Let's say you want to transmit some "non-standard" digital signals over fiber; for example:
Where can I find such a thing? The closest things I've found are some ultra expensive niche I/O-to-fiber converters (like this and this) and ultra half-ass devices (like this and this) which use LEDs instead of lasers and some kind of 2.2mm translucent weedeater string instead of fiber, and are only capable of 50-75m. If these were made with real fiber components and capable of 100x* the distance like they should be, they would be almost exactly what I'm looking for. * (ok maybe I don't need 100x, but 10x would meet all the needs I've had to date)
(Part B) - There are these fiber media converters made for serial (RS232/RS485/422). Do you think this is just simple digital conversion happening inside? Or is there something more? Could something like this be used to transmit non-serial-data signals? I have doubts because I've tried using serial-over-ethernet devices to do this sort of thing and it didn't work.
- old school parallel I/O
- rotary incremental or absolute encoder from a motor
- digital signals from sensors
- RS232 with archaic DSR/DTR and RTS/CTS requirements
- some obscure industrial fieldbus that they don't make a fiber converter for
- PWM signal to a servo
- just whatever the heck your little heart desires
Where can I find such a thing? The closest things I've found are some ultra expensive niche I/O-to-fiber converters (like this and this) and ultra half-ass devices (like this and this) which use LEDs instead of lasers and some kind of 2.2mm translucent weedeater string instead of fiber, and are only capable of 50-75m. If these were made with real fiber components and capable of 100x* the distance like they should be, they would be almost exactly what I'm looking for. * (ok maybe I don't need 100x, but 10x would meet all the needs I've had to date)
(Part B) - There are these fiber media converters made for serial (RS232/RS485/422). Do you think this is just simple digital conversion happening inside? Or is there something more? Could something like this be used to transmit non-serial-data signals? I have doubts because I've tried using serial-over-ethernet devices to do this sort of thing and it didn't work.