Hybrid Cable (Metal wire & plastic optical fiber)
Panasonic Corp. today announced that it has developed single cable and connector solution that enable the transmission of uncompressed full-spec 8K video signals1.
Currently, to transmit video signal via connector-equipped cables from an 8K signal source or other devices to an 8K display, 4K-equivalent images are transmitted using four HDMI cables, and then they are combined to show in 8K resolution by using image processing. Panasonic’s newly-developed connector-equipped cable, which uses plastic optical fiber technology, can achieve the transmission of full-spec 8K video via a single cable, with improved bandwidth and length.
High-speed transmission over optical fiber connector can be achieved when the optical axes are completely aligned. However, when the equipment and the cable’s connection portions are detachable, it is difficult to precisely align optical axes at the connection, leading to poor connectivity and other defects. That has hampered the deployment of optical fiber cables in video transmission cables with detachable connectors.
Working with KAI Photonics Co., Ltd., a venture from Japan’s Keio University, Panasonic developed connector-equipped cables that adopt “plastic optical fiber and its connection technology using ballpoint-pen type interconnect2.” Further, by applying Panasonic’s technology for the multi-level modulation of broadband signals, a transmission bandwidth exceeding 100 Gbps was achieved with a single cable.
Professor Yasuhiro Koike of the Faculty of Science and Technology, Keio University, commented: “I am delighted that Panasonic successfully developed a prototype cable for transmitting 8K images based on ‘plastic optical fiber and its connection technology using ballpoint-pen type interconnect’, which was developed by Keio University. We would like to further cooperate with Panasonic to respond to the variety of needs for audiovisual transmission.”
Anticipating the spread of the corporate use of 8K devices in the B2B market, Panasonic aims to make this innovative connector cable technology an international standard.
Technologies related to this proto model are being exhibited at the Panasonic booth at CES 2016 in Las Vegas.
Notes:
1 The term denotes an image of approx. 33 million pixels (7,680 x 4,320) and 120 frames/sec. A full HD image is composed of approx. 2 million pixels (1,920 x 1,080) and 60 frames/sec. and a 4K image approx. 8 million pixels (3,840 x 2,160) and 60 frames/sec.
2 The ballpoint-pen type interconnect technology for plastic optical fiber connection has been developed jointly by Mitsubishi Pencil Co, Ltd. and Keio University’s Professor Yasuhiro Koike.
Panasonic Corp.
www.panasonic.com/global
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