Leoni Fiber Optics recently introduced a line of plastic optical fiber (POF) cables that the company says can be used in a number of industrial, medical, energy and scientific applications. Among the industrial and factory-automation network types in which the POF cables can be used are Profibus, ProfiNet, Industrial Ethernet and SERCOS, Leoni says.
According to Leoni, POF can be used to connect devices separated by distances up to 70 meters, "which is normally sufficient for industrial environments" the company says, adding that distances of up to 150 meters can be achieved using POF and certain active components.