PREAMPLIFIER AND OPTICAL RECEIVING APPARATUS USING THE SAME

• US 20080205906A1
• Filed: 12/19/2007
• Published: 08/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Hitachi, Ltd.
• Inventors: Murata, Tomoo
• Granted Patent: US 7,962,047 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/208
• CPC Class Codes: H03F 3/08 controlled by light
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/6931 Automatic gain control of the preamplifier

Abstract

When an optical signal that is a wide dynamic range and different in level depending on burst signals is input as in a GPON system, a preamplifier can stably control the gain within a short preamble. The gain changeover of the preamplifier is controlled by the aid of timing information that is extracted from a data signal as data count number, to change over the gain at a high speed and with high precision. A level detector, a preamble recovery, a counter, and a control circuit are disposed within the preamplifier in addition to a TIA main body. In order to suppress the band deterioration or the phase margin reduction which are attributable to the gain changeover, there is provided a bias terminal for conducting a current injection and a current drawing with respect to the signal amplification transistor of the TIA main body.

Claims

1. A preamplifier, comprising:

an input port that inputs a current signal according to the intensity of an optical signal;

a first amplifier that converts the current signal that is input from the input port into a voltage signal;

a second amplifier that inputs the voltage signal that is output from the first amplifier and amplifies the voltage signal;

an output port that outputs the voltage signal that is output from the second amplifier; and

a counter that counts the number of voltage signals and outputs a counted result,

wherein the gain of the first amplifier is changed over on the basis of the count value that is output from the counter.

2. The preamplifier according to claim 1, further comprising a level detector that detects the level of the voltage signal to output the detected level to the counter,

wherein the counter starts the operation on the basis of the level of the voltage signal which is detected by the level detector.

3. The preamplifier according to claim 2,

wherein the gain of the first amplifier is changed over on the basis of the level that is output by the level detector and the count value that is output by the counter.

4. The preamplifier according to claim 3, further comprising a preamble recovery that inputs the voltage signal and outputs a significant voltage signal to the counter,

wherein the counter counts the number of significant voltage signals.

5. The preamplifier according to claim 4,

wherein the reference level of the operation start of the counter is determined on the basis of a permissible extinction ratio of the voltage signal corresponding to the optical signal and a noise level of a voltage signal corresponding to the optical signal.

6. The preamplifier according to claim 1,

wherein the first amplifier includes a main transistor, a cascode transistor that is connected to an upper stage of the main transistor, and a bias terminal that is disposed at a connection point between the main transistor and the cascode transistor, and

wherein a current injection into the main transistor and a current drawing from the main transistor are controlled through the bias terminal.

7. The preamplifier according to claim 6, further comprising a level detector that detects the level of the voltage signal and outputs the detected level to the counter,

wherein the counter starts the operation on the basis of the level of the voltage signal that is detected by the level detector.

8. The preamplifier according to claim 7,

wherein the gain of the first amplifier is changed over on the basis of the level that is output by the level detector and the count value that is output by the counter.

9. The preamplifier according to claim 8, further comprising a preamble recovery that inputs the voltage signal and outputs a significant voltage signal to the counter,

wherein the counter counts the number of significant voltage signals.

10. The preamplifier according to claim 9,

wherein the reference level of the operation start of the counter is determined on the basis of a permissible extinction ratio of the voltage signal corresponding to the optical signal and a noise level of a voltage signal corresponding to the optical signal.

11. An optical receiving apparatus, comprising:

an optical input port;

an avalanche photodiode having one terminal connected to a reference potential;

a preamplifier having an input port connected to another terminal of the avalanche photodiode, which inputs a current signal corresponding to an optical signal that is input to the avalanche photodiode, subjects the current signal to current/voltage conversion, and outputs a signal that has been converted into the voltage;

a postamplifier having an input port connected to the output port of the preamplifier, which inputs the voltage signal that is output from the preamplifier, subjects the voltage signal to waveform shaping, and outputs the voltage signal that has been subjected to the waveform shaping; and

a waveform shaping voltage signal output port that is externally connected to a signal processing circuit which processes the waveform shaped voltage signal and internally connected to an output port of the postamplifier,

wherein the preamplifier includes;

a current signal input port that inputs the current signal corresponding to the optical signal;

a first amplifier that converts the current signal that is input from the current signal input port into a voltage signal;

a second amplifier that inputs the voltage signal that is output from the first amplifier and amplifies the voltage signal;

a voltage signal output port that outputs the voltage signal that is output from the second amplifier; and

a counter that counts the number of voltage signals and outputs a counted result, and

wherein the gain of the first amplifier is changed over on the basis of the count value that is output from the counter.

12. The optical receiving apparatus according to claim 11, further comprising a level detector that detects the level of the voltage signal and outputs the detected level to the counter,

wherein the counter starts the operation on the basis of the level of the voltage signal that is detected by the level detector.

13. The optical receiving apparatus according to claim 12,

wherein the gain of the first amplifier is changed over on the basis of the level that is output by the level detector and the count value that is output by the counter.

14. The optical receiving apparatus according to claim 13, further comprising a preamble recovery that inputs the voltage signal and outputs a significant voltage signal to the counter,

wherein the counter counts the number of significant voltage signals.

15. The optical receiving apparatus according to claim 14,

wherein the reference level of the operation start of the counter is determined on the basis of a permissible extinction ratio of the voltage signal corresponding to the optical signal and a noise level of a voltage signal corresponding to the optical signal.

16. The optical receiving apparatus according to claim 11,

wherein first amplifier includes a main transistor, a cascode transistor that is connected to an upper stage of the main transistor, and a bias terminal that is disposed at a connection point of the main transistor and the cascode transistor, and

wherein the current injection into the main transistor and the current drawing from the main transistor are controlled through the bias terminal.

17. The optical receiving apparatus according to claim 16, further comprising a level detector that detects the level of the voltage signal and outputs the detected level to the counter,

wherein the counter starts the operation on the basis of the level of the voltage signal that is detected by the level detector.

18. The optical receiving apparatus according to claim 17,

wherein the gain of the first amplifier is changed over on the basis of the level that is output by the level detector and the count value that is output by the counter.

19. The optical receiving apparatus according to claim 18, further comprising a preamble recovery that inputs the voltage signal and outputs a significant voltage signal to the counter,

wherein the counter counts the number of significant voltage signals.

20. The optical receiving apparatus according to claim 19,

wherein the reference level of the operation start of the counter is determined on the basis of a permissible extinction ratio of the voltage signal corresponding to the optical signal and a noise level of a voltage signal corresponding to the optical signal.