Fiber Optic LED Sign Communication

Fiber Optics is a communication method using a fiber optic cable that utilizes light instead of electrical impulses to send information from the computer to the LED sign. A signal converter is required on the computer and also at the LED sign to change the signal to light and then back to an electrical pulse. This system is very robust for noise immunity, which means the speed can be very fast over long distances. In simple terms, a movie file can be transferred in under a minute versus 15 to 20 minutes using RS232. The Key difference between Fiber Optic and Ethernet is the distance is better with Fiber Optic.

When should I use it?

• High speed connection is desired for sending Movie files or large picture files to the LED sign quickly.
• Installation cost is not an issue.
• Need access to the sign from several computers or from a company wide network.
• Distance from the LED sign to the Computer or Network switch is less than 2.5 miles.
• When communication reliability is mandatory and installation costs are not a factor

Benefits:

• Long distance capability up to 2.5 miles between stations
• Files load quickly to sign.
• Ethernet networks are common
• Immune to electromagnetic interference

Considerations:

• Recommended method for sending movie, picture or large data files due to its fast speed.
• Can be expensive to run and repair if damaged.