Optical fiber communication onboard aircraft

Recent advances in optical fiber transmission and their potential use in some specific areas are reported. These advances include: different types of low pass optical fibers, single mode cladded glass fibers, multimode cladded glass fibers, multimode cladded liquid core cladded fibers and SELFOC glass fibers. Important components of an optical fiber link, mostly light emitters, are examined along with tradeoffs and possible combinations of components for specific system applications. Advantages of optical fiber transmission are discussed with emphasis on features related specifically to communication link problems with an aircraft.