Cabling provider Leoni Fiber Optics has joined forces with the Irish company Firecomms Ltd. to develop and distribute LED transceivers for plastic optical fiber as an alternative to existing optical components.

Going forward, the fiber optics business unit of Leoni Group and Firecomms will collaborate on market development for Firecomms’ RedLink LED-based optical transceiver, which is offered with an LC connector and a connector interface that is compatible with Avago Technologies’ Versatile Link interface.

“Collaborating with Firecomms offers the possibility to profitably combine the competences of both companies," explains Andreas Weinert, vice president of the Leoni's fiber optics unit.

He adds, "As a result, we can offer our clients coordinated system solutions with optimized interaction of polymer optical fiber (POF) and polymer-cladded fiber (PCF) cables, connectors, assemblies and special solutions in fiber optical technologies.”

For a start, with the RedLink series, the partners will offer DC-1Mb, DC-5Mb, DC-10Mb, and DC-50Mb transceivers with an operating temperature ranging from -40° to 85° C. The companies expect to be able to offer the new RedLink products by mid-2013.

“Our aim is to give interested industrial companies the opportunity to qualify an alternative source of supply in order to enhance the security and flexibility of their supply chain,” concludes Leoni's Weinert.

Related: POF under discussion at OFC/NFOEC