Bidirectional optical data communications module

A method for optical communication in an optical transceiver module, the optical transceiver module comprising N first light sources, N first light detectors, a first bidirectional optical fiber port, and a first optical network having 2N−1 wavelength-selective optical elements, where 2N is a power of two greater than or equal to four indicating a number of transmit and receive channels, the method comprising:

• each first light source of the N first light sources emitting a first optical transmit signal corresponding to one first transmit channel and having a transmit wavelength different from all other transmit wavelengths of the N first light sources;
• each first light detector of the N first light detectors detecting a first optical receive signal corresponding to one first receive channel and having a receive wavelength different from all other receive wavelengths of the N first light detectors;
• each first optical transmit signal propagating through the first optical network from one first light source of the N first light sources to the first bidirectional optical fiber port via a corresponding first transmit path of the optical network;
• transmitting each first optical transmit signal from the first bidirectional optical fiber port via a first optical fiber coupled to the first bidirectional optical fiber port;
• receiving each first optical receive signal at the first bidirectional optical fiber port via the first optical fiber coupled to the first bidirectional optical fiber port;
• and
• each first optical receive signal propagating through the first optical network from the first bidirectional optical fiber port to one first light detector of the N first light detectors via a corresponding first receive path of the first optical network.