Search for: All records

Plastic optical fibers (POF) possess the potential to occupy a distinctive role in contemporary communication systems, bridging the gap between the attributes of copper cable and glass fiber. POF stands out as a more lightweight and cost-effective alternative to glass fiber, while concurrently offering significantly enhanced communication bandwidth compared to traditional copper cables of equivalent cost or weight. However, the novelty of this technology introduces a challenge, as there is limited understanding of how POF cables may behave under specific bending conditions, particularly in the case of the latest multi-core fibers. This paper outlines a research endeavor aimed at establishing a cost-effective and reproducible testing framework for assessing the light transmission properties of plastic optical fibers during various bending conditions. The methodology involves partial automation using National Instruments LabVIEW for servo motor control, and optical power measurements were taken using the Thorlabs PM100USB. The investigation encompassed measurements across diverse bending angles and radii for five distinct types of fibers: Eska MH, Eska BH, Eska GH, a Graded Index fiber, and a Multi Core Fiber. 

This study investigates the impact of under-filled and over-filled launching configurations on the transmission properties of Plastic Optical Fiber (POF). Experimental analyses on step and graded index fibers reveal differences in spatial and frequency properties under these launching conditions. Results show that the under-filled configuration leads to narrower radial profiles and Encircled Angular Flux (EAF) compared to the over-filled configuration. Additionally, under-filled launching produces better frequency response and larger bandwidth, particularly notable in shorter fibers. Results show that the under-filled launching significantly improves transmission properties, offering potential improvements in POF applications. 

We proposed a Client Server Based Plastic Fiber Optic Network for an Elderly Support system in a smart home environment. The network will incorporate multimodal dialogue systems (MDS) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems. Existing AI models like GPT and Vicuna will be used and further trained to support the elderly in a smart home. The MDS systems, Whisper and Lavis, will act as intermediaries between the POF network of sensors and the AI systems. The systems will convert video and audio files into information that the AI systems can process and respond to. The POF network, consisting of sensors and a client-server architecture, will serve as the system's backbone. Its primary purpose is to gather data for the AI system and act based on its output. This research aims to enhance the safety, well-being, and independence of the elderly by leveraging advanced network technologies. 

Polymer optical fibers (POFs) are playing an important role in industrial applications nowadays due to their ease of handling and resilience to bending and environmental effects. A POF can tolerate a bending radius of less than 20 mm, it can work in environments with temperatures ranging from −55 °C to +105 °C, and its lifetime is around 20 years. In this paper, we propose a novel, rigorous, and efficient computational model to estimate the most important parameters that determine the characteristics of light propagation through a step-index polymer optical fiber (SI-POF). The model uses attenuation, diffusion, and mode group delay as functions of the propagation angle to characterize the optical power transmission in the SI-POF. Taking into consideration the mode group delay allows us to generalize the computational model to be applicable to POFs with different index profiles. In particular, we use experimental measurements of spatial distributions and frequency responses to derive accurate parameters for our SI-POF simulation model. The experimental data were measured at different fiber lengths according to the cut-back method. This method consists of taking several measurements such as frequency responses, angular intensity distributions, and optical power measurements over a long length of fiber (>100 m), then cutting back the fiber while maintaining the same launching conditions and repeating the measurements on the shorter lengths of fiber. The model derivation uses an objective function to minimize the differences between the experimental measurements and the simulated results. The use of the matrix exponential method (MEM) to implement the SI-POF model results in a computationally efficient model that is suitable for POF-based system-level studies. The efficiency gain is due to the independence of the calculation time with respect to the fiber length, in contrast to the classic analytical solutions of the time-dependent power flow equation. The robustness of the proposed model is validated by calculating the goodness-of-fit of the model predictions relative to experimental data. 

The application areas for plastic optical fibers such as in-building or aircraft networks usually have tight power budgets and require multiple passive components. In addition, advanced modulation formats are being considered for transmission over plastic optical fibers (POFs) to increase spectral efficiency. In this scenario, there is a clear need for a flexible and dynamic system-level simulation framework for POFs that includes models of light propagation in POFs and the components that are needed to evaluate the entire system performance. Until recently, commercial simulation software either was designed specifically for single-mode glass fibers or modeled individual guided modes in multimode fibers with considerable detail, which is not adequate for large-core POFs where there are millions of propagation modes, strong mode coupling and high variability. These are some of the many challenges involved in the modeling and simulation of POF-based systems. Here, we describe how we are addressing these challenges with models based on an intensity-vs-angle representation of the multimode signal rather than one that attempts to model all the modes in the fiber. Furthermore, we present model approaches for the individual components that comprise the POF-based system and how the models have been incorporated into system-level simulations, including the commercial software packages SimulinkTM and ModeSYSTM.