Linearized optical digital-to-analog modulator

摘要

A system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, comprises an electrically controllable device having M actuating electrodes. The device provides an optical signal that is modulated in response to binary voltages applied to the actuating electrodes. The system also comprises a digital-to-digital converter that provides a mapping of input data words to binary actuation vectors of M bits and supplies the binary actuation vectors as M bits of binary actuation voltages to the M actuating electrodes, where M is larger than the number of bits in each input data word. The digital-to-digital converter is enabled to map each digital input data word to a binary actuation vector by selecting a binary actuation vector from a subset of binary actuation vectors available to represent each of the input data words.

主权项

1. A system for converting digital data into a modulated optical signal, comprising:
(a) an electrically controllable device having M actuating electrodes for actuating said device, the device providing an optical signal that is modulated in response to binary voltages applied to the actuating electrodes; and (b) an electrode actuating device having an electronic input for receiving digital input data words having a plurality of bits, and at least one digital-to-digital converter being enabled to provide a mapping of the input data words to binary actuation vectors of M bits and supplying the binary actuation vectors as M bits of binary actuation voltages to the M actuating electrodes, where M>N, N representing a number of bits in each input data word; wherein the at least one digital-to-digital converter is enabled to map each digital input data word to a binary actuation vector of M bits by selecting a binary actuation vector from a subset of a total 2M possible binary actuation vectors of M bits available to represent each of the received input data words of N bits.