Multichannel Optical Data Coupler

An optical data coupler, comprising:

• a first optical coupler component having a housing with an interface surface that contains at least one transmit optical coupler element and at least one receive optical coupler element affixed thereto;
• a second optical coupler component having a housing with an interface surface that contains at least one transmit optical coupler element and at least one receive optical coupler element affixed thereto;
• mechanical alignment mechanisms on the housing of said first and second optical coupler components;
• wherein the alignment mechanisms are such that upon engagement of the first optical coupler alignment mechanism with the second optical coupler alignment mechanism a transmit optical coupler element of the first optical coupler component is optically aligned with a receive optical coupler element of the second optical coupler component and a transmit optical coupler element of the second optical coupler component is optically aligned with a receive optical coupler element of the first optical coupler component.

An optical data coupler, comprising:

• a first optical coupler component having a housing with an interface surface that contains at least one transmit optical coupler element and at least one receive optical coupler element affixed thereto;
• an optical amplifier affixed to the housing of the first optical coupler component and connected to each of the optical coupler elements;
• a second optical coupler component having a housing with an interface surface that contains at least one transmit optical coupler element and at least one receive optical coupler element affixed thereto, the optical coupler elements within the second optical coupler component not being optically tuned to the optical coupler elements in the first optical coupler component;
• alignment mechanisms on the housing of said first and second optical coupler components;
• and,
• a first transparent polycarbonate interface window fixed to the interface surface of the housing of the first optical coupler component and a second transparent polycarbonate interface window fixed to the interface surface of the housing of the second optical coupler component;
• wherein the alignment mechanisms are such that upon engagement of the first optical coupler alignment mechanism with the second optical coupler alignment mechanism a transmit optical coupler element of the first optical coupler component is optically aligned with a receive optical coupler element of the second optical coupler component and a transmit optical coupler element of the second optical coupler component is optically aligned with a receive optical coupler element of the first optical coupler component.