Optical harness assembly and method

• US 7,362,936 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2006
• Issued: 04/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zephyr Photonics
• Original Assignee: Defense Photonics Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Stark, Jason Blain, Jackson, Bradley Scott, Lenz, Gadi
• Primary Examiner(s): Connelly-Cushwa; Michelle
• Assistant Examiner(s): Peace; Rhonda S.
• Application Number:
  US11/365,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20070206906A1
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 385/89, 385/106, 385100-114
• US Class Current: 385/106
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4201 Packages, e.g. shape, construction, internal or external details
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4281 the printed circuit boards being flexible in general H05K1/147
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4284 of optical modules with disconnectable electrical connectors latching arms for electrical connectors H01R13/627
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4416 Heterogeneous cables
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 6/4472 Manifolds

Abstract

An optical harness assembly and method are provided. The optical harness assembly includes at least one optical harness cable having a termination end; at least one electrical connector having connector pins; and at least one active connector conversion unit coupled between the termination end of the optical harness cable and the electrical connector. A method for retrofitting an optical harness assembly into an existing platform is disclosed. The method includes removing a legacy wiring harness; installing an optical harness assembly having electrical connectors and an active connector conversion unit; and testing the compatibility of connector pins of the electrical connector to the active connector conversion unit. In another embodiment the method includes: identifying electrical signals present on each pin of each electrical connector presentation; programmatically adjusting an interface based on the identified electrical signals present; and mapping the electrical connector signals to digital signals. Alternatively, the method may further include: providing a personality adaptor coupled between the electrical connector pin outs and signal conditioners; configuring the personality adaptor based on the identified electrical signals present on each pin out of each electrical connector presentation; and providing configured electrical connector presentation signals to the interface.

Claims

1. An optical harness assembly, comprising:

at least one optical cable harness having a termination end;

at least one electrical connector having connector pins for transporting electrical signals;

at least one active connector conversion unit coupled between the termination end of the optical cable harness and the electrical connector comprising;

signal conditioning circuitry for serializing signals from the connector pins of the at least one electrical connector; and

at least one field programmable gate array (FPGA) for storing field programmed firmware coupled between the signal conditioning circuitry and the termination end of the at least one optical fiber for converting the electrical/optical signals; and

a means for mapping the connector pins to the I/O ports of the signal conditioning circuitry.

2. The optical harness assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical cable harness comprises at least one optical fiber for transporting optical signals, the at least one optical fiber having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the active connector conversion unit.

3. The optical harness assembly of claim 1, wherein the at least one optical cable harness further comprises at least one conductor for transporting power, the at least one power conductor having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end is coupled to the at least one active connector conversion unit.

4. The optical harness assembly of claim 3, wherein the first end of the at least one power conductor is coupled directly to the electrical connector.

5. The optical harness assembly of claim 1, wherein the means for mapping the connector pins to the I/O ports of the signal conditioning circuitry comprises a personality adaptor coupled between the connector pins of the at least one electrical connector and the active connector conversion unit.

6. The optical harness assembly of claim 1, further comprising at least one set of A/D and D/A converters coupled to the at least one FPGA.

7. The optical harness assembly of claim 6, wherein the signal conditioning circuitry comprises protocol drivers for adapting the electrical signals to levels compatible with the at least one FPGA and the at least one set of A/D and D/A converters.

8. The optical harness assembly of claim 1, wherein the signal conditioning circuitry comprises protocol drivers for adapting the electrical signals to levels compatible with the at least one FPGA.

9. The optical harness assembly of claim 1, further comprising an optical signal distribution device, wherein the second end of the at least one optical fiber is coupled to the optical signal distribution device.

10. The optical harness assembly of claim 9, wherein the optical signal distribution device comprises a star coupler.

11. The optical harness assembly of claim 9, further comprising:

a plurality of optical cable harnesses having termination ends;

a plurality of electrical connectors having connector pins for transporting electrical signals; and

a plurality of active connector conversion units coupled between the respective termination ends of the optical harness cables and the respective electrical connectors, wherein the optical signal distribution device is coupled via a network bus to the plurality of optical harness cables in a multi-point, distributed communication network.

12. A multi-point optical harness, distributed communication network, comprising:

a plurality of optical harness cables, each having at least one optical fiber for carrying optical signals, each optical fiber having a first end and a second end;

a plurality of active connector conversion units, each having a first end and a second end, the first end of each active connector conversion unit being coupled to respective first ends of the optical fibers, wherein each active connector conversion unit comprises a plurality of signal conditioning circuits for serializing signals from the connector pins of a respective electrical connector and a plurality electrical/optical converters coupled between respective signal conditioning circuits and the first end of respective optical fibers for converting the electrical/optical signals;

at least a means for mapping the respective connector pins to the I/O ports of the signal conditioning circuitry;

a plurality of electrical connectors for connecting to terminal equipment, each electrical connector coupled to the respective second ends of the plurality of active connector conversion units; and

an optical signal distribution device connected via a network bus to respective second ends of the optical fibers.

13. The communication network of claim 12, further comprising a plurality of conductors for carrying power, each power conductor having a first end and a second end, wherein the first end of each conductor is coupled to a respective active connector conversion unit.

14. The optical harness assembly of claim 13, wherein the each power conductor is coupled directly to a respective electrical connector.

15. The communication network of claim 12, wherein the at least a means for mapping the respective connector pins to the I/O ports of the signal conditioning circuitry comprise a personality adaptor coupled between the connector pins of each electrical connectors and the respective active connector conversion unit.

16. The communication network of claim 12, wherein each electrical/optical converter comprises at least one field programmable gate array (FPGA) for storing field-programmed firmware.

17. The communication network of claim 16, further comprising at least one set of A/D and D/A converters coupled to the at least one FPGA.

18. The communication network of claim 12, wherein at least one electrical connector is configured and arranged as a spare port for maintenance and diagnostics of the network and terminal equipment.