# US 2013/0156077 A1 · Transceiver Port Apparatus and Method

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- Number: US 2013/0156077 A1
- Document ID: US20130156077A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/327,426
- Filed: 2011-12-15
- Published: 2013-06-20
- Earliest claimed: 2011-12-15
- Assignees: Spirent Communications, Inc.
- Inventors: Gabriel K. Au; Robert D. Yamashita; Kin Ho Tung
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20130156077A1

## CPC

- H04L 12/413: with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
- H04L: TRANSMISSION OF DIGITAL INFORMATION, e.g. TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION (arrangements common to telegraphic and telephonic communication H04M)

## Abstract

Various embodiments relate to an apparatus that converts between CFP signals and electrical CXP signals. Circuitry compensates for attenuation of a CXP interconnect connected to a CXP transceiver port, and converts between (i) electrical CXP signals of the CXP transceiver port (the electrical CXP signals compliant with the CXP specification), and (ii) CFP signals of the CFP transceiver port (the CFP signals compliant with the CFP specification).

## Claims

### Claim 1

An apparatus comprising:
a housing including:
a CXP transceiver port compliant with a CXP specification operating at least at 100 Gbps;
a CFP transceiver port compliant with a CFP specification operating at least at 100 Gbps; and
circuitry compensating for attenuation of a CXP interconnect connected to the CXP transceiver port, and converting between (i) electrical CXP signals of the CXP transceiver port, the electrical CXP signals compliant with the CXP specification, and (ii) CFP signals of the CFP transceiver port, the CFP signals compliant with the CFP specification.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry includes a microcontroller that configures clock and data recovery settings for converting between the electrical CXP signals and the CFP signals.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the transceiver adapter relies on circuitry external to the transceiver adapter to control clock and data recovery settings for converting between the electrical CXP signals and the CFP signals.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the circuitry converting between signals, includes clock and data recovery circuitry configured based on attenuation data characterizing a CXP interconnect coupled to the CXP transceiver port, the attenuation data stored on the CXP interconnect.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CFP specification describes any CFP variant including any of CFP, CFP2, CFP4, or other variant of CFP.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CFP specification is a C Form-factor Pluggable MultiSource Agreement specification.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CXP specification is any CXP variant including any of CXP, CXP2, or other variant of CXP.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the CXP specification is a C eXtended-capability Pluggable form factor specification.

### Claim 9

An apparatus including:
a networking device having an Ethernet port operating at least at 100 Gigabits, the networking device including a CFP module, the CFP module coupled to a transceiver adapter, the transceiver adapter comprising:
a housing including:
a CXP transceiver port compliant with a CXP specification operating at least at 100 Gbps;
a CFP transceiver port compliant with a CFP specification operating at least at 100 Gbps; and
circuitry compensating for attenuation of a CXP interconnect connected to the CXP transceiver port, and converting between (i) electrical CXP signals of the CXP transceiver port, the electrical CXP signals compliant with the CXP specification, and (ii) CFP signals of the CFP transceiver port, the CFP signals compliant with the CFP specification.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the circuitry in the transceiver adapter includes a microcontroller that configures clock and data recovery settings for converting between the electrical CXP signals and the CFP signals.

### Claim 11 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the transceiver adapter relies on circuitry in the networking device and external to the transceiver adapter, to control clock and data recovery settings for converting between the electrical CXP signals and the CFP signals.

### Claim 12 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the circuitry converting between signals, includes clock and data recovery circuitry configured based on attenuation data characterizing a CXP interconnect coupled to the CXP transceiver port, the attenuation data stored on the CXP interconnect.

### Claim 13 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the CFP specification describes any CFP variant including any of CFP, CFP2, CFP4, or other variant of CFP.

### Claim 14 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the CFP specification is a C Form-factor Pluggable MultiSource Agreement specification.

### Claim 15 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the CXP specification is any CXP variant including any of CXP, CXP2, or other variant of CXP.

### Claim 16 (depends on 9)

The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the CXP specification is a C eXtended-capability Pluggable form factor specification.

### Claim 17

A method including:
compensating for attenuation of a CXP interconnect connected to a CXP transceiver port operating at least at 100 Gbps, and
converting between (i) electrical CXP signals of the CXP transceiver port, the electrical CXP signals and the CXP transceiver port compliant with the CXP specification, and (ii) CFP signals of a CFP transceiver port operating at least at 100 Gbps, the CFP signals and the CFP transceiver port compliant with the CFP specification, the CXP transceiver port and the CFP transceiver port in a same transceiver adapter housing.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
configuring clock and data recovery circuitry settings in the transceiver adapter for converting between the electrical CXP signals and the CFP signals, with a microcontroller in the transceiver adapter housing.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
configuring clock and data recovery circuitry settings in the transceiver adapter for converting between the electrical CXP signals and the CFP signals, with a networking device external to the transceiver adapter.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising:
configuring clock and data recovery circuitry settings in the transceiver adapter for converting between the electrical CXP signals and the CFP signals, based on attenuation data characterizing a CXP interconnect coupled to the CXP transceiver port, the attenuation data stored on the CXP interconnect.

### Claim 21 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the CFP specification describes any CFP variant including any of CFP, CFP2, CFP4, or other variant of CFP.

### Claim 22 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the CFP specification is a C Form-factor Pluggable MultiSource Agreement specification.

### Claim 23 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the CXP specification is any CXP variant including any of CXP, CXP2, or other variant of CXP.

### Claim 24 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, wherein the CXP specification is a C eXtended-capability Pluggable form factor specification.

### Claim 25

A method including:
attaching, to a first CFP port of networking equipment undergoing test, a second CFP port of an apparatus that converts between (i) electrical CXP signals of the CXP transceiver port, the electrical CXP signals compliant with the CXP specification, and (ii) CFP signals of the CFP transceiver port, the CFP signals compliant with the CFP specification;
attaching, to a first CXP port of the apparatus, a CXP interconnect; and
automatically configuring the apparatus to compensate for attenuation of the CXP interconnect.