Optical network interface, module and engine

摘要

An optical network interface (ONI) module has two main components: an optoelectronic front-end and a general purpose hardware-programmable optical network interface engine. The ONI engine is hardware programmable, allowing the user to configure the overall ONI module with different optoelectronic front-ends and for use with different host modules. In this way, the ONI module can be configured for different applications and protocols.

主权项

1. A programmable optical network interface for use in a tunable pluggable optical module, the programmable optical network interface comprising:
an optical network interface engine which is programmable for use with different types of optoelectronic front-ends and different types of host modules, the host modules being disposed outside the programmable optical network interface, wherein the optical network interface engine supports a plurality of transport protocols and a plurality of applications, wherein the optical network interface engine includes: a field programmable gate array (FPGA) type circuitry for implementing physical layer functions of the plurality of transport protocols and the plurality of applications, and components for use with the different types of optoelectronic front-ends and the different types of host modules, and wherein the optical network interface engine is to be used for the plurality of the applications; an optoelectronic control interface for interfacing the optical network interface engine to the different types of optoelectronic front-ends, each optoelectronic front-end including an optical transmitter and an optical receiver, the optoelectronic control interface comprising functionality to interface with the different types of optoelectronic front-ends; and a host interface for interfacing the optical network interface engine to the different types of host modules, the host interface comprising functionality to interface with the different types of host modules, wherein the programmable optical network interface is disposed within the tunable pluggable optical module.