fiber optic medium attachment unit (FOMAU)

As an optical transceiver ( OT), the Fiber Optic Medium Attachment Unit(FOMAU) basically performs the same functions as a wired transceiver for coaxial cable or TP cable, namely transmission, reception, collision detection, generation of a jam signal and SQE(Signal Quality Error) testing.

However, a major difference between the optical and coaxial transceivers is collision detection. Since there is no level increase on the optical fiber when collisions occur, the optical transceiver reports the collisions when it receives data during transmission. Data transmission in optical waveguides is usually unidirectional, which means that separate optical waveguides are available for the transmitting and receiving lines.