At KDPOF, company dedicated to the R&D and commercialization of high-speed optical communications chips, we are looking for a Graduate Test Engineer. We welcome a self-driven, and motivated Graduate Engineer to join our group to help the team test and develop the next generation of transceivers for optical communications in the automotive sector.
KDPOF (leading supplier for high-speed connectivity over fiber optics in harsh environments) proudly announced their strategic partnership with Hinge Technology (China-based leader in advanced vehicle electronics architecture) to solve key technical issues in the industrial application of optical communications in vehicles.
For the development and mass production of in-vehicle electrical and electronic architecture of optical fiber communications, Hinge Technology utilizes ICs from KDPOF to design integrated optical modules combined with automotive-grade connectors and optical fiber harnesses to design the electrical electronic architecture (EEA).
Yang Jun is CTO of Hinge Technology
“The widespread application of optical communications in automotive production faces challenges, including harsh environmental conditions and tough requirements for low cost and high reliability,” stated Yang Jun, CTO of Hinge Technology. “Our collaboration with the leading upstream supplier, KDPOF, accelerates the industrialization of vehicle communications system products based on 1 to 50 Gbps optical communications.”
Carlos Pardo is CEO and Co-founder of KDPOF
Carlos Pardo, CEO and Co-founder of KDPOF added: “We’re proud that Hinge Technology has chosen our transceiver ICs for optical gigabit connectivity in harsh environments. At the recent Automotive Ethernet Summit in Shanghai, China, we showed our first joint project: a plastic optical fiber camera by Hinge Technology based on our well-proven KD1053 IC and integrated KD9351 FOT (fiber optic transceiver).”
Joint demo of high-speed camera at Automotive Ethernet Summit in Shanghai, China
Using KDPOF components, Hinge Technology has developed an optical fiber camera. It can be paired with an optical fiber surround view host, resulting in a high-speed optical communications 360-degree surround view system or a reverse image system. The camera utilizes a 2MP high-quality image sensor for data collection, which is processed and transmitted via plastic optical fiber to the controller for image display or processing. Optical fiber cameras can achieve a stable transmission distance of up to 40 meters and deliver high-definition, real-time images. By comparison, LVDS coaxial cameras have no relay transmission capability and are limited to 15 meters.
The KDPOF EVB9351AUT evaluation board provides an extensive platform for testing the KDPOF KD9351 and KD1053 transceivers, designed for the 1000BASE-RHC PHY implementation in automotive optical networks. The KD9351 IC, with dimensions of 7 mm x 8 mm in an LGA-36 package, handles the PMD sublayer of the physical layer. The KD1053, sized at 7 mm x 7 mm in a QFN-56 package, manages both the PCS and PMA sublayers as specified by IEEE Std 802.3bvTM-2017. This setup supports data transfer rates of 1,000 and 100 Mbps.
Additionally, the board features an SFP slot, enabling it to serve as a media converter between the optical 1000BASE-RHC port and various SFP modules. These can include 1000/100BASE-T, 100BASE-FX, 1000BASE-S/LX, direct-attach passive twinax cable, and passive serial loopback configurations.
KDPOF team visiting Hinge Technology facilities to work on collaborative projects
In addition to developing optical EEA for vehicle communications, KDPOF and Hinge Technology will extend their partnership to the application of optical communications technology in battery management systems (BMS) for electric vehicles. The companies are collaborating on the development and manufacturing of optical modules and system-on-chips (SoC). They plan to introduce optical-electronic integrated chip packaging technology in regions of China with well-developed automotive industry clusters, establishing FAB facilities capable of packaging chips with bandwidths ranging from 1 to 10 gigabits.
Utilizing Chiplet technology solutions, they are jointly researching and developing advanced chip-on-panel (COP) packaging technology for low-cost, high-reliability optical processors, optical modules, and complementary optical components tailored for automotive optical communications. This initiative aims to ensure production capacity for various automotive optical communications products. Together they plan to develop and manufacture higher-bandwidth optical communications semiconductors in the future, driving continuous upgrades of EEA architecture for the global automotive industry.
Furthermore, Hinge Technology conducts relevant functional verification on mass-produced vehicle models, including assessing packet loss rates, signal transmission losses, optical module heat dissipation, optical module and optical connector optical path coupling solutions, and optical connection reliability in various road environments. Based on the results of real vehicle verification, Hinge Technology develops corresponding solutions and provides feedback on technical issues related to optical chips to KDPOF for resolution.
More information is available in the white paper from Hinge Technology.
Hinge Electronic Technology Co., Ltd., was established in 2014 in Shanghai, China with a vision to driving continuous upgrades of EEA architecture for the global automotive industry. Since its creation, Hinge has pioneered the development of advanced automotive systems and products such as the self-adapting AUTOSAR system, in-vehicle TSN (time-sensitive networking) Ethernet, and optical Ethernet, essential technologies in crafting the electronic backbone for the smart vehicles of tomorrow. Powered by its R&D capability, Hinge has forged strategic partnerships with prominent entities (both upstream and downstream) across the automotive sector around the globe. Hinge has built a manufacturing and testing hub in Zhuji city, a facility encompassing 40 hectares with mass production capacity and delivery capability for OEMs.
