OPTOELECTRONIC DEVICES WITH INTELLIGENT TRANSMITTER MODULES

• US 20080292322A1
• Filed: 05/30/2008
• Published: 11/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: II-VI Delaware, Inc. (Coherent Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Finisar Corporation (II-VI Incorporated)
• Inventors: McCallion, Kevin J., Daghighian, Henry Meyer
• Granted Patent: US 8,666,257 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/192
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02 Wavelength-division multiplex systems
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/0243 Printed circuits associated with mounted high frequency components
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 1/181 associated with surface mounted components

Abstract

An optoelectronic device can implement an intelligent transmitter module (“ITM”), rather than a conventional TOSA, for the transmission of optical data signals. The ITM can include an optical transmitter, a CDR and driver IC, and a microcontroller and/or linear amplifier. Space available in the optoelectronic device due to using an ITM rather than a TOSA and PCB-bound CDR, driver, microcontroller, and/or linear amplifier can be used for the inclusion of one or more electronic and/or optical components. Electronic components that can be included in a device with an ITM include: an FPGA, a DSP, a memory chip, a digital diagnostic IC, a video IC, a wireless interface, and an RF interface. Optical components that can be included in a device with an ITM include: a VOA, an SOA, a MUX, a DEMUX, a polarization controller, and an optical power monitoring device.

Claims

1. An optoelectronic device for transmitting optical signals, the device comprising:

an intelligent transmitter module, including;

a clock and data recovery circuit for receiving an electrical data signal;

a driver operably connected to the clock and data recovery circuit and configured to generate a modulation signal from the electrical data signal;

a linear amplifier operably connected to the driver and configured to receive and amplify the modulation signal; and

an optical transmitter operably connected to the linear amplifier, the optical transmitter configured to receive the amplified modulation signal and emit an optical data signal representative of the electrical data signal; and

a printed circuit board configured to carry the electrical data signal to the intelligent transmitter module, the printed circuit board being operably connected to the intelligent transmitter module.

2. The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising a field programmable gate array coupled to the printed circuit board.

3. The optoelectronic device of claim 2, wherein the field programmable gate array is programmed to implement one or more digital signal processing algorithms on the electrical data signal prior to the electrical data signal.

4. The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising a memory chip coupled to the printed circuit board.

5. The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising a digital diagnostic integrated circuit coupled to the printed circuit board and configured to generate monitoring and operating data for the optoelectronic device.

6. The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising a video integrated circuit coupled to the printed circuit board and configured to enable the optoelectronic device to optically transmit video signals.

7. The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising one or both of:

a wireless interface coupled to the printed circuit board and configured to receive a wireless data signal and generate the electrical data signal, the electrical data signal being representative of the wireless data signal;

or

a radio frequency interface coupled to the printed circuit board and configured to receive a radio frequency data signal and generate the electrical data signal, the electrical data signal being representative of the radio frequency data signal.

8. The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising one or both of:

a variable optical attenuator operably connected to the intelligent transmitter module and configured to adjustably reduce the power level of the emitted optical data signal;

or

a semiconductor optical amplifier operably connected to the intelligent transmitter module and configured to increase the power of the emitted optical data signal.

9. The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising:

a plurality of intelligent transmitter modules, and

an optical multiplexer operably connected to the optical output of the plurality of intelligent transmitter modules and configured to multiplex a plurality of optical data signals received from the plurality of intelligent transmitter modules into a multiplexed optical data signal.

10. The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising a polarization controller operably connected to the intelligent transmitter module and configured to control the polarization of the emitted optical data signal.

11. The optoelectronic device of claim 1, further comprising an optical power monitoring device operably connected to the intelligent transmitter module and configured to monitor the power of the emitted optical data signal.

12. An optoelectronic device having one or more optical components and one or more electrical components, the device comprising:

an intelligent transmitter module, including;

a clock and data recovery circuit for receiving, equalizing, and retiming an electrical data signal;

a driver operably connected to the clock and data recovery circuit and configured to generate a modulation signal from the electrical data signal;

a laser operably connected to the driver and configured to emit an optical data signal representative of the electrical data signal; and

one or both of;

a linear amplifier operably connected between the driver and the laser, the linear amplifier configured to receive and amplify the modulation signal; and

a microcontroller configured to control operation of the intelligent transmitter module;

a printed circuit board operably connected to the intelligent transmitter module for carrying the electrical data signal to the intelligent transmitter module; and

a device housing for protecting the printed circuit board and intelligent transmitter module.

