Avago Technologies today announced an RoHS-compliant, Fast Ethernet optical transceiver optimized for the ProfiNet implementation of industrial Ethernet. Avago’s AFBR-5978Z is the industry’s first industrial Fast Ethernet optical transceiver to incorporate digital diagnostic monitoring interface (DMI). The DMI feature permits real-time monitoring of transceiver performance and system stability, even in cross-continent installations, resulting in higher factory network uptime.

Industrial Fast Ethernet represents an upgrade path for Fieldbus networks, with a speed of up to 125 MBd compared to 2 MBd for Interbus, 12 MBd for Profibus, and 12 MBd and 16 MBd for SERCOS. It provides the open-architecture, multi-protocol interface that permits both standard and proprietary Fieldbuses to interoperate. Upgrading to industrial Fast Ethernet allows devices on the factory floor to be assigned IP or MAC addresses, enabling high-speed remote diagnostics and machine sequence changes via Internet access.

“Our industrial Fast Ethernet optical transceiver delivers exactly what customers need today: an upgrade path for Fieldbus networks and lead-free modules with advanced remote diagnostics capability,” said Adam Carter, strategic marketing manager for Avago’s Fiber Optic Products Division. “As the dominant supplier of Ethernet fiber optic transceivers, customers look to us to consistently deliver products in volume with uncompromising quality and the shortest lead times.”

Avago’s AFBR-5978Z is a 650 nm LED-based fiber optic transceiver that allows system designers to implement Fast Ethernet from 500 kbps to 125 Mbps (with auto-negotiation between data rates) over standard bandwidth 0.5 NA (numerical aperture) 1 mm plastic optical fiber (POF). Using 1 mm POF, the transceiver meets typical industrial Fast Ethernet requirements over link distances up to 50 meters. With 200 micron HCS (hard clad silica) fiber, the transceiver module operates over 100 meter link distances.

The AFBR-5978Z transceiver features a –45 C to +85 C operating temperature range and operates from 3.3 V to minimize power consumption. It is housed in an RoHS-compliant (Restriction of Hazardous Substances - EU Directive 2002/95/EC), lead-free SFF (small form factor) 2 x 6 pin package with a duplex SC-RJ connector. In addition to its industrial Fast Ethernet compatibility, the AFBR-5987Z provides high-performance optical communication links across open-standard and proprietary networks for factory automation, medical equipment and data communications.