System and method for protecting eye safety during operation of a fiber optic transceiver

A single-chip integrated circuit for preventing potentially unsafe operation of a fiber optic transceiver, comprising:

• a memory, including one or more memory arrays, configured to store digital equivalents of predetermined setpoints;
• communication circuitry configured to receive an input signal associated with operation of said fiber optic transceiver;
• comparison logic configured to compare said input signal to at least one of said predetermined setpoints and to generate an alarm flag if said input signal conflicts with said setpoint, wherein the alarm flag is stored in a predefined location in the memory;
• an interface for allowing a host to read from and write to host-specified locations within the memory, including the predefined location storing the alarm flag;
• and
• operation disable circuitry configured to disable operation of at least part of said fiber optic transceiver in response to a signal, wherein the signal is based on said alarm flag.

A method for preventing potentially unsafe operation of a fiber optic transceiver, comprising:

• in a memory within a fiber optic transceiver, storing a first set of digital equivalents of a plurality of predetermined setpoints for a bias current associated with a transmitter within the fiber optic transceiver, a second set of digital equivalents of a plurality of predetermined setpoints for an output power associated with the transmitter within the fiber optic transceiver, and a third set of digital equivalents of a plurality of predetermined setpoints for a received optical power associated with a receiver within the fiber optic transceiver;
• acquiring, at an integrated circuit within said fiber optic transceiver, input signals associated with operation of said fiber optic transceiver, wherein the input signals include the bias current, the output power and the received optical power;
• comparing the bias current to each digital equivalent in the first set of digital equivalents, the output power to each digital equivalent in the second set of digital equivalents and the received optical power to each digital equivalent in the third set of digital equivalents;
• determining that said input signals conflict with at least one of the first set of digital equivalents, second set of digital equivalents and third set of digital equivalents, respectively;
• and
• generating an alarm flag based on said conflict.

A method for preventing potentially unsafe operation of a fiber optic transceiver, comprising:

• storing a digital equivalent of a predetermined low setpoint and a digital equivalent of a predetermined high setpoint in a memory within a fiber optic transceiver;
• acquiring, at an integrated circuit within said fiber optic transceiver, an input signal associated with operation of said fiber optic transceiver;
• comparing said input signal to the digital equivalent of the predetermined low setpoint and to the digital equivalent of the predetermined high setpoint;
• determining that said input signal conflicts with either the digital equivalent of the predetermined low setpoint or the digital equivalent of the predetermined high setpoint;
• generating an alarm flag based on said conflict;
• storing said alarm flag in a predefined location within said memory;
• and
• enabling a host to read from host-specified locations within the memory, including the predefined location storing the alarm flag.

A single-chip integrated circuit for preventing potentially unsafe operation of a fiber optic transceiver, comprising:

• a memory, including one or more memory arrays, configured to store a first set of digital equivalents of a plurality of predetermined setpoints for a bias current associated with a transmitter within the fiber optic transceiver, a second set of digital equivalents of a plurality of predetermined setpoints for an output power associated with the transmitter within the fiber optic transceiver, and a third set of digital equivalents of a plurality of predetermined setpoints for a received optical power associated with a receiver within the fiber optic transceiver;
• communication circuitry configured to receive input signals associated with operation of said fiber optic transceiver, wherein the input signals include the bias current, the output power and the received optical power;
• and
• comparison logic configured to compare the bias current to each digital equivalent in the first set of digital equivalents, the output power to each digital equivalent in the second set of digital equivalents and the received optical power to each digital equivalent in the third set of digital equivalents, and to generate an alarm flag if said input signals conflict with at least one of the first set of digital equivalents, second set of digital equivalents and third set of digital equivalents, respectively.

Circuitry for monitoring operation of a fiber optic transceiver, comprising:

• a memory, including one or more memory arrays, configured to store a digital equivalent of a predetermined low setpoint and a digital equivalent of a predetermined high setpoint in a memory within a fiber optic transceiver;
• communication circuitry configured to receive an input signal associated with operation of said fiber optic transceiver;
• comparison logic configured to compare said input signal to the digital equivalent of the predetermined low setpoint and to the digital equivalent of the predetermined high setpoint, and to generate an alarm flag if said input signal conflicts with either the digital equivalent of the predetermined low setpoint or the digital equivalent of the predetermined high setpoint, wherein the alarm flag is stored in a predefined location in the memory;
• and
• an interface for allowing a host to read from host-specified locations including the predefined location storing the alarm flag.

A method of monitoring operation of a fiber optic transceiver, comprising:

• storing a digital equivalent of a predetermined setpoint in a memory within a fiber optic transceiver;
• acquiring, at an integrated circuit within said fiber optic transceiver, an input signal associated with operation of said fiber optic transceiver;
• comparing said input signal to said predetermined setpoint;
• determining that said input signal conflicts with said setpoint;
• generating an alarm flag based on said conflict;
• storing the alarm flag at a predefined location within the memory;
• and
• enabling a host to read from and write to host-specified locations within the memory, and enabling the host to read from the predefined location storing the alarm flag.

Circuitry for monitoring operation of a fiber optic transceiver, comprising:

• a memory, including one or more memory arrays, configured to store digital equivalents of predetermined setpoints;
• communication circuitry configured to receive an input signal associated with operation of said fiber optic transceiver;
• comparison logic configured to compare said input signal to at least one of said predetermined setpoints and to generate an alarm flag if said input signal conflicts with said setpoint, wherein the alarm flag is stored in a predefined location in the memory;
• an interface for allowing a host to read from and write to host-specified locations within the memory, and for enabling the host to read from the predefined location storing the alarm flag;
• and
• operation disable circuitry configured to disable operation of at least part of said fiber optic transceiver in response to a signal, wherein the signal is based on said alarm flag.