FIBER OPTIC COUPLER/CONNECTOR DEVICE AND ELECTRONIC/FIBER OPTIC INTERFACE DEVICE

A fiber optic coupler/connector device (400) provides simultaneous bi-directional transmission of optical signals over a single fiber optic link cable (398) and precisely aligns and longitudinally separates transmit and receive lightguide fibers (426, 428) to reduce reflection. A high-packing ratio density is provided by stripping the transmit and receive lightguide fibers (426, 428) and applying recladding (450) having a substantially smaller thickness than the original cladding. A stable, triangular configuration is used, which provides for self-centering and stability. Mode stripping reduces reflections resulting from high order modes of propagation of the optical signal. A fluoropolymer heat shrink tube (452, 454, 482, 510) provides precise mechanical alignment of the light guides and link cables (398), as well as decreasing light divergence at the fiber optic lightguide ends. An electronic/fiber optic interface device (10) provides dual electronic serial data ports so that multiple devices can be interconnected by a single interface device (10). Reinforcement of optical data at several predetermined pulse frequencies provides a means for transmission of state operational information over the fiber optic link (95, 102) to control automatic device switching and resource sharing and to eliminate the need for mechanical switches. The fiber optic link (95, 102) cable is immune to electromagnetic and radio frequency interference, shorts, grounding problems and static discharges. The fiber optic link cable provides data security by providing a fiber monitor indicating a loss of integrity in the link cable. The system provides a low-loss, high bandwidth communications link, which can operate with no external power.