Laser driver circuit for burst mode transmission and fabrication method thereof

• US 7,324,572 B2
• Filed: 08/24/2004
• Issued: 01/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Asia Optical Company Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Asia Optical Company Incorporated
• Inventors: Chang, Yi-Yang
• Primary Examiner(s): Rodriguez; Armando
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen; Phillip
• Application Number:
  US10/923,847
• Publication Number:
  US 20050152416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,253 Days
• Field of Search: 372/38.02
• US Class Current: 372/38.02
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0427 for applying modulation to the laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/0428 for applying pulses to the laser
• CPC Class Codes: H01S 5/06804 by monitoring an external parameter, e.g. temperature

Abstract

A method for making a laser driver circuit for burst mode is described. The method includes the following steps: First, a continuous mode laser driver circuit is selected, the chip having a temperature compensation output, a bias current setting input, and a reference current setting input. Next, the temperature compensation signal is converted to a reference current setting signal via a first bias adjustment circuit, and the reference current setting signal is input to the reference current setting input. Then, the bias current setting input is connected to ground via a second bias adjustment circuit. The reference current setting signal automatically adjusts the high level and the low level of the eye diagram of the laser according to the environmental temperature, so that the high level and the low level are kept stable to reduce the bit error rate in transmission.

Claims

1. A method for utilizing a continuous mode laser driver circuit for a burst mode application, the method comprising:

selecting a continuous mode chip having a temperature compensation signal output, a bias current setting input, and a reference current setting input, the chip used to drive a laser diode to generate a laser light;

converting the temperature compensation signal from the temperature compensation signal output into a reference current setting signal through a first bias adjustment circuit, wherein the reference current setting signal is input to a reference current setting input; and

connecting the bias current setting input to ground through a second bias adjustment circuit;

wherein the reference current setting signal automatically adjusts the high level and the low level of the eye diagram of the laser light in response to the environmental temperature, so that the high level and the low level are kept substantially stable to reduce the bit error rate in transmission.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the temperature compensation signal has an inverse relationship with temperature.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the requirements of selecting the continuous laser driver chip comprise:

the laser driver chip is workable in an open loop; and

the lowest workable frequency of the laser driver chip in continuous mode has to be higher than 2.5 GHz even if the chip is working under 1.5 GHz in the burst mode.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

repeatedly changing the first bias adjustment circuit and the second bias adjustment circuit until the high level and the low level are kept substantially stable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first bias adjustment circuit is a resistor or a conducting wire, the method further comprising:

when the voltage range of the temperature compensation signal is in the acceptable voltage range of the reference current setting input, directly connecting the temperature compensation signal output to the reference current setting input by the first bias adjustment circuit, which is a conducting wire; and

when the voltage range of the temperature compensation signal is out of the acceptable voltage range of the reference current setting input, repeatedly selecting a suitable resistor for connecting the temperature compensation output to the reference current setting input until the high level and the low level of the eye diagram of the laser power of the laser diode substantially reach stability.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting the laser power to the range of −

1.5 to 3.5 dBm when the temperature is in the range of 0 to 70 degrees Celsius.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

adjusting the average laser power;

wherein when the temperature is in the range of 0 to 70 degrees Celsius, the laser power must be limited to the range between −

1.5 to 3.5 dBm;

and wherein the resistor values of the first bias adjustment circuit and the second bias adjustment circuit are adjusted at room temperature, so that the average laser power at room temperature is 0 dBm; and

adjusting the average laser power when the laser driver circuit is turned off;

wherein when the laser driver circuit is turned off and the laser power of no more than −

43 dBm is required, an average variation of 3 dBm in the laser power is possibly achieved with the variation of temperature to prevent the laser power from being out of the limited range due to the variation of temperature, the resistor values of the first bias adjustment circuit and the second bias circuit are adjusted at room temperature so that the laser power is lower than −

46 dBm.

