OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS NETWORK

摘要

An optical regenerator, for example at a node in an optical communications network, uses a free-running bit-asynchronous local clock source. An incoming packet may be used to gate the clock source. In some implementations, a number of gates are used with different delays on the control input, and the gate giving a correctly regenerated output is selected. In alternative embodiments, a control loop is used to adjust the phase of control signals applied to a gate.