Optical data bus systems in cars: current status and future challenges

Optical data links and data bus systems are increasingly attractive in vehicles. After the successful introduction of the D2B optical system in Mercedes cars a next generation data bus for telematics applications, the MOST bus, was chosen not only by DaimlerChrysler but also by several other automobile manufacturers. It is expected that the data rate of 22.5 M bit/s will be enhanced in the intermediate future up to above 100 M bit/s for infotainment applications and to even higher data rates if video processing systems are installed in safety relevant driver assistance systems. In this article, today's and future demands on the physical data bus layer in cars are described, the currently used technology approach based on polymethylmethacrylate fibers is shown, and future physical layer solutions are discussed.