Optical audio cable
Saturday, August 7th, 2010-
TOSLINK uses inexpensive 1 mm plastic optical fiber or it can also use higher quality multi strand plastic optical fibers or even quartz glass optical fibers, depending on the required bandwidth and application. TOSLINK or optical audio cables are usually limited to 5 meters in length, with a technical maximum of 10 meters, for some reliable transmission without the use of a signal booster. But it is very common for interfaces on newer consumer electronics such as satellite receivers and PCs with optical outputs, to easily run over 100 ft+ on even low-cost ($0.25/ft) TOSLINK cables.
Mini-TOSLINK jacks are commonly found on Apple computers and portable Mini Disc players. They provide the same capabilities but are in almost exactly the same size and shape as the ubiquitous 3.5 mm stereo mini jack. Optical audio cable or TOSLINK adapters are available to connect a TOSLINK cable to a Mini-TOSLINK jack.
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