Active optical cable with an additional power connector, and electronic device using the same

• US 8,894,297 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2012
• Issued: 11/25/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: VIA Labs Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Original Assignee: VIA Technologies Incorporated (VIA Technologies)
• Inventors: Lee, Sheng-Yuan
• Primary Examiner(s): KIANNI, KAVEH C
• Application Number:
  US13/588,558
• Publication Number:
  US 20130129283A1
• Time in Patent Office: 830 Days
• Field of Search: 385 53- 94
• US Class Current: 385/53
• CPC Class Codes: H01R 13/665 with built-in electronic circuit H01R13/70, H01R13/719 take precedence

Abstract

An active optical cable has a connector containing an electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical (EO/OE) conversion processing chip. The EO/OE conversion processing chip has a TXin+ pin and a TXin− pin to be coupled to a TX+ terminal and a TX− terminal of an USB connector of an apparatus. The pair of pins TXin+ and TXin−, for a differential transmission signal, are provided base on a common mode impedance structure, to charge capacitors carried by the TX+ and TX− terminals and, according to the charging status of the capacitors, it is determined whether the active optical cable is connected to the apparatus.

Claims

1. An active optical cable, comprising:

a first connector, operative to connect to a first apparatus;

a second connector, operative to connect to a second apparatus; and

an optical cable, connected between the first connector and the second connector,

wherein;

the first connector has a first electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip, the first electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip has a first non-inverted transmit input-pin and a first inverted transmit input-pin for coupling to a first non-inverted transmit terminal and a first inverted transmit terminal of the first apparatus, respectively;

a connection between the active optical cable and the first apparatus is recognized by charging a first capacitor carried by the first non-inverted transmit terminal and charging a second capacitor carried by the first inverted transmit terminal in a common mode impedance measurement;

the first electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip further including a first resistor and a second resistor for the common mode impedance measurement;

wherein the first resistor is directly connected between the first non-inverted transmit input-pin and a ground terminal; and

wherein the second resistor is directly connected between the first inverted transmit input-pin and the ground terminal.

2. The active optical cable as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a third connector coupled to the first connector, wherein the third connector is coupled to a power source for supplying power to the first electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip of the first connector.

3. The active optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip uses a power line pin to couple to a power line terminal of the first apparatus and thereby the first apparatus supplies power to the first electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip of the first connector.

4. The active optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first non-inverted transmit terminal and the first inverted transmit terminal of the first apparatus are provided by a universal serial bus connector.

5. The active optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the second connector has a second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip, and the second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip has a second non-inverted transmit input-pin and a second inverted transmit input-pin which are coupled to a second non-inverted transmit terminal and a second inverted transmit terminal of the second apparatus, respectively; and

a connection between the active optical cable and the second apparatus is recognized, independent from optical transmission on the optical cable, by charging a third capacitor carried by the second non-inverted transmit terminal and charging a fourth capacitor carried by the second inverted transmit terminal in a common mode impedance measurement.

6. The active optical cable as claimed in claim 5, wherein a second common mode impedance structure for the common mode impedance measurement charging the third and fourth capacitors provides:

a third resistor, coupling the second non-inverted transmit input-pin to ground; and

a fourth resistor, coupling the second inverted transmit input-pin to the ground.

7. The active optical cable as claimed in claim 5, wherein the second non-inverted transmit terminal and the second inverted transmit terminal of the second apparatus are provided by a universal serial bus port.

8. The active optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second connector has a second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip, and the active optical cable further comprises a third connector coupled to the second connector, and the third connector is coupled to a power source for supplying power to the second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip of the second connector.

9. The active optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein the second connector has a second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip and, the second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip uses a power line pin to couple to a power line terminal of the second apparatus and thereby the second apparatus supplies power to the second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip of the second connector.

10. The active optical cable as claimed in claim 1, wherein:

the first connector is a universal serial bus standard A plug; and

the second connector is a universal serial bus standard A plug, a universal serial bus standard B plug or a universal serial bus micro-B plug.

11. An electronic device, comprising:

a first apparatus; and

an active optical cable for connecting to a second apparatus external to the electronic device, the active optical cable comprising;

a first connector, operative to connect to the first apparatus;

a second connector, operative to connect to the second apparatus; and

an optical cable, connected between the first connector and the second connector,

wherein;

the first connector has a first electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip, the first electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip has a first non-inverted transmit input-pin and a first inverted transmit input-pin for coupling to a first non-inverted transmit terminal and a first inverted transmit terminal of the first apparatus, respectively;

a connection between the active optical cable and the first apparatus is recognized by charging a first capacitor carried by the first non-inverted transmit terminal and charging a second capacitor carried by the first inverted transmit terminal in a common mode impedance measurement;

the first electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip further including a first resistor and a second resistor for the common mode impedance measurement;

wherein the first resistor is directly connected between the first non-inverted transmit input-pin and a ground terminal; and

wherein the second resistor is directly connected between the first inverted transmit input-pin and the ground terminal.

12. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the active optical cable further comprises a third connector coupled to the first connector, wherein the third connector is coupled to a power source for supplying power to the first electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip of the first connector.

13. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the first electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip uses a power line pin to couple to a power line terminal of the first apparatus and thereby the first apparatus supplies power to the first electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip of the first connector.

14. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein:

the second connector has a second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip, and the second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip has a second non-inverted transmit input-pin and a second inverted transmit input-pin which are coupled to a second non-inverted transmit terminal and a second inverted transmit terminal of the second apparatus, respectively; and

a connection between the active optical cable and the second apparatus is recognized, independent from optical transmission on the optical cable, by charging a third capacitor carried by the second non-inverted transmit terminal and charging a fourth capacitor carried by the second inverted transmit terminal in a common mode impedance measurement.

15. The electronic device as claimed in claim 14, wherein a second common mode impedance structure for the common mode impedance measurement charging the third and fourth capacitors provides:

a third resistor, coupling the second non-inverted transmit input-pin to ground; and

a fourth resistor, coupling the second inverted transmit input-pin to the ground.

16. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second connector has a second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip, and the active optical cable further comprises a third connector coupled to the second connector, wherein the third connector is coupled to a power source for supplying power to the second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip of the second connector.

17. The electronic device as claimed in claim 11, wherein the second connector has a second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip, and the second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip uses a power line pin to couple to a power line terminal of the second apparatus and thereby the second apparatus supplies power to the second electrical-to-optical and optical-to-electrical conversion processing chip of the second connector.

18. The electronic device as claimed in claim 12, wherein:

the first connector is a universal serial bus standard A plug; and

the second connector is a universal serial bus standard A plug, a universal serial bus standard B plug or a universal serial bus micro-B plug.