Microcode-driven programmable receive power levels in an optical transceiver
AssigneeFinisar Corporation
InventorsLuke M. Ekkizogloy, Jayne C. Hahin, Gerald L. Dybsetter
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An operational optical transceiver comprising a receiver, a sensor, a memory, and a processor. The sensor is configured to measure the received power of an optical signal received by the receiver. The received power is sent to the memory where it is read by the processor. The processor is configured by microcode stored in the memory to compare the measured power value with a threshold power value. If the measured power value is below the threshold, then the transceiver will assert an indicator such as a signal indicating this. At a later time, when the measured power level is again above the threshold value, the transceiver will deassert the indicator previously asserted.
Claims20
An optical transceiver comprising the following:
- a receiver configured to receive optical signals and convert the optical signals to electric signals;
- a sensor that is optically coupled to the receiver, the sensor being capable of measuring the receive power level of a received optical signal;
- a memory holding replaceable microcode that comprises:
- executable instructions concerning loss of signal (LOS) assert and deassert power levels;
- and
- loss of signal assert and deassert power level information;
- and
- at least one microprocessor configured to cause the optical transceiver to perform the following as a result of executing the microcode:
- an act of accessing a measured receive power level;
- an act of accessing a loss of signal assert power level;
- an act of comparing the measured receive power level to the loss of signal assert power level;
- and
- an act of causing a loss of signal indicator to be asserted if;
- the measured receive power level is less than the loss of signal assert power level;
- and
- the loss of signal indicator is not already asserted in connection with the measured receive power level.
An optical transceiver, comprising:
- an optical fiber interface;
- a receiver configured to receive optical signals by way of the optical fiber interface and convert the received optical signals to electric signals;
- and
- a control module coupled to the receiver, the control module being programmed to assert or deassert an LOS indicator in response to the occurrence of predetermined conditions, and the control module comprising:
- a sensor optically coupled to the receiver and configured to measure the power level of a received optical signal, the sensor being in communication with the control module;
- a memory holding replaceable microcode that comprises:
- executable instructions concerning LOS assert and deassert power levels;
- and
- LOS assert and deassert power level information;
- and
- a processor coupled to the memory and programmed to determine:
- whether or not an LOS indicator should be asserted;
- and
- whether or not the LOS indicator should be deasserted.
A transceiver comprising:
- a first optical fiber interface;
- an optical transmitter configured to transmit an optical data signal from the transceiver by way of the first optical fiber interface;
- a second optical fiber interface;
- a receiver configured to receive an optical data signal by way of the second optical fiber interface, and to convert the received optical data signal to an electrical data signal;
- a sensor that is optically coupled to the receiver, the sensor being capable of measuring the optical power level of a received optical data signal;
- and
- a control module in at least indirect communication with the sensor, the optical transmitter and the optical receiver, and the control module comprising:
- a processor;
- a memory;
- and
- a host communication interface in at least indirect communication with the memory, and
- the control module holding replaceable microcode that, when executed by the processor, causes the control module to perform the following acts:
- accessing a measured optical power level of a received optical data signal;
- accessing a loss of signal (LOS) assert power level;
- comparing the measured optical power level of the received optical data signal to the loss of signal (LOS) assert power level;
- and
- causing a loss of signal (LOS) indicator to be asserted and transmitted to a host device by way of the host communication interface, if:
- the measured optical power level of the received optical data signal is less than the loss of signal (LOS) assert power level;
- and
- the loss of signal (LOS) indicator is not already asserted in connection with the measured optical power level of the received optical data signal.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.