High-speed optical fiber link and a method for communicating optical data signals

摘要

An optical communications system and method at least doubles the data rate of the optical fiber link without requiring a redesign of the backplane ASIC. This is made possible in part through the incorporation of at least one gearbox integrated circuit (IC) is incorporated into the system that is compatible with the current ASIC design. The gearbox IC receives N lanes of electrical data signals from the ASIC, with each electrical data signal having a data rate of X Gbps, and outputs N/2 lanes of electrical data signals, with each electrical data signal having a data rate of 2X Gbps. The high-speed optical transceiver module receives the N/2 electrical data signals output from the gearbox IC and produces N/2 respective optical data signals having a data rate of 2X Gbps for transmission over the optical fiber link.

主权项

1. An optical communications system for use in an optical fiber link, the optical communications system comprising:
an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), the ASIC outputting N electrical data signals having a data rate of X gigabits per second (Gbps) from a first set of output terminals of the ASIC, where N is a positive integer that is equal to or greater than 2 and where X is a positive number that is equal to or greater than 1; a first gearbox integrated circuit (IC), the first gearbox IC inputting the N electrical data signals that are output from the first set of output terminals of the ASIC via a first set of input terminals of the gearbox IC and converting the N electrical data signals into N/2 electrical data signals having a data rate of 2X Gbps, the gearbox IC outputting the N/2 electrical data signals from a first set of output terminals of the first gearbox IC; and an optical transceiver module having a transceiver controller, N/2 laser diodes, N/2 laser diode drivers, N/2 photodiodes, N/2 amplifiers, and an optics system, wherein ends of a plurality of optical fibers of the optical fiber link are coupled to the optical transceiver module, the optical transceiver module receiving the N/2 electrical data signals output from the first set of output terminals of the first gearbox IC and causing the laser diode drivers to modulate the respective laser diodes in accordance with the respective N/2 electrical data signals received in the optical transceiver module to cause N/2 optical data signals having a data rate of 2X Gbps to be produced, and wherein the respective N/2 optical data signals are coupled by the optical communications system into respective ends of respective optical fibers of the plurality of optical fibers.