System and method for converting digital data into an analogue intensity-modulated optical signal

摘要

There is provided a system (10) for converting digital data into an analogue, intensity-modulated optical signal, the system comprising an electrically controllable modulator (14), preferably of the MAch-Zehnder type, having M actuating electrodes (18) for actuating the modulator (14), the modulator providing an optical signal output modulated in response to voltages applied to the M actuating electrodes (18), and an electrode actuator having an electronic input (12) for receiving an input data word (D) of N bits and including a digital-to-digital converter (20), said electrode actuator providing a mapping of the input data word (D) to a binary actuating vector (B) of M bits that are supplied as a digital output to the M actuating electrodes (18), wherein M ‰¥N. The system can carry out digital-to-analogue conversion having a high degree of linearity and a large dynamic range.