English press release PDF
Chinese press release PDF
German press release PDF
Our CTO Rubén Pérez-Aranda Alonso will give the presentation “An optical nervous system to Interconnect Sensors and artificial brains in AV” at AutoSens USA Conference in Detroit, USA, on Wednesday, May 22, 2024 at 11:15 am in room 142C: “I am very excited to speak this year at AutoSens USA, and I appreciate this great opportunity to present the technology development that is happening around automotive optical links.”
In addition, we’ll show our latest demo setup at stand 258 in the exhibition area from May 21 to 23.
For an event preview, please also read the article “Journey through the Agenda: What’s Next for Automotive E/E Architectures?” by AutoSens News.
We’re excited to be part of the 5th Automotive Ethernet Summit in Shanghai, China! Óscar Ciordia, Sales and Marketing Director, will give the presentation “Advance 10-Gigabit Ethernet Connection Solution Enables the Development of Autonomous Driving”. From April 11 to 12, 2024, this top automotive Ethernet technology summit in the Asia-Pacific region, gathers dozens of OEMs in its fifth year.
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At the OFC – Optical Fiber Communication – Conference, we will exhibit our brand-new multi-gigabit connectivity demo at stand 4848 from March 26 to 28 in San Diego, California, USA, and online. Our setup will show the first implementation in silicon of the IEEE 802.3cz standard. It will operate in multimode multi-gigabit with 2 plates of multimode fiber at 10GBASE-AU.
“As of today, the IEEE 802.3cz standard technology provides the only existing solution for 25 Gb/s and 50 Gb/s single lane connections with 4 inline connectors and a maximum length of 40 meters in the car over OM3 multimode fiber,” explained Luisma Torres Torres, Principal System Architect at KDPOF and active member at IEEE Standards Association.
At the recent ECOC Exhibition from October 2 to 4, 2023, in Glasgow, Scotland, we were grateful to show you our exclusive and brand-new multi-gigabit demo “Unveiling the Future of Automotive Optical Networks” with a traffic generator from AUKUA Systems. Thank you very much for the great interest in our presenting the first automotive optical multi-gigabit demo. The event was once again the key meeting place for everyone in the fiber optic communication technology industry. With over 330 companies showcasing the latest products and services, the exhibition was the meeting place for their colleagues, customers and partners and the chance to hear about the latest developments in their industry.
980nm wavelength VCSELs for higher robustness and lifetime // TRUMPF and KDPOF working together to implement new standard in optical data communication within automotive // The target is to bring to the market an integrated transceiver for multi-gigabit optical communications in automotive systems
TRUMPF Photonic Components, a global leader in high-speed VCSEL and photodiode solutions for data communication, and KDPOF, an expert in high-speed optical networking solutions based in Spain, will showcase the first 980nm multi-gigabit automotive interconnect system at the European Conference for Optical Communication (ECOC), to be held in Glasgow on October 1st-5th.
At the 2023 IEEE SA Ethernet & IP @ Automotive Technology Day (E&IP@ATD) in September in São Paulo, Brazil, KDPOF presented “nGBASE-AU: New Multi-gigabit Glass Optical Fiber Automotive Ethernet Standard”. We’re grateful for the great interest in our exclusive and brand-new multi-gigabit demo “Unveiling the Future of Automotive Optical Networks” with a traffic generator from AUKUA Systems. In their conference presentation “nGBASE-AU: A New Multi-Gigabit Glass Optical Fiber Automotive Ethernet Standard. PoC for Camera Interconnection“, César Esteban and Luis Manuel Torres described and justified the approval and adoption of the new IEEE 802.3cz standard for multi-gigabit communications over glass optical fiber.
From October 16 to 19, 2023, Würth Elektronik will organize their “Digital WE Days 2023“. It’s a virtual event with a comprehensive conference program with practice-oriented presentations for you to enjoy. All presentations are live and totally free. On October 17 at 13:30 CEST, Óscar Ciordia will present “Optical multi-gigabit links for automotive“.
Modern automobiles integrate numerous functionalities that require high-speed links for their proper functioning, for example, cameras, radars, displays, sensors, etc. Current solutions based on copper cables do not successfully satisfy automotive requirements at a reasonable cost. However, with the incorporation of fiber optics, KDPOF makes possible optical multi-gigabit links for harsh environments at a low cost. The technology makes these links much more efficient while providing greater reliability and low-cost implementation.
Registration is open now. Please register individually for each presentation slot. See the complete program and chose your presentation slot. On the day of the presentation you only have to login with the link from the confirmation e-mail.
In case you’ve missed the presentation, you can watch the replay.
KDPOF will present “nGBASE-AU: New Multi-gigabit Glass Optical Fiber Automotive Ethernet Standard” at 2023 IEEE SA Ethernet & IP @ Automotive Technology Day (E&IP@ATD) from September 19 to 20, 2023 at Novotel São Paulo Jaragua Conventions in São Paulo, Brazil. We’re happy to invite you to our exclusive and brand-new multi-gigabit demo “Unveiling the Future of Automotive Optical Networks” with a traffic generator from AUKUA Systems. The setup will be available at scheduled sessions in a private meeting room. In order to book a free space for the demo presentation, please contact us beforehand or visit us onsite at stand 2.
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