Abstract

Among the various optical interconnection technologies being researched today, optical fiber interconnection is one of the most practical for near-term applications. [1] It is very effective for solving the recent problem of data transfer bottlenecks in advanced switching systems and computers. [2]-[4] The merits of optical transmission, including wide bandwidth, immunity to electromagnetic interference, ground-isolation capability, and small cable size, also favor in such short-distance applications. Since their circuit boards and units usually have parallel I/O interfaces, multi-fiber parallel transmission has the advantages of compatibility to the conventional system designs as well as the capacity for high overall transmission throughputs. This paper discusses the technical issues associated with the optical fiber interconnection links mainly focusing on parallel links and touching upon recent developments in Japan.

© 1993 Optical Society of America