High-reliability active optical cable (AOC) with redundant emitters

摘要

An apparatus includes an array of electro-optical transducers, control circuitry, and a connector housing. The electro-optical transducers are configured to convert between electrical signals and respective optical signals conveyed over respective optical fibers. The control circuitry is configured, in response to a failure of a first electro-optical transducer in the array that is associated with a given optical fiber, to switch one or more of the electrical signals and the optical signals so as to replace the first electro-optical transducer with a second electro-optical transducer in the array in conveying an optical signal over the given optical fiber. The connector housing contains the array of the electro-optical transducers and the control circuitry.

主权项

1. An apparatus, comprising:
an array of at least three electro-optical transducers, which are configured to convert between electrical signals and respective optical signals conveyed over respective optical fibers; and control circuitry, which is configured, in response to a failure of a first electro-optical transducer in the array that is associated with a first optical fiber, to switch one or more of the electrical signals and the optical signals so as to replace the first electro-optical transducer with a second, operative, electro-optical transducer in the array in conveying a first optical signal over the first optical fiber, and to replace the second electro-optical transducer with a third, operative, electro-optical transducer in the array in conveying a second optical signal over a second optical fiber; and a connector housing, which contains the array of the at least three electro-optical transducers and the control circuitry.