Entering the 5G era, consumers will be able to experience high-speed Internet services including advanced applications such as tele-commuting, tele-medicine, 4K / 8K Ultra HD TV, virtual reality (VR) and automated driving. Optical communication technology has become the key to high-speed data connectivity.

The RT18X series offers three transmitter/receiver pairs: (1) RT180/RT181 supporting HDMI 2.0/DP 1.3 with a total of 24Gbps bandwidth; (2) RT182/RT183 supporting HDMI 2.1/DP 1.4 with a total of 48Gbps bandwidth; and (3) RT184/RT185 supporting HDMI 2.1/DP 1.4 48Gbps plus an extra 1Gbps channel for full Active Optical Cable (AOC) applications. An advanced CMOS process is utilized at TSMC thus achieving low power consumption and high reliability. Transmitter power consumption is less than 200mW and the receiver can draw power from the in-band signal with consumption less than 300mW. Pad configurations in the product series provides backward compatibility to reduce manufacturers’ O/E module development costs and reduce the time to market. In the future, the RT18X series will also support next-generation industry standards such as USB-C and new higher-speed transmission applications.

The RT18X series has high sensitivity for reception and high trans-impedance gain for matching various currently available photodiode optical receivers. It also has full capability to drive VCSEL laser LEDs supporting multi-lane transmission up to 300 meters @ 12Gbps per lane with total 48Gbps bandwidth. The industry's mainstream connection standards are supported for various types of active optical cable solutions.

Compared to metal wires and cables, optical cables are inherently thin & lightweight, high-speed and free from interference with extremely low signal loss and distortion over long distances. Thin lightweight high-speed cabling is highly desirable for 4K/8K Ultra HD TV video and virtual reality (VR) glasses/helmets in the home. Advanced applications for high speed and strong noise immunity include lossless HD medical imaging and in-vehicle connection systems that must be resistant to engine electrical surge. Rafael Micro CEO Ted Sun said “Optical transmission is highly secure and private (it cannot be tapped into) so RT18X products can be used in special installations such as large offices with cloud-based computing, video security systems, government/military facilities, etc.”

High-frequency RF design has always been a key competitive advantage of Rafael Microelectronics. The RT18X series performance has been verified by standards certification laboratories and it scores high in the compatibility index via confirmed operation with 89 different brands of TVs, set-top boxes, computers and tablets. The RT18X series is already in mass production providing the best active optical cable (AOC) solution for cable manufacturers and vendors.