8. A laser transmitting apparatus for a burst mode application, the laser transmitting apparatus comprising:

a first bias adjustment circuit for receiving a temperature compensation signal to generate a modulation current setting signal;

a second bias adjustment circuit for receiving the temperature compensation signal to generate a bias current setting signal; and

a laser driver circuit connected to the first bias adjustment circuit and the second bias adjustment circuit, the laser driver circuit for providing a driving current to a laser diode to generate a laser light, the laser driver circuit generating the temperature compensation signal in response to the environmental temperature, the laser driver circuit receiving the modulation current setting signal to set a modulation current, the laser driver circuit receiving the bias current setting signal to set a bias current;

wherein the relationship between the temperature compensation signal and the temperature is directly proportional, and the laser driver circuit substantially stably maintains the high level and the low level of the eye diagram of the laser power according to the bias current and the modulation current.

9. The laser transmitting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the laser driver circuit is a laser driver chip, the laser driver chip is workable in open loop mode, the laser driver chip has a temperature compensation signal output, the laser driver circuit must have a bias current setting input, the laser driver circuit must have a modulation current setting input, and the workable frequency of the continuous mode laser driver circuit needs to be equal to or higher than 2.5 GHz even if the laser driver circuit is working under the frequency of 1.5 GHz in burst mode.

10. The laser transmitting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the first bias adjustment circuit is a resistor or a conducting wire.

11. The laser transmitting apparatus of claim 8, wherein the second bias adjustment circuit is a resistor or a conducting wire.

12. The laser transmitting apparatus of claim 8, wherein when the temperature is in the range of 0 to 70 degrees Celsius, the cross points of the eye diagram are maintained at a predetermined level.

13. A laser transmitting apparatus for continuous mode applications, the laser transmitting apparatus comprising:

a laser driver circuit for providing a driving current to a laser diode to generate a laser light, the laser driver circuit receiving a modulation current setting signal to set a modulation current, the laser driver circuit receiving a bias current setting signal to set a bias current; and

a temperature sensitive circuit connected to the laser driver circuit, the temperature sensitive circuit generating the modulation current setting signal and the bias current setting signal, both of which have directly proportional relationships with the temperature;

wherein the laser driver circuit substantially stably maintains the high level and the low level of the eye diagram of the laser diode according to the bias current and the modulation current.

14. The laser transmitting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the laser driver circuit is a laser driver chip, the laser driver chip is workable in open loop mode, the laser driver chip has a temperature compensation signal output, the laser driver circuit must have a bias current setting input, the laser driver circuit must have a modulation current setting input, and the workable frequency of the continuous mode laser driver circuit needs to be equal to or higher than 2.5 GHz even if the laser driver circuit is working under the frequency of 1.5 GHz in burst mode.

15. The laser transmitting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the modulation current setting signal is a current and the value of the current is proportional to the environmental temperature.

16. The laser transmitting apparatus of claim 13, wherein the bias current setting signal is a current and the value of the current is proportional to the environmental temperature.

17. A laser transmitting apparatus for burst mode applications, the laser transmitting apparatus comprising:

a first bias adjustment circuit for receiving a temperature compensation signal to generate a reference current setting signal;

a second bias adjustment circuit for generating a bias current setting signal;

a laser driver circuit connected to the first bias adjustment circuit and the second bias adjustment circuit, wherein the laser driver is used to provide a driving current to a laser diode to generate a laser light, the laser driver circuit generates the temperature compensation signal according to environmental temperature, the laser driver circuit receives the reference current setting signal to set a reference current, and the laser driver circuit receives the bias current setting signal to set a bias current;

wherein the relationship between the temperature compensation signal and the temperature is inversely proportional, the laser driver circuit stably maintains the high level and the low level of the eye diagram of the laser diode in response to the bias current and the reference current.

18. The laser transmitting apparatus of claim 17, wherein the laser driver circuit is a laser driver chip, the laser driver chip is workable in open loop mode, the laser driver chip has a temperature compensation signal output, the laser driver circuit must have a bias current setting input, the laser driver circuit must have a reference current setting input, and the workable frequency of the laser driver circuit needs to be equal to or higher than 2.5 GHz even if the laser driver circuit is working under the frequency of 1.5 GHz in burst mode.

19. The laser transmitting apparatus of claim 17, wherein the first bias adjustment circuit is a resistor or a conducting wire.

20. The laser transmitting apparatus of claim 17, wherein the second bias adjustment circuit is a resistor or a conducting wire.