S/PDIF, and more specifically optical TOSLINK, uses LED light sent down an optical fiber to encode audio data. The advantage of this over any voltage-level signals (like with regular wires ...
A useful standard that hasn’t really bothered most of us is S/PDIF, standing for Sony/Phillips Digital Interface. It’s a useful way to pump digital audio around over copper cables or optic fiber.
Technical improvements include upgraded clocks and a dedicated ASIC connected to the internal USB chip. The result is a better-quality output signal on both the S/PDIF and AES-EBU interfaces.