Tunable detector
Granted: December 3, 2013
Patent Number:
8599897
This disclosure is generally concerned with optical systems that employ guided-mode grating resonant reflector filters (“GMGRF”) to facilitate wavelength and/or polarization selectivity in the optical system. In one example, an optical system is provided that includes first and second tunable detectors. Each of the tunable detectors includes a GMGRF that is tuned to select a corresponding optical wavelength and/or polarization of an optical data channel, such that the optical…
Self-testing optical transceiver
Granted: November 12, 2013
Patent Number:
8583395
Systems and methods for an optical transceiver module to perform one or more diagnostic self-tests without the assistance of a host computing system. The optical transceiver module includes at least one processor, a persistent memory and a system memory. The persistent memory, which is coupled to the at least one processor, contains microcode. The microcode is loaded from the persistent memory to the system memory and executed by the at least one processor. The executed microcode causes…
Logging mechanism for an intelligent transmitter module
Granted: November 12, 2013
Patent Number:
8582978
An optoelectronic device having an intelligent transmitter module (“ITM”) includes a mechanism for logging operational information regarding the ITM. The optoelectronic device includes a microcontroller and a persistent memory. The microcontroller is configured to identify the operational information, and write log information representing the operational information to the persistent memory. The operational information may include statistical data about operation, or may include…
Inter-transceiver module communication for firmware upgrade
Granted: November 12, 2013
Patent Number:
8582974
An operational optical transceiver configured to update operational firmware using an optical link of the transceiver. The optical transceiver includes at least one processor and a system memory capable of receiving firmware. The optical transceiver receives an optical signal over the optical link containing the update firmware. The optical transceiver then recovers the firmware from the optical signal. Finally, the optical transceiver provides to the system memory the recovered…
Method and apparatus of detecting an opening in an optical transmission fiber of a ROPA system
Granted: November 5, 2013
Patent Number:
8576481
Method and apparatus for detecting an opening in a transmission fiber connecting a discrete gain unit to a pump unit of a Remote Optically Pumped Amplifier (ROPA) system. The method comprises measuring an optical power entering the pump unit from the transmission fiber, the optical power being in a selected wavelength range, and establishing that the optical power lacks an ASE noise power component generated by the gain unit. The lack of this component indicates the presence of a break…
Pluggable optical network unit transceiver
Granted: November 5, 2013
Patent Number:
8573860
In one example embodiment, a pluggable ONU transceiver module comprises a top shell, a bottom shell configured to mate with the top shell to form a cavity, and a PCB disposed within the cavity. A plurality of pins are coupled to the PCB and are configured to be inserted into a protruding socket of a host device through the bottom shell. The protruding socket is mounted on a PCB of the host device. The pluggable ONU transceiver module further comprises one or more guiding features…
Thermal chirp compensation in a chirp managed laser
Granted: September 10, 2013
Patent Number:
8532153
Thermal chirp compensation in a chirp managed laser. In one example embodiment, a laser package including a laser and an optical spectrum reshaper configured to convert frequency modulated optical signals from the laser into an amplitude modulated optical signals is provided. A thermal chirp compensation device is in communication with the laser package and a laser driver. The thermal chirp compensation device includes means for generating bias condition and temperature specific thermal…
Band offset in alingap based light emitters to improve temperature performance
Granted: September 10, 2013
Patent Number:
8530257
Methods for improving the temperature performance of AlInGaP based light emitters. Nitrogen is added to the quantum wells in small quantities. Nitrogen is added in a range of about 0.5 percent to 2 percent. The addition of nitrogen increases the conduction band offset and increases the separation of the indirect conduction band. To keep the emission wavelength in a particular range, the concentration of In in the quantum wells may be decreased or the concentration of Al in the quantum…
Transceivers for testing networks and adapting to device changes
Granted: September 3, 2013
Patent Number:
8526821
Test transceivers are disclosed for testing optical networks. The test transceivers generate one or more errors on a network in a specific, reproducible way, thereby enabling a tester to easily and readily identify whether network devices are operating properly, or prone to failure. A corrective transceiver is also disclosed. The corrective transceiver is configured to continually detect operating parameters of one or more network devices in a network. The corrective transceiver can…
High bandwidth demodulator system and method
Granted: September 3, 2013
Patent Number:
8526830
A method of analyzing an input signal, the method including the steps of: (a) dividing a first input signal into first and second orthogonal signal polarization components; (b) dividing a second input signal into orthogonal first and second orthogonal local polarization components; (c) mixing the first orthogonal signal component with the second orthogonal local polarization component to provide a first mixed signal; (d) mixing the second orthogonal signal component with the first…
