Systems and Methods for Intelligent Transimpedance Amplifiers

A method for performing link training of a high speed serial link, the method comprising:

• sampling, at an optical receiver, an analog signal transmitted by a transmitter via a channel using an analog-to-digital converter, where the transmitted analog signal is a pulse;
• characterizing, at the optical receiver, the channel based upon the sampled analog signal;
• generating, at the optical receiver, parameters that are capable of being used by the transmitter to adjust the transmitted signal;
• and
• transmitting, by the optical receiver, the generated parameters to the transmitter.

An intelligent transimpedance amplifier (TIA) comprising:

• a transimpedance amplifier capable of amplifying a received analog signal;
• a programmable linear equalizer capable of equalizing the amplified received analog signal to generate an equalized signal;
• a variable gain amplifier capable of amplifying the equalized signal to produce an amplified equalized signal;
• a line driver capable of generating an output signal based upon the amplified equalized signal;
• and
• diagnostic circuitry capable of:
• sampling the amplified equalized signal to produce a sampled signal;
• and
• producing a diagnostic output based upon the amplified equalized signal.

A method of modifying an optical communication link comprising:

• transmitting an optical signal from an optical transmitter to an optical receiver via an optical channel, where:
• the optical receiver comprises an intelligent transimpedance amplifier and a digital signal processor:
• the intelligent transimpedance amplifier comprises:
• a transimpedance amplifier capable of amplifying a received analog signal;
• a programmable linear equalizer capable of equalizing the amplified received analog signal to generate an equalized signal;
• a variable gain amplifier capable of amplifying the equalized signal to produce an amplified equalized signal;
• a line driver capable of generating an output signal based upon the amplified equalized signal;
• and
• diagnostic circuitry capable of:
• sampling the amplified equalized signal to produce a sampled signal;
• and
• producing a diagnostic output based upon the amplified equalized signal;
• automatically monitoring the diagnostic output;
• determining that the optical receiver is defective based upon the monitored diagnostic output;
• and
• replacing the optical receiver with a replacement optical receiver;
• transmitting a new optical signal from the optical transmitter to the replacement optical receiver via the optical channel.