Cascaded distortion compensation for analog optical systems

An analog optical communication system comprising

• an optical signal source, responsive to an electronic input signal for providing an analog optical output signal;
• an optical signal path coupled to the output of the optical signal source;
• and
• an optical receiver coupled to the optical signal path for recovering therefrom the electronic input signal from said optical signal source, wherein the analog optical communication system comprises elements, including but not limited to the signal source, the signal path and the receiver, which generate distortion
• CHARACTERIZED IN THAT
• the system further comprises
• a plurality of cascaded series distortion compensation components, each component configured to substantially compensate for a separate and distinct predefined distortion and associated in a one-to-one relationship with the distortion generated by the system elements, said plurality of cascaded series distortion compensation components disposed at either the input to the optical signal source so as to provide a pre-distorted electronic input signal or the output of the optical receiver to provide post-distortion compensation to the recovered electrical signal.