OMC has introduced the H19 fibre optic shield, designed for the Arduino Uno, to facilitate the integration of optical fibre datalinks into microprocessor-based designs. This shield combines a transmitter, receiver, necessary drivers, and digital output, simplifying the receiver circuit by eliminating the need for a pin diode amplifier and Schmitt trigger circuits.
William Heath, OMC’s Commercial Director, highlighted the reliability and security of fibre optic datalinks, emphasizing their noise-free, interference-proof, and electrically isolated nature. The shield is stackable, featuring jumpers for both transmitter and receiver devices. It includes an example program to demonstrate data transmission over the optical fibre link using UART ports. Data can be monitored via the Arduino software’s serial monitor or interfaced with a standard 16×2 LCD shield stacked on top of the fibre shield.
The shield supports various microprocessor baud rates from 300 to 115200, with the optical fibre emitter and receiver capable of operating up to 5Mbd. It works with PMMA cables up to 25 meters in standard configuration, with high-power emitters and glass fibre options for extended range or specific applications. OMC offers customizable transmitter and receiver parts for integration into customers’ designs, including different cable lengths and fibre/jacket types.
This new product showcases the potential of incorporating fibre optic links into digital systems, providing a reliable and straightforward solution for secure data transmission.
