System and method for compact electro-optical interface

An electro-optical interface system comprising:

• a housing having a first opening at a first end, and a second opening at a second end thereof which is coaxial with the first opening;
• an optical fiber extending partially into the housing;
• an electrical circuit supported from the housing and including a plurality of electrical contact pads arranged in a planar grid, and configured to interface to a plurality of remote electrical components;
• an electronics subsystem housed within the housing and in communication with the electrical circuit;
• an optical subsystem including a laser subsystem, housed within the housing and in communication with the electronics subsystem, for receiving electrical signals from the electronics subsystem representative of electrical signals received from the remote electrical components, and using the laser subsystem to convert the received electrical signals into optical signals;
• a graded index (GRIN) rod element independent of the optical fiber and partially housed in the second end of the housing, and having a portion with a first terminal end communicating with the optical fiber and a second terminal end projecting outwardly from the housing, and further being disposed with the second terminal end adjacent the optical subsystem, for modifying a property of the optical signals transmitted by the laser and transmitting the optical signals into the GRIN rod element, and subsequently from the optical fiber to a remote subsystem.

A method for forming an electro-optical interface, the method comprising:

• using an electrical circuit supported from a housing to collect electrical signals from a plurality of remote electrical components;
• using an electrical subsystem supported from the housing, adjacent to the electrical circuit, to receive the electrical signals and to generate electrical drive signals;
• using the electrical drive signals to drive an optical subsystem housed adjacent the electrical subsystem within the housing, in which the optical subsystem generates optical signals in response to the electrical drive signals;
• using a graded index (GRIN) rod element having a first end communicating with an opening in the housing, and a second end projecting to a point adjacent the optical subsystem, to receive the optical signals and to collimate the optical signals before the optical signals are transmitted to an optical fiber;
• wherein the GRIN rod element is independent of the optical fiber and positioned to communicate with the optical fiber;
• and
• communicating the optical signals to a remote subsystem via the optical fiber.

An electro-optical interface system comprising:

• a housing;
• an electrical circuit supported from the housing and configured to interface to a plurality of remote electrical components;
• an electronics subsystem housed within the housing and in communication with the electrical circuit;
• an optical subsystem housed within the housing and in communication with the electronics subsystem for receiving electrical signals from the electronics subsystem representative of electrical signals received from the remote electrical components, and converting the received electrical signals into optical signals for transmission to a remote subsystem;
• wherein the electrical circuit includes a plurality of electrical contact pads for making electrical connections with the remote electrical components;
• and
• wherein the electrical contact pads are configured to project out from a side of the housing non-parallel to the longitudinal length of the housing.