Method and means for transmitting large dynamic analog signals in optical fiber systems

Signal transmission apparatus for transmitting a large dynamic range of microwave or rf analog signals to remotely located utilization apparatus comprising:

• a source of light driven by a carrier oscillator and coupled to receive a microwave or rf analog signal from a source of such signals to produce an optical signal frequency modulated with the information from said analog signal;
• phase modulator means optically coupled to said source of light including light splitter and coupling means to produce at least two phase modulated optical signals that are in quadrature, each containing said analog information;
• signal processor means remotely located from said phase modulator means for processing said phase modulated optical signals in separate quadrature parts to recover said analog information as in electrical signal which includes the large dynamic range;
• optic fiber transmission means connecting said phase modulator means and said signal processor means;
• and
• utilization means connected to said signal processor means for using the analog information.

Apparatus for bidirectional transmission of microwave rf signals between remotely located analog sources of such signals and utilization apparatus comprising:

• (a) a first source of analog signals, a high power diode pumped laser, and phase modulator means optically coupled to receive a beam of light from said laser and electrically coupled to phase modulate a portion of said light beam relative to the remaining portion of said light, to produce a first optical signal intensity modulated by said analog information;
• (b) signal processor means including utilization means for detecting optical signals and demodulating them to recover analog information from said first source of analog signals, a second source of analog signals, and a second source of light connected to produce a second optical signal modulated with the analog information from said second source;
• (c) signal conversion means for detecting said second optical signal and applying same as an analog signal to said first analog source;
• and
• (d) optical signal transmission means connecting said phase modulator means and said signal processor means to transmit said first optical signal to said utilization means for use thereby and for transmitting said second optical to said signal conversion means for application to said first analog source.

A method for bidirectionally transmitting a large dynamic range of rf or microwave analog signals between at least two sources of such analog signals, which sources are remotely located from each other, comprising the steps of:

• (a) using a matched path modulator and a source of light to produce an optical signal that is phase modulated in quadrature with the rf or microwave analog signal from one of said sources;
• (b) transmitting the optical signal using fiber optics and couplers to a remote location and converting the optical signal at said location into electrical signals in quadrature and processing said electrical signals to recover the broad dynamic range analog information to drive at least one utilization device;
• (c) locating the second source of analog signals in proximity to the utilization device and using the second source to generate in quadrature optical signals modulated with the analog information;
• (d) applying the optical signals thus obtained to the fiber optics couplers to transmit the signals back to the location of the first source of analog signals, and converting and processing the signals for utilization.

A method for transmitting a large dynamic range of microwave or rf analog signals over a relatively long distance to remotely located utilization means comprising the steps of:

• (a) using an analog signal to phase modulate a light beam to produce an optical signal in quadrature containing analog information;
• (b) transmitting the optical signal using fiber optics to remotely located utilization means;
• and
• (c) converting the optical signal to recover the analog information as an electrical signal and using the electrical signal to drive said utilization means.

Signal transmission apparatus for transmitting a broad dynamic range of microwave or rf analog signals to remotely located utilization apparatus comprising:

• a source of analog signals;
• a source of light;
• phase modulator means coupled on one input to receive said light and on another input to receive said analog signals to produce phase modulated optical signals which contain the analog information in quadrature as outputs;
• signal processor means for detecting optical signals and converting said optical signals to electrical signals in quadrature containing the analog information and for processing the signals to linearly combine them to produce at least one output signal;
• optical signal transmission means connecting said phase modulator means and said signal processor means for transmitting said optical signals;
• and
• utilization means connected to said signal processing means for using the output signal.

Signal transmission apparatus for transmitting a broad dynamic range of rf or microwave analog signals to remotely located utilization apparatus comprising:

• (a) a diode pumped laser to produce a beam of light;
• (b) an external phase modulator coupled to receive said beam of light and to receive analog signals, said modulator operated to produce optical signals in quadrature and at least one output signal containing the analog information;
• and
• (c) optical signal transmission means coupled to said phase modulator for transmitting the optical signals to remotely located utilization means, said optical signal transmission means including fiber optics for transmitting the output signal to the remotely located utilization means, said signal processor means including circuitry for converting the output signal into electrical signals in quadrature and combining the signals to produce linear output signals containing the broad dynamic range of the analog information, each of said output signals being used to drive the utilization means.