Atlas Element Optical Toslink Digital Interconnect
Construction of Atlas Fibre Optic cables begins with a high quality light conducting optical fibre (light guide). A thermal barrier protects the delicate fibre from heat warping and a mechanical outer barrier is applied to protect the assembly from damage. The ends are then precision polished in order to reduce harmful reflections. With efficient non deleting light transfer characteristics, the sound quality the Atlas fibre optic provides, in common with all Atlas interconnects, is full, relaxed and transparent.
Fibre Optic cables are an alternative medium over copper cables for transmitting digital data between a local source and destination device. The cable is constructed using a light conducting core surrounded by a material of a lower refractive index than that of the core material all contained within a soft protective anti vibration cover. Light entering this pipe at an allowable acceptance angle will propagate along the length of the waveguide when these conditions are met.
The major difference between consumer optical and the more widespread communications optical products are the type of fibre and the transmission devices used. Toslink optical products use multi mode step index fibre with a modulated wideband LED being the source (this means that many individual frequencies are modulated and propagate down the light pipe). Whereas communications' grade optical fibres are by and large graded Index single mode (one frequency modulated by a laser).
Often consumer grade fibre optics suffer from inefficient high current source LED's as well as optical frequency attenuation due to poor light guide material choice (impurities). Poor acceptance cone values, poorly matched refractive index at the core/cladding interface, poor alignment of fibre to plug and inadequate surface finish at the critical air fibre boundary all add up to poor jitter performance and poor sound.
The Element Optical fibre deals with these issues by using a single strand of Polymethyl Methacrylate (PMMA), sometimes known as acrylic glass clad in a high efficiency Fluropolymer terminated in Atlas die cast metal plug with ABS Toslink connectors. To improve cone angle acceptance values, the light guide entry points are micro polished for optimal performance. The cable is finished in a highly stable soft PVC coating to minimise vibration transmission as well as to provide protection to the inner light guide.
