KW,
Thanks for taking the time to put that fascinating response together. Coming from an aviation background, years ago, I have been intrigued by the Raytheon Beech division's LonWorks Control by Light bi-directional fiber technology. Presently used in a busjet, their Commercial Electronics division also deploys this system for building automation in a "ring redundant" topology that provides two paths between all nodes on the network. If a device or cable should fail, the subsystem stays up and running. The problem is reported, and the faulty device or cable can be hot-swapped for repair or replacement. The Raytheon brochure which I obtained at the OpenSystems99 show, goes on to say that fiber optic cable is a very efficient transmission medium and can transmit signals up to thirty kilometers without repeaters.
Also with fiber, as opposed to cable there is no chance of electrical fire or spark, either. Finally, it is immune to electrical spikes and interference, moisture and chemicals in harsh environments.
Your comments on a demanding, harsh environment prompted me to look this up, although I found only the commercial buildings/automation brochure, not the aviation one.
You might enjoy control-by-light.com
Bill |
