Electro-optic interface system and method of operation

An electro-optic transceiver configured to communicate signals between an electronic system and an optical system, having an electro-optic interface comprising:

• a test system switch having a signal input coupled to the electronic system, a control input, a first signal output, and a second signal output, the test system switch configured to receiving an electronic signal from the electronic system;
• a drive controller having a control output coupled to the control input of the test system switch, a signal input coupled to the first signal output of the test system switch, the drive controller configured to communicate a switch control signal to the test system switch via the output control;
• and
• a laser having a signal input coupled to the second signal output of the test system switch and an optical output coupled with the optical system,
• wherein the test system switch, responsive to the switch control signal, switches the electronic signal to the drive controller via the first signal output or to the laser via the second signal output.

A electro-optic transceiver configured to communicate signals between an electronic system and an optical system, having an electro-optic interface comprising:

• an emulator circuit having an input coupled to receive an electronic signal from the electronic system and an output, the emulator circuit configured to receive parallel data and output serialized data;
• a laser driver/amplifier having a signal input coupled to emulator output and an output, the laser driver/amplifier configured to provide a driving signal corresponding to the electronic signal;
• and
• a laser having an input coupled to the laser driver/amplifier signal output and an optical output coupled to the optical system, the laser configured to receive the driving signal and in response output a modulated optical signals,
• wherein the driving signal corresponding to the lowest logic level of the electronic signal is above a threshold current of the laser.

An electro-optic interface system configured to communicate, via an optical channel, a signal between a first and a second electronic system, the system comprising:

• a first electro-optic transceiver having a signal port coupled to the first electronic system and an optical port, the first electro-optic transceiver comprising a first transceiver laser having an input coupled to the first electronic system and an optical output, wherein the first transceiver laser produces a first modulated output signal corresponding to a signal communicated from the first electronic system;
• an optical channel coupled to the laser output, wherein the optical channel supports propagation of the first modulated optical output therethrough;
• and
• a second transceiver having a first port coupled to the optical channel and a second port coupled to the second electronic system, the second transceiver comprising:
• a second transceiver test system switch having a signal port configured to communicate electronic signals between the second transceiver test system switch and the second electronic system, a control input configured to receive a first switch control signal, a first signal output, and a first signal input;
• a second transceiver laser having an input coupled to the first signal output of the second transceiver test system switch and an optical output coupled to the optical channel;
• and
• a second transceiver photodetector having an optical input coupled to the optical channel and an output coupled to the first signal input of the second transceiver test system switch, the second transceiver photodetector configured to receive the first modulated output signal emitted by the first transceiver laser and, in response, produces a first received signal,
• wherein the second transceiver test system switch, responsive to the first switch control signal, switches the first received signal between the second electronic system ad the input of the second transceiver laser.

An electro-optic interface system configured to communicate, via an optical channel, an electronic signal between a first and a second electronic system, the system comprising:

• a first electro-optic transceiver having a signal port coupled to the first electronic system and an optical port, the first electro-optic transceiver comprising:
• a first transceiver emulator circuit having an input coupled to the electronic system and an output, the first transceiver emulator circuit configured to receive an electronic signal comprising parallel data from the first electronic system and, in response, produces in response serialized data;
• and
• a first transceiver laser having an input coupled to the output of the first transceiver emulator circuit and a optical output, wherein the first transceiver laser produces a first modulated output signal corresponding to the electronic signal communicated from the first electronic system;
• an optical channel coupled to the laser output, wherein the optical channel supports the propagation of a first modulated optical output therethrough;
• a second electro-optic transceiver having a first port coupled to the optical channel and a second port coupled to the second electronic system, the second transceiver comprising:
• a second transceiver photodetector having an optical input coupled to the optical channel and an output, the second transceiver photodetector configured to receive the first modulated output signal emitted by the first transceiver laser and, in response, produces a first received signal;
• and
• a second transceiver emulator circuit having an input coupled to the second transceiver photodetector output and an output coupled to the second electronic system, the second transceiver emulator circuit configured to receive the received signal comprising serialized data and to produce in response parallel data.

An electo-optic interface system having a first electro-optic transceiver coupled to a second electro-optic transceiver via an optical channel, a method for characterizing a quality of a link between the first and second electro-optic transceivers, the method comprising the steps of:

• modulating, using a reference optical signal, a laser within the first electro-optic transceiver to produce a reference optical signal;
• communicating the reference optical signal over an optical channel to the second electro-optic transceiver;
• illuminating a photodetector within the second electro-optic transceiver with a received optical signal corresponding to the reference optical signal to produce a received reference signal;
• modulating, using the received reference signal, a laser within the second electro-optic transceiver to produce a reference optical signal;
• illuminating a photodetector within the first electro-optic transceiver with a returned optical signal corresponding to the returning optical signal to produce the returned reference signal;
• and
• comparing the returned reference signal with the reference signal.