Bidirectional optical electronic converting connector with integral preamplification
First Claim
1. A bidirectional cable assembly that links a first and a second apparatus which intercommunicate over wide geographical separations on land by respectively transmitting and receiving electrical signals to and from said cable assembly, which cable assembly is subject to being laid out over such wide geographical separations with either end adjacent to such receiving apparatus, and such first and second apparatus having respective electrical connector means for mating with said cable assembly to effect such transmitting and receiving;
- said cable assembly comprising;
a cable having throughout its length two substantially indentical optical fibers for transmitting optical signals along the length of the cable, and having along its length exterior protective elements; and
two substantially identical connectors, one at each end of the cable, and each connector comprising;
a connector housing,a light emitter mounted within the housing,a light detector mounted within the housing,an electrical pin subassembly adapted to mate with such electrical connector means of such apparatuses,means for optically coupling the optical fibers to the emitter and detector in such fashion that the emitter of each connector is optically coupled via one optical fiber to the detector of the other connector, andoperational electrical connections between the emitter and the pin subassembly, and between the detector and the pin subassembly; and
the cable assembly being substantially symmetrical, and fully operational regardless of which connector means are attached to such receiving apparatus.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A pair of connectors that convert electrical signals into optical signals for transmission along an optic fiber, and that also convert optical signals received from an optic fiber into electrical signals, is combined with a two-optic-fiber cable to provide an interconnecting cable assembly that receives electrical signals from a sending apparatus at either end of the cable, and presents electrical signals to a receiving apparatus at the other end of the cable, although the intervening transmission is optical. One optic fiber optically links the electrical-to-optical converter (light emitter) in one connector to the optical-to-electrical converter (light detector) in the second connector, while the other optic fiber optically links the emitter in the second connector to the detector in the first connector; thus the cable assembly is bidirectional and may be laid down and connected in either orientation with equivalent performance. Preamplification and buffering is provided within each connector, for the optical-to-electrical conversion. Simple, easy to use, but very accurate alignment devices for juxtaposing the optical fibers to the sources and detectors permit rapid but reliable replacement of the cable. Such cable assemblies are advantageous in collecting data for seismic geomapping for petroleum, particularly when electrical wires too are in the cable assembly.
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Citations
13 Claims
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1. A bidirectional cable assembly that links a first and a second apparatus which intercommunicate over wide geographical separations on land by respectively transmitting and receiving electrical signals to and from said cable assembly, which cable assembly is subject to being laid out over such wide geographical separations with either end adjacent to such receiving apparatus, and such first and second apparatus having respective electrical connector means for mating with said cable assembly to effect such transmitting and receiving;
- said cable assembly comprising;
a cable having throughout its length two substantially indentical optical fibers for transmitting optical signals along the length of the cable, and having along its length exterior protective elements; and two substantially identical connectors, one at each end of the cable, and each connector comprising; a connector housing, a light emitter mounted within the housing, a light detector mounted within the housing, an electrical pin subassembly adapted to mate with such electrical connector means of such apparatuses, means for optically coupling the optical fibers to the emitter and detector in such fashion that the emitter of each connector is optically coupled via one optical fiber to the detector of the other connector, and operational electrical connections between the emitter and the pin subassembly, and between the detector and the pin subassembly; and the cable assembly being substantially symmetrical, and fully operational regardless of which connector means are attached to such receiving apparatus. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
- said cable assembly comprising;
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5. A connector for terminating, and for receiving optical signals from, a first end of an optical-fiber cable, and for mating with signal-receiving electrical connector means of a receiving apparatus adapted to utilize information content of such optical signals, under field conditions characterized by crosstalk within such receiving apparatus or environmentally imposed electromagnetic interference with electrical signals;
- such cable being juxtaposed at a far second end to an operative emitter of such optical signals, and such emitter being actuated by electrical signals received from signal-sending electrical connector means of a sending apparatus adapted to provide such electrical signals having such information content;
such cable having exterior protection along its length but such exterior protection being removed near the first end of such cable so that within said connector a short length of an optical fiber extends bared from the end of such cable, such optical fiber having an end face at such first end at which such optical signals from such emitter appear;
