FIRECOMMS UNVEILS THE FIRST S800 MEDIA CONVERTER CAPABLE OF DRIVING VISIBLE RED LIGHT OVER POF

Taipei, Taiwan - November 13, 2007 - Firecomms today at the Quarterly Meeting of the 1394 Trade Association unveiled a reference design for the first integrated media converters capable of driving 1394 S800 signals using visible red light over Plastic Optical Fiber (POF) home networks. Supporting data rates of up to one Gbps, the media converters enable applications such as the transfer of S800 video over 1394.

Fitted with OptoLock™, a plugless interconnect that allows for quick connection of bare POF, the media converters accept IEEE 1394 a/b electrical signals from any standardcompliant 1394 device over a nine-pin bilingual copper port. The signal is converted and repeated optically over POF. The repeated optical signal is received by a POF port integrated in a device, or an identical converter unit which converts the optical signal back to electrical output at its copper port.

Through the use of a 1394b physical layer IC, the copper port is compatible with IEEE 1394-1995, 1394a-2000 and 1394b-2002 standards making the converter ideal for HANA (High-Definition Audio-Video Network Alliance) 1394-enabled home networking solutions.

"Firecomms developed this technology for both S800 and S400 to meet the demands of initiatives, such as HANA, that will enable high-bandwidth applications over fiber," says Firecomms vice president of global sales and marketing, Hugh Hennessy. "This type of technology is key in driving applications like the Triple Play service of voice, video and Internet over a single broadband connection in home networks."

"HANA welcomes the addition of Firecomms’ technology for connectivity of HANA devices over POF in home networking applications," states Jack Chaney, director of Samsung Information Systems America and a co-chairman of the Technical Working Group of HANA. "These reference designs allow us to leverage all the inherent benefits of POF, including simple installation and maintenance."

The media converter reference designs are based on Firecomms' high-speed visible wavelength VCSEL technology. With proven reliability and performance, Firecomms' VCSEL is well suited for high-speed optical links over POF for consumer electronic applications.

Firecomms leads the development of devices to drive POF, a low-cost optical alternative to copper cabling. Due to its ease of use, large core tolerances, and low costs, POF is enjoying a huge growth in a wide range of applications. Created for consumer, industrial, and automotive applications in which plastic fiber can be used more easily and at lower cost than copper or glass fiber, POF is now used in millions of small area networks, such as those in use in many car models, and is rapidly gaining ground in home network and point-to-point interconnection. The POF market is estimated to be worth over $1 billion per year by the end of 2008.

Firecomms offers reference designs for S800 and S400 media converters, which are available through the company’s sales organization (sales@firecomms.com) in Japan, USA and Europe.

About Firecomms Ltd.

Firecomms, a compound semiconductor company, develops high-speed light sources in visible range wavelengths. Firecomms' lasers and LEDs provide the groundwork that will revolutionize optical data communications for small area networks, such as in-car networks and home networks. Firecomms' low power visible lasers unleash the potential for advances in medical devices, barcode scanners, and optical storage devices.

The Ireland-based company leverages its ten years of photonics research experience, optical expertise, and extensive IP portfolio to develop cost-effective solutions for applications in which the use of glass fiber optics is prohibitively expensive. Additional information about Firecomms is available at www.firecomms.com.

OptoLock is a trademark of Firecomms Ltd.

Further Information:

Rene' Williams
Firecomms Ltd.
Tel. 949.360.7770
rene@firecomms.com