing through out the late 1970 and implementing it in the 1980s for broadcasting and phone services.

Where ever you look there is fiber optics lighting
The demand for data delivery without delay became more and more obvious and along with the need for increased capacity the instant delivery provides by fiber optics cables pushed the usage to new heights in the current century. One of the most beneficial usages of the fiber optics cables is the high speed internet connections that are connecting the hotspots of the globe.

Now more and more services provided online become instant and “on-demand” and if you are equipped with a high speed internet connection you are now able to see pay-per-view movies through your media center in the middle of your living room. Though the breakthroughs have been many we have not seen the most of it yet. Many homes are still equipped with modems or ISDN connections and are still awaiting the fiber optics cables to “hit” their town.

As for fiber optics lights this has not even begun yet. Some luxurious apartments and cars are equipped with optic lighting but it is still for the few so we can expect that the decades to come will bring more light to the normal homes.

Fiber Optics Ceiling Light – Fashion Your Ceiling

May 30th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Time and time again technological breakthroughs keep amazing us and it doesn’t seem to ever stop. And mostly these breakthroughs are for the good of mankind. We are constantly talking giant steps towards a more mechanical society.

And one of the best things that we can say is that we will not be a society left in the dark. There are so many uses for fiber optics ceiling light, but the two primary goals are naturally to put some light into the ceiling and secondly to illuminate the room in which they are places. Fiber optics ceiling light will help keep the darkness away, and because the lights are so bright you will be able to easily go about your nightly chores without having to buy extra lights.

Use Fiber Optics Ceiling Light in the Kitchen
In today’s society there is so much activity that goes on in the kitchen on a daily basis and because of that it is always the place in the home that needs the most light. It is more than just a social place; it is the essence of the home.

Therefore is why it is a wise decision to install the fiber optics ceiling light in the kitchen. This can be placed in both the ceiling and in the cabinetry. The strong illumination that is produced by the fiber optics ceiling light will help you most through those dark winter days and in the dark nights and you will be able to go about your work like it was almost daylight.

Studying in Fiber Optics Ceiling Light
We all know that it is crucial that we protect our eyes, and that the effect of using a computer in a bad light can increase the damage to our eyes. In the long run it can even make our vision even poorer. Using the fiber optics ceiling light you are able give your eyes the protection that they need because of the bright light from the optic fibers. Never again should poor light cause your eyes to strain.

It can also help you get your reading done faster because you do not have to constantly squint at the words and thus increase the likelihood of causing damage to your eyes. Having the fiber optic ceiling light in your study will make sure that you always have the right light at the switch of a button and the only thing you need to remember is to turn it on.

When it comes down to it is not that hard to change from the conventional and commonly used light bulb to fiber optics light. The best solution is to have your fiber optics ceiling light installed for you instead of trying to do it yourself. Regret will be the last thing on your mind, so it is worth considering having the fiber optics ceiling light in your study. If you think of it another way what is the price tag that you will put on your eyes and your sight? An installation like this will not cost you thousands of dollars and it is worth it to live the life of light all year round. Care enough for yourself and your eyes to give them the best and protect them.

Fiber Optics Cables - How do they work?

May 30th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

To the ordinary human being, the concept of fiber optics cables technology might seem like an amazingly complex wonder and, of course, there is a great amount of technical and science jargon that is being used when it comes to the explanation of a technology that allows a hundreds of tiny, hair-size fiber optics cables to send information with the use of lasers around the world.

But the core is that fiber optics and getting to understand fiber optics receiver transmitter systems is not really as difficult as people might think, even for those of us who have never even heard the words “fiber optics cable” before in our life.

Fiber Optics Receiver Transmitter Systems - The Basics
It saw the first daylight in the 1800s but was not fully realized until the 20th century. Fiber optics will transmit a flow of information using pulses of light or laserbeams. These pulses are sent through extremely thin strands of wiring, also called fiber optics cables which are usually made of glass. In the other end a receiver then decodes the information, beaming it into people’s homes and offices around the world at the speed of light. The pure quality is unmatched by any of today’s other technologies. Because they use light, more and more are starting to employ the use of fiber optics lighting to create dramatic lighting effects for signs or displays and illuminate whole areas.

The very center of the fiber optics cable is the core. The core is the glass strand in which the light travels at the speed of light (obviously). The core is often surrounded by the cladding, which will reflect the light back into the core, guiding it and keeping it along its path. Plastic coating surrounds it and the cladding is there for protection. One single fiber optics cable can send more information and at lot faster than the largest of traditional electronic wiring. When you add several hundred fiber optics cables that can be grouped into a bundle imagine what you can do.

At one end of the cable you’ll have a transmitter, which will break down the information and then send it using light impulses. Once the information in the form of light arrives at its destination, a receiver decodes the information and converts it back into useful data, where it is then sent along to the appropriate media. Medias can be everything from a television or a radio to a computer or any other device.

What Can Fiber Optics Do For Me Personally?
Besides the fact that it is transmitting huge amounts of data almost instantaneously, fiber optics cables costs far less money, take up very little space, require almost no power and are less susceptible to lightening strikes and fire-causing sparking. These are all benefits that add up to savings for providers of telephones, Internet, television and many other eletronical applications and for the most part these savings are passed along to consumers. Fiber optics cables can also be used in imaging for medical purposes and in surgical technologies, as well as engineering and mechanical maintenance and inspections. Power generation facilities and power companies are relying more and more on fiber optics as well.

As it has little to no signal degradation and almost crystal clear communications it has become very popular in high-speed Internet connections and therefore digital cable have become an every day thing.

You may not see the many miles of fiber optics cable lying under your feet but you can be sure that they are there. You just reap the benefits of this extremely revolutionary technology on a daily basis and there will be more of this in the near future.

— Next Page »

Copyright © 2007 Fiber Optics