ADAPTIVE POWER EFFICIENT RECEIVER ARCHITECTURE

• US 20120155864A1
• Filed: 12/17/2010
• Published: 06/21/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Rylyakov, Alexander V., Schow, Clint L., Soyuer, Mehmet, Pepeljugoski, Petar K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,492 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/37
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0799 Monitoring line transmitter or line receiver equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/6931 Automatic gain control of the preamplifier

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing an optical signal are disclosed. The optical signal is converted to a voltage signal and the voltage signal is amplified. In addition, a signal strength and/or a signal quality parameter is monitored and an indication of the signal strength and/or a signal quality parameter is generated. Further, a gain and/or an operating bandwidth on the conversion or the amplification can be adjusted based on the indication to reduce power consumption of an optical receiver.

Claims

1. A method for processing an optical signal comprising:

converting the optical signal to a voltage signal;

amplifying the voltage signal;

monitoring, and generating an indication of, at least one of a signal strength or a signal quality parameter; and

adjusting at least one of a gain or an operating bandwidth on at least one of the converting or the amplifying based on the indication to reduce power consumption of an optical receiver.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth further comprises adjusting a voltage load.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth further comprises adjusting a bias current.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth further comprises bypassing or adding stages of the converting or the amplifying.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the adjusting further comprises adjusting at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth in discrete steps corresponding to activated stages.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the adjusting at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth further comprises adjusting at least one of a voltage load or a bias current on at least one of the stages.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the signal quality parameter is based on at least one of a signal quality, a bit error rate, a packet integrity or an eye opening parameter.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting further comprises adjusting at least one of a gain or an operating bandwidth for a plurality of different channels.

9. A computer readable storage medium comprising a computer readable program, wherein the computer readable program when executed on a computer causes the computer to:

monitor, and generate an indication of, at least one of an optical signal strength or an optical signal quality parameter; and

adjusting at least one of a gain or an operating bandwidth on at least one of a trans-impedance amplifier or a limiting amplifier based on the indication to reduce power consumption of an optical receiver.

10. A receiver system for processing an optical signal comprising:

a conversion module configured to convert the optical signal to a voltage signal;

an amplifier configured to amplify the voltage signal such that the voltage signal is within an operable range of a digital logic component;

a monitor configured to monitor, and generate an indication of, at least one of a signal strength or a signal quality parameter; and

a controller configured to adjust at least one of a gain or an operating bandwidth on at least one of the conversion module or the amplifier based on the indication to reduce power consumption of the receiver system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth by adjusting a voltage load on at least one of the conversion module or the amplifier.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth by adjusting a bias current on at least one of the conversion module or the amplifier.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the conversion module or the amplifier is configured as a plurality of stages and wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth by bypassing or connecting at least a subset of the stages.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth in discrete steps corresponding to activated stages.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth by adjusting at least one of a voltage load or a bias current on at least one of the stages.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the signal quality parameter is based on at least one of a signal quality, a bit error rate, a packet integrity or an eye opening parameter.

17. The system of claim 10, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of a gain or an operating bandwidth on a plurality of components corresponding to different channels in a multi-channel receiver architecture.

18. A receiver device for processing an optical signal comprising:

a photo diode configured to convert the optical signal to a current signal;

a trans-impedance amplifier operatively coupled to the photo diode and configured to convert the current signal to a voltage signal;

a limiting amplifier operatively coupled to the trans-impedance amplifier and configured to amplify the voltage signal such that the voltage signal is within an operable range of a digital logic component;

a monitor configured to monitor, and generate an indication of, at least one of a signal strength or a signal quality parameter; and

a controller configured to adjust at least one of a gain or an operating bandwidth on at least one of the trans-impedance amplifier or the limiting amplifier based on the indication to reduce power consumption of the receiver device.

19. The receiver device of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth by adjusting a voltage load on at least one of the trans-impedance amplifier or the limiting amplifier.

20. The receiver device of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth by adjusting a bias current on at least one of the trans-impedance amplifier or the limiting amplifier.

21. The receiver device of claim 18, wherein at least one of the trans-impedance amplifier or the limiting amplifier is configured as a plurality of stages of amplifiers and wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth by bypassing or connecting at least a subset of the stages via switches.

22. The receiver device of claim 21, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth in discrete steps corresponding to activated stages.

23. The receiver device of claim 22, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of the gain or the operating bandwidth by adjusting a voltage load or a bias current on at least one of the stages.

24. The receiver device of claim 18, wherein the signal quality parameter is based on at least one of a signal quality, a bit error rate, a packet integrity or an eye opening parameter.

25. The receiver device of claim 18, wherein the controller is further configured to adjust at least one of a gain or an operating bandwidth on a plurality of components corresponding to different channels in a multi-channel receiver architecture.