Apart from low cost, the unique advantages of plastic optical fiber are ease of termination, large core diameter for easy fiber coupling, as well as ruggedness against mechanical shock. The need for easy and affordable short-range high-speed communication is ever growing. While the method of choice is wireless communication, wireless falls short when high-quality service is needed or when the application is sensitive to electro-magnetic interference (EMI). Plastic optical fiber (POF) is perfectly suited to these applications. While many people know about optical glass fibers, the less-expensive POF counterpart is less well known despite its routine use in the engines of high-speed trains, in POF-based multimedia entertainment in premium cars, or in digital audio links in home theaters. In the 1980s POF links were adopted for use in low-speed industrial-control applications in which electrical isolation of the control link was required. Examples include high-power electric motors for electric locomotives or for generators in wind turbines--markets that have grown rapidly over the last few years. And in the 1990s, POF links for digital audio were implemented in state-of-the-art audio devices, but with some limitations. In 2001, the first car with a POF-based "infotainment" system went on the road. Millions followed over the next few years making POF networks in cars a success story.
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