KD Advances Automotive Optical Connectivity at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 as Industry Interest Grows
2026-09-22 · KD
KD showcased a real implementation of 10GBASE-AU Automotive Optical Ethernet at IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026, held in Hannover from September 15-20. At its booth, the company demonstrated Leopard Imaging's LI-VENUS-ISX031-BASE-AU automotive camera, which integrates KD's KD7251 optical transceiver and a hybrid cable and connector system designed and developed by Corning. The implementation provides a practical example of how optical connectivity can already be integrated into automotive camera systems, bringing multi-gigabit Ethernet over fiber closer to real vehicle applications.
The demonstration was presented at one of the transport industry's largest international gatherings. IAA TRANSPORTATION 2026 brought together 1,589 exhibitors from 46 countries and attracted more than 140,000 visitors, including over 113,000 industry professionals during the weekdays. With commercial vehicles, logistics, digitalization and automated driving among the major themes of the event, the exhibition provided a relevant setting for discussions about the connectivity architectures that will be required as vehicles become increasingly software-defined and data-intensive.
The camera demonstration illustrated why optical fiber is gaining relevance for next-generation vehicle networks. The Leopard Imaging camera replaces a conventional copper interface with an IEEE 802.3cz-compliant 10GBASE-AU optical link, with KD's KD7251 enabling data transmission at up to 10 Gb/s. The solution also demonstrates some of the advantages optical connectivity can bring to demanding automotive applications, including high bandwidth, immunity to electromagnetic interference, reduced cable weight and link distances of up to 40 meters - characteristics particularly relevant for cameras, sensors and other high-data-rate systems used in ADAS and autonomous driving.
Throughout the event, KD representatives Tom Walsh, Luis Medina and Alejandro Pardo welcomed visitors to the booth and discussed the technology with companies from across the automotive ecosystem. Several OEMs, Tier-1 suppliers and developers of autonomous logistics platforms approached the team to learn more about Automotive Optical Ethernet and see the camera system operating live. The conversations reflected growing interest not only in the performance of the optical link itself, but also in how the technology can be integrated into future vehicle and autonomous-platform architectures.
The discussions at IAA TRANSPORTATION also went beyond automotive applications. Visitors showed interest in the potential use of KD's optical connectivity technology in industrial environments, where increasing data volumes, long-distance links and resistance to electromagnetic interference can present similar connectivity challenges. For KD, the event therefore provided an opportunity to show that optical Ethernet is moving from component-level development towards tangible system implementations, while opening conversations about its potential across both automotive and industrial applications.
About KD
KD is a Spanish semiconductor company leading the market for high-speed data transmission through optical fiber in challenging environments. For 15 years, the company has been reinventing the way optical communications are made to make them robust and affordable enough for the automotive, consumer and industrial markets.