Single-Wavelength Bidirectional Transceiver with Integrated Optical Fiber Coupler

2:

• The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board comprises a multiplicity of transceiver input/output metal contacts arranged at one end of the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board.

3:

• The apparatus as recited in claim 2, further comprising a metal base and a metal cover, wherein the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board and the metal cover are attached to the metal base, and the metal cover is open at one end to expose the transceiver input/output metal contacts, thereby enabling the corresponding metal contacts on an application hardware to be in contact with the transceiver input/output metal contacts when the one end of the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board is plugged into that application hardware.

4:

• The apparatus as recited in claim 1, further comprising a metal base, wherein the 2×1 fusion coupler is disposed between the metal base and the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board.

5:

• The apparatus as recited in claim 4, wherein the laser and detector optical subassemblies and the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board are attached to the metal base.

6:

• The apparatus as recited in claim 5, further comprising a pair of flex circuits that respectively electrically connect the laser and detector optical subassemblies to the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board.

7:

• The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the metal base comprises a fiber nose tube projecting from one end of the metal base, and the input/output optical fiber passes through the fiber nose tube.

8:

• The apparatus as recited in claim 7, further comprising a fiber boot that surrounds the fiber nose tube and a portion of the input/output optical fiber that projects beyond a distal end of the fiber nose tube.

9:

• The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the 2×1 fusion coupler, the input/output optical fiber, the detector optical subassembly fiber and the laser optical subassembly fiber are made of glass.

10:

• The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the 2×1 fusion coupler has a length of about 25 mm and a diameter of about 1.5 mm.

12:

• The data transmission system as recited in claim 11, wherein the gigabit optical fiber is made of plastic.

13:

• The data transmission system as recited in claim 11, wherein the first and second 2×1 fusion couplers are made of glass and have a length of about 25 mm and a diameter of about 1.5 mm.

16:

• The data transmission system as recited in claim 15, wherein the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board comprises a multiplicity of transceiver input/output metal contacts arranged at one end of the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board, further comprising a metal base and a metal cover, wherein the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board and the metal cover are attached to the metal base, and the metal cover is open at one end to expose the transceiver input/output metal contacts, thereby enabling the corresponding metal contacts on an application hardware to be in contact with the transceiver input/output metal contacts when the one end of the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board is plugged into that application hardware.

17:

• The data transmission system as recited in claim 15, further comprising a metal base, wherein the first 2×1 fusion coupler is disposed between the metal base and the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board.

18:

• The data transmission system as recited in claim 17, wherein the laser and detector optical subassemblies and the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board are attached to the metal base.

19:

• The data transmission system as recited in claim 18, further comprising a pair of flex circuits that respectively electrically connect the laser and detector optical subassemblies to the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board.

22:

• The method as recited in claim 20, further comprising:
• placing a metal cover over the laser and detector optical subassemblies and the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board;
• and attaching the metal cover to the metal base, wherein the metal cover is open at one end to expose a multiplicity of transceiver input/output metal contacts on the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board, thereby enabling the corresponding metal contacts on an application hardware to be in contact with the transceiver input/output metal contacts when the open end of the transceiver electronic circuit printed wiring board is plugged into that application hardware.