Hitachi High-Tech Concludes Distributor Agreement with KD to Expand Deployment of Glass Optical Fiber-Compatible Optical Transceivers for Automotive Ethernet in Japan
Hitachi High-Tech Corporation (“Hitachi High-Tech”) has entered into a distributor agreement (“this Agreement”) with Knowledge Development for Plastic Optical Fiber S.L. (“KD”), a Spain-based company specializing in optical communication technologies for automotive applications (headquartered in Madrid, Kingdom of Spain).
Under this Agreement, Hitachi High-Tech will begin providing KD’s optical transceivers*1 for automotive Ethernet*2 (“the Products”) to customers in Japan.
The Products comply with IEEE 802.3cz, a standard that ensures the quality and reliability required for in-vehicle communication environments, and support Glass Optical Fiber (GOF). This enables high-speed and highly reliable in-vehicle communication, even as data traffic continues to increase with the advancement of automated driving and Software Defined Vehicles (SDVs)*3.
KD is recognized as a leading technology developer in the field of automotive optical communications. In recent years, the company has focused on the development of GOF-based optical transceiver products to achieve higher bandwidth and greater reliability for automotive Ethernet. KD’s optical transceivers feature multi-Gbps*4 high-speed communication performance, excellent resistance to electromagnetic interference (EMI), and high reliability, and they have been highly evaluated for application as core in-vehicle network devices in next-generation vehicles. In addition, the technology is expected to contribute to the acceleration and increased capacity of network infrastructures across a wide range of mobility fields, including robotics and railways.
Through this Agreement, Hitachi High-Tech aims to provide cutting-edge technologies across the mobility sector, including automotive applications, and to contribute to the realization of a safe, secure, and sustainable society.
Hitachi, Ltd.’s Connective Industries (“CI”) sector, to which Hitachi High-Tech belongs, is working to provide “HMAX Industry” which combines data from an abundant install base of products (Digitalized Assets), domain knowledge, and advanced AI. Hitachi High-Tech as part of the CI Sector, aims to expand “HMAX Industry,” a next-generation solutions for industrial field that embodies Lumada 3.0, together with solutions including the Products.
*1 Optical transceiver: A device that converts electrical signals into optical signals and vice versa, playing a critical role in modern high-speed communication networks by enabling fast and efficient transmission of large volumes of data
*2 Ethernet: A technology optimized to enable high-speed data communication within vehicles
*3 SDV (Software Defined Vehicle): Next-generation vehicles that realize new value, such as advanced driving functions, by continuously updating vehicle functionality through communication with the cloud
*4
Gbps (Gigabits per second): A unit indicating the amount of data that can be transmitted or received per second
About KD
KD is headquartered in Madrid, Kingdom of Spain, and has been developing and providing optical communication technologies and optical transceivers for automotive Ethernet since 2010. In recent years, KD has focused on the development of GOF-based optical transceivers for automotive Ethernet and has been actively promoting the standardization of next-generation in-vehicle network standards within the IEEE. For more information, please visit: https://kd.tech/
Contact Information
Mobility Solution Department,
Value Chain Solutions Division,
Industrial & Social Infrastructure Business Group,
Hitachi High-Tech Corporation
E-mail: mobisol.aj@hitachi-hightech.com