Field-tunable devices for optical communication

摘要

The present disclosure generally pertains to optical communication apparatuses having field-tunable power characteristics. In one exemplary embodiment, an optical communication apparatus has an optical transmitter. The optical transmitter is coupled to logic that receives a user input indicative of a desired transmit mode for the transmitter, and the logic then dynamically tunes the transmitter's output power according to the selected transmit mode. In addition, the optical communication apparatus may have an optical receiver for receiving optical signals. The sensitivity of the receiver is controlled by a bias voltage that is applied to the receiver by the logic. The logic is configured to receive a user input indicative of a desired receive mode and then to tune the receiver's sensitivity via the bias voltage according to the selected receive mode. Accordingly, both the transmitter and receiver of an optical communication apparatus can be tuned in the field to operate in a desired range, and a field technician can therefore utilize the same optical communication apparatus in any of a variety of applications.

主权项

1. An optical communication apparatus, comprising:
an optical transmitter operable in a plurality of transmit modes, wherein each of the transmit modes corresponds to a respective optical data communication standard specifying a respective operating range for a transmit power of the optical transmitter, the optical transmitter configured to receive data and to modulate an optical signal with the data for transmission of the modulated optical signal from the optical communication device; and logic configured to receive at least one user input for selecting one of the transmit modes, the logic configured to provision in response to the at least one user input the optical communication apparatus to operate the optical transmitter in the selected transmit mode such that the transmit power of the optical transmitter is tuned to the operating range of the optical data communication standard corresponding to the selected transmit mode, the logic further configured to drive the optical transmitter with an input current comprising a bias current signal and a modulation current signal, thereby controlling the transmit power, wherein the logic is configured to select a first threshold and a second threshold corresponding to the selected transmit mode, wherein the logic is configured to receive a feedback signal indicative of the transmit power and to compare the feedback signal to the first and second thresholds, and wherein the logic is configured to adjust the bias current signal based on a comparison of the feedback signal to the first threshold and to adjust the modulation current signal based on a comparison of the feedback signal to the second threshold.