Repeater powering
AssigneeNeptune Subsea IP Limited
InventorsDavid Antony Frisch, Alistair Hill
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An optical repeater is disclosed, comprising: an optical input port for receiving an input optical signal; an optical output port for transmitting an output optical signal; electronics comprising an amplifier configured to increase a signal level of the optical signal between the input port and the output port; a voltage regulator configured to provide a variable voltage power supply to the electronics, and optionally comprising a local or external controller configured to determine a supply voltage in response to demand and to control the voltage regulator to provide the supply voltage.
Claims20
An optical repeater comprising:
- an optical input port configured to receive an input optical signal;
- an optical output port configured to transmit an output optical signal;
- electronics comprising an amplifier configured to increase a signal level of the input optical signal between the input port and the output port;
- and
- a voltage regulator comprising an adjustable shunt regulator configured to provide a variable voltage power supply to the electronics to control a voltage dropped over the optical repeater.
An optical system comprising:
- an optical communication link comprising a plurality of repeaters each separated by a span of cable that comprises one or more optical fibers;
- and
- a power supply configured to provide a system voltage and a system current to the optical communication link that is sufficient to power each of the repeaters;
- wherein each of at least one of the repeaters comprises:
- an optical input port configured to receive an input optical signal;
- an optical output port configured to transmit an output optical signal;
- electronics comprising an amplifier configured to increase a signal level of the input optical signal between the input port and the output port;
- and
- a voltage regulator comprising an adjustable shunt regulator configured to provide a variable voltage power supply to the electronics to control a voltage dropped over the repeater.
A method of powering an optical repeater comprising:
- using a voltage regulator to set a variable voltage supplied to a load of the optical repeater and thereby control a voltage dropped over the optical repeater;
- wherein the load comprises an optical amplifier that increases a signal level of an optical signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.