SOPHI-a serial optical HDTV interface for 1.2 Gbit/s

There is a demand for a practicable solution for data distribution, which covers all distances inside a television studio. BTS has developed a prototype serial digital link for 1.2 Gbit/s-named SOPHI (serial optical HDTV interface). The data, according to the parallel digital Eureka interface, is converted into the serial domain, transmitted on a single optical fibre and converted back to the original format. A scrambled NRZ code is used to keep clock recovery reliable. Fabry Perot lasers and PIN-diodes working at 1300 nm together with commercial high speed ECL circuits were chosen for the realisation. Easy handling of optical connectors combined with light single-mode fibre (or graded-index fibre for shorter distances) allows a practicable and precise transmission of HDTV signals in studios or between studio complexes