A fiber optic cable replacement to eliminate electromagnetic interference (EMI) in airborne radar unit-to-unit digital cables was designed, built and successfully demonstrated. The cable that was replaced consisted of 44 twisted shielded pair lines which carried digital signals at a maximum effective data rate of 58 MHz between two units within the radar system. A cable replacement consisting of seven fiber optic links, each with a laser transmitter, fiber cable with connectors, and a photodiode detector, and associated input and output electronics, was successfully demonstrated at a composite data rate of about 3.5 Gb. A significant weight and size reduction for the cable between the unit was shown by this fiber optic cable demonstration.
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