OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS APPARATUS AND METHOD COMPATIBLE WITH ELECTRICAL COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS
First Claim
1. An optical communications link, comprising input logic receiving electrical communications signals and providing optical output signals of respective durations corresponding to the respective electrical communication signals, output logic receiving such optical output signals and providing electrical signals corresponding to the durations of the respective optical output signals, and an optical link between the input logic and the output logic.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An optical communications link for an electrical communications system, e.g., an ARINC 429 protocol system, includes a first logic device to convert an input signal of a given level to a first electrical signal of a duration corresponding to such level, a first optical device (transmitter) presenting an optical signal of a duration corresponding to such first electrical signal, a second optical device (receiver) to convert the optical signal to a second electrical signal of a duration representative of the duration of the optical signal, an optical coupling between the optical devices, and a second logic device to convert the second electrical signal to an output electrical signal having a level representative of the duration of the optical signal. A communications system including electrical communications input and output devices, the optical and an optical communications link coupled between those devices. A method of coupling electrical signals includes converting or encoding electrical signals that are provided at multiple levels in an electrical communications system to optical signals that have a duration respectively representative of the corresponding electrical signal level, transmitting the optical signals, and decoding the optical signals. The converting/encoding and the decoding may be accomplished using hardware logic without the need for a processor and associated software.
18 Citations
24 Claims
-
1. An optical communications link, comprising
input logic receiving electrical communications signals and providing optical output signals of respective durations corresponding to the respective electrical communication signals, output logic receiving such optical output signals and providing electrical signals corresponding to the durations of the respective optical output signals, and an optical link between the input logic and the output logic.
-
8. An optical communications link for use in an electrical communications system, comprising
a first logic device operative to convert an input signal of a given level to a first electrical signal of a duration corresponding to such level, a first optical device (transmitter) presenting an optical signal of a duration corresponding to such first electrical signal, a second optical device (receiver) operative to convert the optical signal to a second electrical signal of a duration representative of the duration of the optical signal, an optical coupling between the first and second optical devices, and a second logic device operative to convert the second electrical signal to an output electrical signal having a level that is representative of the duration of the optical signal.
-
14. An ARINC 429 communications system for an aircraft, comprising
an electrical signaling device providing electrical signals based on ARINC 429 protocol, an electrical signal device either proximate or relatively remote from the electrical signaling device and responsive to electrical signals based on ARINC 429 protocol, and an optical communications link between the electrical signaling device and the electrical signal device to communicate between the two using optical signals that have respective durations representative of the level of such electrical signals.
-
19. A method of converting electrical signals that are provided at 3 or more levels in and/or for use in an electrical communications system or other electrical signaling system to optical signals, comprising
converting and/or representing the electrical signals as optical signals that have a duration respectively representative of the corresponding electrical signal level.
-
24. A method of converting electrical signals to optical signals, comprising sensing the level of respective electrical signals, and providing optical signals that have a duration representative of the corresponding electrical signal.
Specification