De-multiplexer
OwnerRonan F. O'Dowdinventor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of de-multiplexing and a time division de-multiplexer (1) for optic signals is disclosed. A multiplexed optic signal (A) is delivered through a cavity of a multi-region semiconductor laser amplifier device (2). The clock component is extracted (6) and it is used to drive (7) the contacts (3,4) of the device (2) with activating signals so that there is an electronic response in each contact for one channel of the optic signal (A) only. Thus, separate electronic data channels are sensed by sense amplifiers (14). The de-multiplexer (1) thus both de-multiplexes and converts optic signals to electronic signals simultaneously.
Claims10
A method of time division de-multiplexing an optic signal having two or more data channels, the method comprising the steps of:
- monitoring channel time frames of the optic signal;
- directing the optic signal through the cavity of a multi-region semiconductor laser amplifier device;
- in response to monitoring the optic signal, delivering activating signals to contacts of the multi-region semiconductor laser amplifier device in synchronism with the channels so that each contact has an electronic response to an optic excursion in one channel only;
- and
- sensing the electronic response in each contact to generate separate electronic data channels.
A de-multiplexer comprising:
- an input port communicating with the cavity of a multi-region semiconductor laser amplifier device having a plurality of contacts;
- monitoring means for monitoring an incoming optic signal which is time division multiplexed with a plurality of data channels;
- activating means having an input connected to the monitoring means and an output connected to the contacts for activating the contacts of the multi-region semiconductor laser device in response to monitoring of the optic signal so that each contact has an electronic response to an optic excursion in one data channel only of the optic signal;
- and
- means for sensing electronic response in each contact.
A de-multiplexer comprising:
- an input port communicating with the cavity of a multi-region semiconductor laser amplifier device having a plurality of contacts;
- monitoring means for monitoring an incoming optic signal which is time division multiplexed with at least two data channels and for extracting a clock signal;
- activating means having an input connected to the monitoring means and an output connected to the contacts, the activating means comprising means for generating activating signals by splitting the clock signal and inverting a split signal, and means for delivering the activating signals to two contacts in synchronism so that each contact has an electronic response to an optic excursion in one data channel only of the optic signal;
- and
- means for sensing electronic response in each contact.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.