New physical layer concepts for optical data buses in automobiles

The authors demonstrate that the requirements of optical data buses in mobile systems will increase dramatically in the coming years. Beside 650 nm resonant cavity LEDs in combination with PMMA fibers, 850 nm VCSELs with 200 /spl mu/m core diameter HCS fibers are most attractive. High data rates can be achieved, insertion losses are low, a large temperature range can be tolerated and large VCSEL-fiber and fiber-fiber alignment tolerances allow low cost connectors.