Power optimization for operation of optoelectronic device with thermoelectric cooler
AssigneeFinisar Corporation
InventorJames Stewart
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Abstract
A system and method of minimizing the amount of power that is used by an optoelectronic module is disclosed. The system uses a thermoelectric cooler (TEC) to maintain a case temperature of the module at about 50° C. This allows the TEC to operate in the much more efficient heating mode, thus minimizing the amount of current being used to maintain the module temperature. The method includes the steps of determining a temperature range and operating temperature for an optoelectronic module, such that a maximum current level is not exceeded. In one exemplary embodiment, an operating temperature of about 50° C. with a temperature range of from about −5° C. to about 75° C. allows a maximum current of about 300 mA.
Claims24
An optoelectronic device comprising:
- a casing;
- a laser assembly disposed within said casing;
- a temperature control device communicating with said laser assembly, said temperature control device operating in either a cooling mode or a heating mode;
- and
- a processor having microcode that, when executed, causes the processor to at least indirectly control the operating temperature of a laser diode included in the laser assembly so as to maintain current draw of the laser assembly within a predetermined range.
An optoelectronic device comprising:
- a casing adapted to mount to a communication panel;
- a laser assembly disposed within said casing and capable of drawing current from said communication panel;
- a temperature control device communicating with said laser assembly;
- said temperature control device controlling a temperature of said casing;
- and
- means for setting an optimized temperature of a laser diode of the laser assembly based upon a predetermined maximum current draw for the laser assembly, the optimized temperature being selected so as to prevent the current draw for the laser assembly to exceed the predetermined maximum current draw.
A method for balancing the current drawn by a laser over a range of operating temperatures for the laser, said method comprising the steps of:
- determining a maximum current draw for a laser over an operating laser temperature range;
- and
- determining an optimized temperature for the laser based upon the operating laser temperature range, the optimized temperature being selected so that when the operating laser temperature is increased to a maximum temperature of the temperature range the laser draws less than said maximum current, and, when said laser operating temperature is decreased to a minimum temperature for the operating laser temperature range the laser draws less than said maximum current.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.