Highly Reliable and Compact Plastic Fiber Optic Modules for Large Core Optics Fiber Video Link Applications

We have developed high reliable and compact fiber optic modules based on plastic packaging technologies for large core optics fiber video link applications. The outer dimensions of 9.7 mm times 6.2 mm times 3.6 mm are very small compared to standard SFP (small form factor pluggable) modules. The maximum operating temperature of this module is -40degC to +105degC. This is compatible with automotive requirements and much wider compared to typical datacom (85degC) devices. The transmitter module contains a VCSEL, a monitor photodiode, a driver IC chip, and some passive electronics components. This system-in-package technology is quite demanding, because it dealt with devices of different material sets such as Si chips and GaAs chips in one packaging platform. Two pairs of the fiber optic modules are connected with a PCS fiber pair to form an IEEE 1394b S800 compatible video link. The physical data rate is 1 Gb/s due to the built-in 4b/5b coding. The transmission distance is up to 15 m, limited by the bandwidth of the fiber. The extinction ratio is greater than 10 dB. The random jitter is around 100 ps. From the bit error ratio (BER) measurement we obtain a sensitivity of -16 dBm for BER = 1E-09 and a link distance of 5 m. Longer link lengths decrease the sensitivity values due to the modal dispersion of the fiber. However, the system budget is still large enough for all practical application including several in-line connectors. The transceiver modules have been undergone lifetime tests according to automotive application requirements and shown good reliability data. The transmitter module samples have passed 3000 hours of high temperature operating life (HTOL) test at +105degC, 1000 hours of low temperature operating life (LTOL) test at -40degC, 1000 hours of temperature-humidity-biased (THB) test at 85degC/85% R. H, and 1000 cycles of temperature cycling (TC) test from -40degC to +125degC. The receiver module samples have passed 2000 hours of HTOL test at +105degC, 1000 hours of LTOL test at -40degC, 1000 hours of THB test at 85degC/85% R. H, and 1000 cycles of TC test from -40degC to +125degC.