13. The optoelectronic device of claim 12, further comprising one or more of:

a field programmable gate array for performing one or more programmable functions in the optoelectronic device;

a digital signal processor for processing the electrical data signal;

a memory chip;

a video integrated circuit;

a wireless interface for receiving a wireless data signal and generating the electrical data signal therefrom;

a radio frequency interface for receiving a radio frequency data signal and generating the electrical data signal therefrom;

a variable optical attenuator operably coupled to the optical output of the intelligent transmitter module for reducing the power level of the emitted optical data signal;

a semiconductor optical amplifier operably coupled to the optical output of the intelligent transmitter module for increasing the power of the emitted optical data signal;

a polarization controller configured to control the polarization of the emitted optical data signal; and

an optical power monitoring device configured to monitor the power of the emitted optical data signal.

14. An optoelectronic device comprising:

an intelligent transmitter module for receiving a first electrical signal and emitting an optical signal representative of the first electrical signal, the intelligent transmitter module including;

a first substrate having bonded thereto a first integrated circuit and a linear amplifier integrated circuit, the first integrated circuit including an equalization and retiming stage and a driver stage; and

a second substrate having manufactured thereon an optical signal source, wherein the optical signal source is operably connected to the linear amplifier integrated circuit;

a receiver optical subassembly for receiving an optical signal and converting the optical signal to a second electrical signal; and

a printed circuit board operably connected to the intelligent transmitter module and the receiver optical subassembly and configured to carry the first electrical signal from a host to the intelligent transmitter module and the second electrical signal from the host to the receiver optical subassembly, wherein the printed circuit board includes thereon a post amplifier for amplifying the inbound electrical signal.

15. The optoelectronic device of claim 14, further comprising one or more of:

a field programmable gate array coupled to the printed circuit board and configured to be programmed by a user or manufacturer of the optoelectronic device;

a memory chip coupled to the printed circuit board for storing one or more of;

microcode, information identifying the optoelectronic device, and operational settings of the optoelectronic device;

a polarization controller coupled to the optical output of the intelligent transmitter module, the polarization controller configured for one or more of;

polarization mode dispersion compensation, polarization scrambling, polarization multiplexing, and a polarization generator;

a photodetector for monitoring the optical power output of the intelligent transmitter module; and

a variable optical attenuator coupled to the optical output of the intelligent transmitter module for adjustably attenuating the emitted optical signal, wherein the variable optical attenuator comprises a mechanical variable optical attenuator or a non-mechanical variable optical attenuator.

16. The optoelectronic device of claim 14, further comprising a digital diagnostic integrated circuit coupled to the printed circuit board, wherein the digital diagnostic integrated circuit facilitates one or more of the following functions for the optoelectronic device:

device setup, device identification, eye safety and general fault detection, temperature compensation, monitoring of parameters relating to the optoelectronic device operating characteristics and environment, tracking the amount of time the optoelectronic device is powered on, and margining.

17. The optoelectronic device of claim 14, further comprising a video integrated circuit coupled to the printed circuit board and configured to process a video signal for transmission as an optical signal by the intelligent transmitter module, or to process a video signal received as an optical signal by the receiver optical subassembly, or any combination thereof, wherein the video integrated circuit comprises one or more of:

a video decoder, a video encoder, a video noise-reduction FIFO, an LCD graphic display controller, a video FIFO, a video amplifier, and a video filter.

18. The optoelectronic device of claim 14, further comprising a wireless interface coupled to the printed circuit board for:

receiving a first wireless signal and generating the first electrical signal, wherein the first electrical signal is representative of the first wireless signal; and

receiving the second electrical signal and emitting a second wireless signal representative of the second electrical signal.

19. The optoelectronic device of claim 14, further comprising a radio frequency interface for:

receiving a first radio frequency signal and generating the first electrical signal, wherein the first electrical signal is representative of the first radio frequency signal; and

receiving the second electrical signal and generating second radio frequency signal representative of the second electrical signal.

20. The optoelectronic device of claim 14, further comprising:

a first semiconductor optical amplifier coupled to the intelligent transmitter module and configured to boost the emitted optical signal; and

a second semiconductor optical amplifier coupled to the receiver optical subassembly and configured to pre-amplify the received optical signal.