Optical Network Interface Module Using a Hardware Programmable Optical Network Interface Engine

• US 20110116792A1
• Filed: 11/12/2010
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: OE Solutions America, Inc (Oe Solutions Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: OE Solutions America, Inc (Oe Solutions Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Poulsen, Henrik N., Blumenthal, Daniel J.
• Granted Patent: US 9,407,426 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/43
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0793 Network aspects, e.g. central monitoring of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/40 Transceivers
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/801 using optical interconnects, e.g. light coupled isolators, circuit board interconnections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 65/1069 Session establishment or de-establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/0075 with photonic or optical means
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/0083 taking measures against momentary loss of synchronisation, e.g. inhibiting the synchronisation, using idle words or using redundant clocks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/027 extracting the synchronising or clock signal from the received signal spectrum, e.g. by using a resonant or bandpass circuit

Abstract

An optical network interface (ONI) module has two main components: an optoelectronic front-end and a general purpose hardware-programmable optical network interface engine. The ONI engine is hardware programmable, allowing the user to configure the overall ONI module with different optoelectronic front-ends and for use with different host modules. In this way, the ONI module can be configured for different applications and protocols.

Claims

1. A hardware programmable optical network interface (ONI) engine for use in an ONI module, the ONI engine comprising:

an optoelectronic control interface for interfacing to an optoelectronic front-end, said optoelectronic control interface supporting at least two different types of optoelectronic front-ends;

a host interface for interfacing to a host module, said host interface supporting at least two different types of host modules, wherein the host modules implement higher layer functions of a transport protocol; and

ONI components connectable between the optoelectronic control interface and the host interface;

wherein the ONI components implement physical layer functions of a transport protocol and are hardware programmable to implement at least two different transport protocols.

2. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 wherein the ONI components include hardware programmable components that can be hardware programmed to implement different functions.

3. The programmable ONI engine of claim 2 wherein the hardware programmable components include FPGA circuitry.

4. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 wherein the ONI components include hardware programmable interconnects that can be hardware programmed to interconnect different components within the ONI engine.

5. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 wherein the optoelectronic control interface and host interface support optoelectronic front-ends and host modules for at least two different applications, and the hardware programmable components are hardware programmable to implement transport protocols for the two different applications.

6. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 wherein the implementable transport protocols include a burst mode transport protocol.

7. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 wherein the implementable transport protocols include both a burst mode transport protocol and a synchronous transport protocol.

8. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 wherein the ONI engine is hardware programmable to implement a transport protocol developed after the ONI engine was manufactured.

9. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 wherein the implementable transport protocols include at least one synchronous transport protocol with a data rate of 10 Gbps or higher.

10. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of current sources with different operating characteristics, wherein the ONI engine is hardware programmable to couple different ones of the current sources to the front-end interface.

11. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of voltage sources with different operating characteristics, wherein the ONI engine is hardware programmable to couple different ones of the voltage sources to the front-end interface.

12. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of current sensors with different operating characteristics, wherein the ONI engine is hardware programmable to couple different ones of the current sensors to the front-end interface.

13. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of voltage sensors with different operating characteristics, wherein the ONI engine is hardware programmable to couple different ones of the voltage sensors to the front-end interface.

14. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 further comprising:

a laser driver module for driving at least two different types of lasers.

15. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 further comprising:

a modulator module for driving at least two different types of modulation for lasers.

16. The programmable ONI engine of claim 1 further comprising:

a burst mode clock and data recovery module for supporting the transmission of bursty data.

17. A method for configuring a hardware programmable optical network interface (ONI) engine for use in an ONI module designed for an application, the method comprising:

specifying an optoelectronic front-end for the application;

specifying a host module for the application; and

hardware programming the ONI engine to interface with the selected optoelectronic front-end and the selected host module.