Hardened active optical cables from Cosemi offer EMI-RFI resistance

Cosemi Technologies Inc., Irvine, Calif., today announced the launch of its LS series — a new line of robust, premium, hardened active optical cables (AOCs). The new family features a proprietary, shielded cable hybridized with a metal shell-enclosed opto-electronics engine. The LS series is an industry first and provides the same quality and performance that Cosemi is known for, but with higher levels of Electrical Magnetic Interference (EMI) and Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) resistance.

Best suited for medical, industrial automation and machine vision applications, the LS series provides shielded, flexible connectivity with increased interference protection. The new family of AOCs will initially feature a DisplayPort 1.4 cable with HDMI 2.0/2.1 and USB 3.1 cables to follow.

EMI and RFI may cause cable assemblies to experience loss of data, degraded signal quality or even completely disrupt electronic equipment and other nearby components. In locations where high-voltage or high-current equipment is used, such as medical facilities and laboratories, the risk of EMI/RFI interference is especially heightened. Currently, these sensitive environments rely on fiber optic extenders as interconnects, with an adapter directly connected to the video source and monitor. A power cable is then attached at each end to provide power for the signal extenders, linked together by a telecom fiber cable. This fiber cable is not affected by EMI/RFI signals, however – each component of this interconnect represents a point of failure.

True plug-and-play cables, Cosemi’s LS series eliminates the need for separate power cables and reduces the number of potential failure points. The all-inclusive nature of these premium cables makes them a less expensive alternative to other solutions, as they do not require the purchase of additional boxes, switches, extenders, and cables.

According to Adrian Collins, director of product marketing for Cosemi, “Our LS series offers a patented, opto electronic platform alongside a thin and flexible shielded hybrid cable. The metal shell enclosure makes them an ideal choice for medical applications requiring EMI/RFI resistance in 4K/8K high resolution imaging. The LS series offers the convenience of being a true ‘plug-and-play,’ 4K/8K video interconnect solution that does not require external power.”

Though initially built to address the interconnect needs of medical applications, Cosemi’s LS series has an unlimited potential to be deployed in other sensitive environments, such as factories using industrial automation. The hardened nature of these cables enables them to reliably and safely withstand the harsh conditions that exist in manufacturing environments.

The first cable in Cosemi’s LS series is a DisplayPort 1.4 AOC, which is now available. Future cables in the family will include HDMI and USB AOCs.

Cosemi Technologies
www.cosemi.com