Severe environments, demanding performance and cost effectiveness characterize current harsh environment system interconnect needs. The increasing use of fiber optics in these applications mandates reliable, safe and efficient fiber optic (FO) interconnect systems. Reliability, safety, bandwidth, and environmental requirements necessitate the transition from copper wire based to fiber optic based systems. Discussed are the technologies, environments, and performance requirements applicable to these applications, along with the trade decisions necessary to implement solutions. This paper addresses harsh environment fiber optic reliability requirements, fiber optic reliability characterization, potential FO interconnect failure modes, and the how to quantify fiber optic reliability. A case study is presented that encompasses the applicable environments for such interconnects, quantifies the inherent reliability of the FO interconnect system in such environments, and provides fiber optic interconnect reliability risk mitigation strategies. FO interconnect failure prediction is also discussed.

Date Published: 5 September 2014
PDF: 9 pages
Proc. SPIE 9202, Photonics Applications for Aviation, Aerospace, Commercial, and Harsh Environments V, 920209 (5 September 2014); doi: 10.1117/12.2061140

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 9202:
Photonics Applications for Aviation, Aerospace, Commercial, and Harsh Environments V
Alex A. Kazemi; Bernard C. Kress; Edgar A. Mendoza, Editor(s)