said connector comprising;a housing; a detector supported within the housing and adapted to receive such optical signals from such end face and to generate further electrical signals in response to such optical signals; active electronic circuitry immediately adjacent to the detector within the housing and intimately interconnected with the detector by an electrical signal path that is entirely enclosed within the housing, for preprocessing such further electrical signals from the detector, said housing being sized to accommodate the circuitry therein; and an electrical pin subassembly fixed to the housing, electrically connected to receive such further electrical signals, that have been preprocessed by the active electronic circuitry, and adapted to mate with such signal-receiving electrical connector means of such receiving apparatus, for coupling such further electrical signals that have been preprocessed to such signal-receiving electrical connector means; and
also to carry electrical power from such signal-receiving electrical connector means of such receiving apparatus to energize the circuitry within the housing;whereby such crosstalk is minimized by the preprocessing of such further signals before entry into such receiving apparatus; and whereby such electromagnetic interference is minimized by the extreme shortness of the electrical signal path traveled by said further electrical signals before said preprocessing, and by the enclosure of the said electrical signal path entirely within the housing. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
- such cable being juxtaposed at a far second end to an operative emitter of such optical signals, and such emitter being actuated by electrical signals received from signal-sending electrical connector means of a sending apparatus adapted to provide such electrical signals having such information content;
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11. A signal-transmission assembly, for receiving electrical signals from a sending apparatus adapted to provide such electrical signals having information content, and for transmitting such signals to a receiving apparatus adapted to utilize such information content, under field conditions characterized by crosstalk within such receiving apparatus, and characterized by environmentally imposed electromagnetic interference with electrical signals, which assembly is subject to being installed between such sending and receiving apparatuses with its ends reversed;
- said assembly comprising;
an optical-fiber cable having two substantially identical optical fibers therein, each of the fibers having exterior protection along its length but the exterior protection being removed near each end so that a short length of that fiber extends bared from that end, and each said optical fiber having at one end a first end-face adapted to receive optical signals and at the other end a second end-face adapted to project such optical signals from within the optical fiber; two substantially identical and interchangeable connectors, one at each end of the optical-fiber cable, each of the two connectors comprising; a housing; an electrical pin subassembly fixed to the housing, electrically connected to receive such electrical signals from such a sending apparatus; and
electrically connected to conduct electrical signals to such a receiving apparatus, and also to carry electrical power from such a receiving apparatus to energize the circuitry within the housing;an optical emitter supported within the housing, and connected to receive such electrical signals from the pin subassembly and to generate optical signals in response thereto, and disposed to direct the optical signals into the first end-face at said one end of one of the two optical fibers; detector supported within the housing and adapted to receive the optical signals from the second end-face at the other end of the other of the two optical fibers, and to generate further electrical signals in response to the optical signals; active electronic circuitry immediately adjacent to the detector within the housing and intimately interconnected with the detector by an electrical signal path that is entirely enclosed within the housing, for preprocessing the further electrical signals from the detector;
said housing being sized to accommodate the circuitry therein;operative electrical connections between the circuitry and the electrical pin subassembly, for coupling the preprocessed further electrical signals from the circuitry to the pin subassembly, and also for carrying electrical power from the pin subassembly to energize the circuitry within the housing; a first alignment guide accurately and stably positioned relative to the emitter; a first positioning ferrule secured to the one end of the one fiber but with the first end-face of the one fiber exposed, and the first ferrule being adapted to mate with and be secured relative to the first alignment guide to effect quick but accurate and stable alignment of the one end-face of the one fiber with the emitter; a second alignment guide accurate and stably positioned relative to the detector; a second positioning ferrule secured to the other end of the other fiber but with the second end-face of the other fiber exposed, and the second ferrule being adapted to mate with and be secured relative to the second alignment guide to effect quick but accurate and stable alignment of the end-face of the other fiber with the detector; and carrier means contained within the housing and supporting the emitter and the first alignment guide in fixed mutual relation, and supporting the detector and the second alignment guide in fixed mutual relation; and wherein the two ends of each optical fiber are disposed relative to the emitters and detectors of the two connectors so as to transmit such optical signals from the detector of one connector to the emitter of the other connector; wherein the assembly is fully functional regardless of which cable end is attached to such sending apparatus and which end is attached to such receiving apparatus; wherein such crosstalk is minimized by the preprocessing of the further signals before entry into such receiving apparatus; and wherein such electromagnetic interference is minimized by the immediate adjacency of the detector relative to the electronics, and by the enclosure of the said electrical signal path entirely within the housing. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13)
- said assembly comprising;
Specification