Eye safety and interoperability of active cable devices
Granted: September 3, 2013
Patent Number:
8526810
An integrated cable configured to communicate over much of its length using one or more optical fibers includes an electrical connector at least one end. The electrical connector at a first end of the integrated cable and an optoelectronic device coupled to or included in the other end of the integrated cable may utilize a bidirectional status link to transmit status data to each other. If the status data indicates that optical signals transmitted over the optical channels between the…
Intelligent bail
Granted: September 3, 2013
Patent Number:
8525649
An identification device is configured to be coupled externally to an optoelectronic device to provide connectivity and/or identification information in an optical network in which the optoelectronic device is implemented. The identification device may include an integrated circuit with unique identification information and a plurality of contacts coupled to the integrated circuit and configured to be coupled to an outside identification system. The outside identification system…
Optoelectronic transceiver with multiple flag values for a respective operating condition
Granted: August 20, 2013
Patent Number:
8515284
An optoelectronic transceiver includes an optoelectronic transmitter, an optoelectronic receiver, memory, and an interface. The memory is configured to store digital values representative of operating conditions of the optoelectronic transceiver. The interface is configured to receive from a host a request for data associated with a particular memory address, and respond to the host with a specific digital value of the digital values. The specific digital value is associated with the…
Encrypted optoelectronic module
Granted: August 6, 2013
Patent Number:
8504821
Methods and systems for encrypting and decrypting data are described. An exemplary system includes an optical transceiver that includes at least one of an encryption block and a decryption block. The optical transceiver also has at least one encryption and decryption key stored at the transceiver. The encryption block receives unencrypted data and performs encryption operations on the data using the encryption and decryption key. The decryption block receives encrypted data and performs…
Optical bus
Granted: August 6, 2013
Patent Number:
8503842
An optical bus. Optical sub-assemblies are used to connect lengths of optical fiber to form a single optical fiber that is a bus. A master transceiver may be connected to one end of the fiber and nodes can be connected to the optical sub-assemblies. Each optical sub-assembly includes a center fiber with a mirror that enables each connector to reflect optical signals out of the fiber and that enables a node to launch optical signals on the optical bus. The optical bus can also be…
Backdoor diagnostic communication to transceiver module
Granted: July 30, 2013
Patent Number:
8498541
Exemplary embodiments of the invention relate to an optical transceiver module having a diagnostic communications link, wherein the link is configured to access diagnostic and other data contained within the transceiver controller via a backdoor interface. Controller data, including operational parameter values and module setup values, is accessible while the transceiver operates in conjunction with an external host and may be retrieved, and sometimes modified, in real time without…
Asymmetric DBR pairs combined with periodic and modulation doping to maximize conduction and reflectivity, and minimize absorption
Granted: July 9, 2013
Patent Number:
8481350
Methods for fabricating an optical device that exhibits improved conduction and reflectivity, and minimized absorption. Steps include forming a plurality of mirror periods designed to reflect an optical field having peaks and nulls. The formation of a portion of the plurality of minor periods includes forming a first layer having a thickness of less than one-quarter wavelength of the optical field; forming a first compositional ramp on the first layer; and forming a second layer on the…
Transceiver module and integrated circuit with dual eye openers
Granted: July 2, 2013
Patent Number:
8478128
A transceiver module having integrated eye diagram opening functionality for reducing jitter is described. The transceiver module may include a transmitter eye opener and a receiver eye opener integrated in a single circuit. The transceiver module may also include serial control and various other integrated components. Other functionalities that may be integrated on the transceiver module include loopback modes, bypass features, bit error rate testing, and power down modes.
Distributed feedback laser having enhanced etch stop features
Granted: July 2, 2013
Patent Number:
8477817
In one example embodiment, a DFB laser includes a substrate, an active region positioned above the substrate, and a grating layer positioned above the active region. The grating layer includes a portion that serves as a primary etch stop layer. The DFB laser also includes a secondary etch stop layer located either above or below the grating layer, and a spacer layer interposed between the grating layer and the active region.
Variable optical attenuator integration into transmitter optical subassemblies
Granted: June 25, 2013
Patent Number:
8472811
A small-scale VOA system includes a polarization rotator, a voltage multiplier circuit, and at least one transistor. The polarization rotator can be positioned within a TOSA along the emission axis of a corresponding optical signal source in addition to one or more polarizers. A microcontroller provides a first low voltage control signal to a voltage multiplier to generate a large voltage DC signal which is provided to the transistor. The transistor modulates the large voltage signal…
