Maintaining desirable performance of optical emitters over temperature variations

A method of determining appropriate current bias values and current swing values to be used by a controller of an optoelectronic apparatus so as to maintain desirable optical performance of a laser of the optoelectronic apparatus over temperature variations, the method comprising:

• at a first temperature, adjusting a first bias current and a first current swing of the laser while monitoring optical signals generated by the laser until the laser generates optical signals at a predefined power level and at a predefined extinction ratio;
• recording the first bias current and the first current swing;
• connecting the optical transmitter to the optical receiver to create a loop;
• after the connecting step, at a temperature substantially similar to the first temperature, determining a first optical power level of optical signals generated by the laser under the first bias current;
• calculating an estimate of a first threshold bias current and a first slope efficiency of the laser associated with the first temperature;
• at a second temperature, determining a second bias current and a second slope efficiency at which a second optical power level of optical signals generated by the laser under the second bias current is substantially the same as the first optical power level;
• calculating an estimate of a second threshold bias current of the laser associated with the second temperature;
• and
• calculating an estimate of a second current swing at least partially from the first bias current, the first threshold bias current, the second bias current, the second threshold bias current and the first current swing.

An optoelectronic apparatus comprising:

• an optical emitter;
• an emitter driver circuit coupled to drive the optical emitter;
• a controller circuit coupled to the emitter driver circuit, the controller circuit configured to provide control signals to the emitter driver circuit so as to maintain consistent optical performance of the optical emitter over temperature fluctuations, and
• a memory coupled to the controller circuit and having stored therein temperature values and at least two control values for the emitter driver circuit for at least some of the temperature values, wherein the controller circuit generates the control signals based on at least in part two of the control values that are associated with the same temperature value.